The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-28

: poss. OF Rhode Island

Dorr died ct his residence, Providence, Rhode Island
yesterday morning The life Of Mr. Dorr is interesting,
nasmuch under his leadership the people of Rhode
Island made their first stand for the extension of the
right OF suffrage and took up to defend what they
considered inalienable right denied them by the
power under the old charter of Charles the
Second.
Mr.. Dorr was born in Providence, Of a good family.
His father Sullivan Dorr, has been a successful manu-
facturer The received the rudiments of his educa
ton the famous Exeter Academy and graduated 1t
Harvard College in the class of 1929 He studied law in
this city, in the Office of Vice Chancellor MCoun and
was admitted to the bar in 1927, when he commenced
practice in the city Of Providence.
Brought up in the family of q conservative manuac-
turer ana educated Exeter and Harvard IL is by
means singular that young Dorr should have been
federast IN politics; but after dgent study of the
principles Of political economy Mr. Dorr Gin 1851 united
with that great democratic food which had twice elected
General Jackson President Of the United States and in the
person Of his rumphed the opposition OF
bitter personal enemies and general unpopularty Mr.
Dorr found his native State governed by charter the
provisions Of which rendered almost impossible for the
democracy to gain any share Of the government The
apportionment OF representation at variance with
the numerical distribution Of the population, and the
elective franchise confined to about third Of tho
resident VIII te American citizens. by means Of real
estate qualification and prmogentive privilege that
is 1t required that every voter should hold real
estate and only his oldest qualified 70 vots
in his life time.
Mr.. Dorr was elected a member of the Assembly in
4-5-6-7 and labored to the end Of substituting
liberal constitution for the old char ter The highest
vote that he obtained for any extension Of tho
right Of suffrage out Of about seventy
bers He then made effort to establish a party to
bring about the object and called it the Constitu
tion and the midst of the violent exctements of the
day it found impossible to preserve any separate
party organization, although Mr.. Dorr, with few
Others stn abored earnestly bring about the objects
to which he had dedicated his fe Little by little the adj
herens Of Mr. Dorr gained strength and they made their
first demonstration the 18th of April, ls4i, when
old fashioned barbecue given. An roasted
whole, and loaf Of bread weighing hundred
pounds was baked. This meeting, held ON Jefferson
Plains, near Providence emphatcally gathering
Of the masses. From this time there two great
parties in the State-caed the Charter Agerine par
ty composed Of the wealthy Glass; and the Peoples
Suffrage party, which included the bone and sinew.
convention Of the suffrage party called at
Newport the 9Th Of May 1884, and six thousand per-
sons assembled.
At this convention State committee was elected,
with power to draft constitution. The next
demonstration held in Providence, on the 9Th OF
July 1871, when grafton was pronounced before
eight thousand of the suffrage party by the Rev. W. s.
Balch. The State Committee directed to call State
convention for the adoption Of the constitution.
which direction complied with. Delegates were
elected from every town in the State to the convention
1t submitted liberal constitution to the people, and 1t
ratified by fourteen thousand affirmative votes that
number being from two thousand to three Thousand
than half the number of citizens residing in the
State
The suffrage party then assumed that the new consh
tuition the fundamental law of the State and pro-
ceeded to hold election for State officers under it.
Mr.. Dorr chosen Governor, and the peoples Legsa
ture was called meet at Providence the first Mon
day in May, 1872
Thus far, 1t will be that great deal had been
done in contravention Of law but violence had been
used Both parties, however, were determined two
Legislatures and two Governors had been elected and
the time for Inauguration drew it became apparent
that collision must 1t is proper to say that
he election the charter party polled 1900 votes while
he suffrage party had only 5,73s
The suffrage State committee called the ndepend
ent companies throughout the State TO aid in the escort
of their procession the Sd Of May, when the Assembly
to be convened. The Governor under the charter
Samuel W. King Esq., sent to washi ngton for aid and
made preparations to defend the State Arsenal Prov
dence. Nightly drills Of the suffrage party held
PROVIDENCE
special session of the Assembly, which convened at
Providence The Governor transmitted o message re-
questing aid and counsel and asking for power raise
troops which was granted Five hundred United States
troops added to the garrison of Fort Adams at
Newport
On the Sd of May the peoples government was
ganzed at Providence and Governor Dor transmitted
his message to the Legislature. On the day, at
Newport, the charter government organized, and
Governor King duly sworn in The first arrest Of
Of the peoples representatives, in the person Of
Daniel Brown, made at Newport, Thursday, the
4h Of May. Two three days after broke out the
charter party held the and the Dorr party
armed Mr. Dorr went to Washington for returned
to providence The lared State
alaw and called out all the able bodied in the State
to put down tie instruction precept put into
the hands Of the Sheriff. ordering him to take the body
Of Thomas W. Dorr attain ted Of high treason On the
18th, the suffrage men, armed with muskets and six
pieces Of cannon, mustered around the house Of Mr..
burlington Anthony, where Mr.. Dorr stopping.
They took two pieces of cannon and at two o'clock made
attempt upon the State Arsenal. 1t was not sue
cessful. The Governor then marched against Mr.. An
thony's house with body of military, when the suf
frage dispersed and Mr. Dorr retired from the city
The next day several officers under the peoples const
tuition published hand bill resgning their Offices. The
scale turned against the suffrage by the United
States troops at Newport who ordered to support
the charter authorities.
The democrats in New York and Boston held meet
ings Of sympathy with their brethren in Rhode Island,
and in this city paper numerously signed, the
subscribers pedgng themselves to volunteer for the aid
Of the suffrage party Encouraged by this demonstra-
tion Mr. Dorr again returned to Rhode Island, and
joined at Woonsocket by several hundred OF his adhe-
rents, and also by a number Of New Workers., among
gress from this city. The Dorr retired from
Woonsocke fortified themselves at Chepachct where
they assaed by the LIST Light Infantry, of Provi-
dence, under Col. W. n. Brown and retreaed without
firing gun. Mr.. Dorr retreaed into Connecticut a
reward OF four Thousand dollars being offered for his
rest. These transprcd the 25th, and the
2sth the war was over.