Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-08-11
Pierce in favor Of Dorrism.

| Pierce III IaVOF VI DOEIlSkms
II was observed that on late visit of
Pierce to Rhode Island, the first man he call
ed upon ,cas The infamous Cor. Dorr. The
Alexandra Telegraph publishes an extract
from the Providence Herald, paper edit
ed by Dorr in which he refers to his inter-
view, ,and speaks of the friendship of Pierce
for his cause in Rhode Island He says:
''We had the pleasure of an interview with
him. He is IN fine e,health and in high spfr-
its, and has an excellen. campaign in him.
Being thorough going practical Demo-
crat, and man of and among the people
and knowing what a united democracy can
do, he commits himself cheerfully to their
hands. when our conversation ,cds turned
10 some Of The affairs Of 1912, and his nell
kno,cn frieudship for nte Rhods Island cause
of sovereignty and suffrage, Toe took The lib
erty--speaking for our democratic brethren
10 assure him that Ills friendship for that
cause ,cas not forgotten, and that it ronld
urge The rank and file Of our party 10 IN
usual erertions. Democrats-will you rat
ify this promise by your exertions and votes
in the present campaign !"
1t is possible that our readers may have
forgotten some of ''the affairs OF lS42' to
which Governor Dofr refers, and the pro-
gress of that "Rhode Island cause of which
Gen. Pierce was such fast friend. We
will give a brief summary of it, that the
people of the South may keep fresh in their
minds the disorganizing doctrines and rev.
olutionary cause of which the Democratic
candidate for the Presidency is the advo-
cate. The Legislature of Rhode Island, in
1841, upon petition signed by FIVE or six
hundred male inhabitants for. such an ex-
tension of suffrage as the Legislature might
deem expedient to propose, called Con-
vet1tion to frame written Constitution.
After this legal Convention had been pro-
vided for by the Legislatures meeting was
held by the peoples party,'a as it was call
ed, at Newport, and Committee appointed
who were authorized by the meeting to take
measures for calling Convention to frame
a Constitution. These Conventions met,
and written Constitution was framed for
each.
Both parties voted upon their respective
plans, and the Peoples Constitution was in
a minority by a large vote. But illegal, null
and void, as their whole proceedings we're,
even if they had obtained majority, yet,
although they were in decided minority,
he officers of the..Dorr faction proceeded as
f they were entitled to full authority; they
net under an armed guard, ,and proposed to
govern and officer the state at the bayonet's
,oint The offensive difference between
he provisions of the two Constitutions was
simply that by the legal Constitution, 'eve-
v white male native citizen, possessing the
reehSld qualification, and over twenty-one
,ears Of age, ftiay vote, upon residence
If one year and without any freehold, may
,ote, upon a residence of two years, except
n the case of voters fof town taxes, in
Which case the voter must possess the free
lold qualification, or be taxed for other
property of the value of $780," and by the
Peoples Constitution" as it was called,
every white male citizen of the United
States of the age of twenty-one years, who
las resided in the State for one year, and
n the town where he votes for six months,
hall be permitted TO vote, with the same
exception as to voting for town taxes as is
in the other Constitution"
The whole proceedings of Dorr were of
he most revolutionary and disorganlzlng
character. He raised an armed force, en-
renched them in regular military style,
oaded his cannon TO the muzzle, and Rhode
Island was on the very eve of bloody
fight when he ingloriously took 10 his heels.
But for the cowardice of this miserable
1emagogue, not only Rhode Island, but the
whole country might have been involved
in civil war. The dsorganizers of other
States were about 10 rally to the side of
Dorr, and the friends Of law and order in
other States would no doubt have hasten
ed to the side of the Constitutional govern
ment Of Rhode Island. Such was the cause
for his ",ccI kno,On friendship" to which
Gen. Pierce is comtlimented by Gov. Dorr
and the remembrance of which is to ami
mate the Democracy of Rhode Island to
new exertions in his support
Dorr was aiming at the overthrow of the
government of his State,
seeking to involve her in civil wal, land was
prepared to trample Under foot the rights of
person and property. What do Southern
men think of such cause as that What
10 they think. of the cardinal principle of
Dorrism, of which Pierce was '',csH kno~n
fiend," that portion of the community
nay assume to be majority, ,subvert exist
ng Constitutions and laws, make new laws
o suit themselves, and call in the rowdies
If other States to support them by force of
rms in their pretensions' Dorr has told US
what Pierce thinks of this doctrine. What
10 the people of the South think of it and
If Pierce Rich. Rep.
TENNEssEE.-We like the tone of the
Whig press in this State. We have yet to
meet with the first Whig paper which
doubts the success of Scott and Graham