The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-11-29


can Union, of q government established
without law, and acquiesced in by those Ia
whom the execution Of the law had been
intrusted.
The charter Of Charles IL. which was
the Fundamental law of Rhode Island, In
Ra ths eddt wFitteF e9nslt1l liol
q I'd dFbm 81 in 10 word nVR pIe
lOt de beSI vi th rave theoretical defects
which were not original, but had grown
out of the changes that had taken place
with the growth of the State; 1t respond
ed with singular fidelity and promptness
to the popular will. The government
was honest and economical, and 1t brought
into the public service the best class Of
mQng hIRsBancrol says:
Il yfhA 2intls of Rhode Island, ifwritten
in INC d 4 q philosophy would exhibit
/ the forms Of society under peculiar Us.
pect. Had the territory Of the State cor
responded to the importance and singu
larfty Of the principles Of It's early exist.
ence, the world would have been filled
with wonder at the phenomena OF It's his
tory"
quote from the first editiOn-he says:
"This charter Of government, constitut'
ing, as It then seemed, pure democracy
and establishing political system which
few besides the Rhode Islanders them
selves believed to be practicable, Is still in
existence, and Is the Oldest constitutional
charter, now valid, in the world. 1t las
outlived the principles OF Clarendon and
the policy Of Charles II. The probable
population Of Rhode Island at the time Of
It's reception may have been two thousand
five hundFed.s In Onehundred and seven
ty yeafs lint number has i4efeascd forty.
fold; and DE government which was
hardly thought to contain checks enough
on the power ofthe people to endure even
among shepherds and farmers, protects q
dense population, and the accumulations
Of o widely extended commerce. No
where in the world have life, liberty and
property been safer than in Rhode Island" "
Ono Of the early colonial documents
says: ave have long drank Of the cup
Of as great liberties US any people that we
can. hear Ofundcr the whole heaven. In
November, 1868, George Baxter, the
most faithful and happy bringer Of the
Charter" arrived in Newport The doc
umcnt twas taken forth from the precious
box that held it, and was read by Baxter
in the audience and view Of all the people;
and the letters, with His Maiesty's royal
stump, and the broad seal, with much
seeming gravity, were held up on high,
apa ,presented tO,the perfect viewpol TtlIe
people" apd the thank 0g the COLON yare
v6ledto His Majesty HoIlthe higB Nc
estimable, yea, incompatible grace and
favor"
1 have narrated this to show how un-
founded was the allegation that the Char
ter was Imposed upon the people by n
dissolute monarch" 1t was the grant OF
their earnest petition, the fruitiOn Of their
steady and persistent efforts. It confer
red degree OF freedom that the English
subjects of Charles had never enjoyed,
aud that WIS unknown In any other coun-
try And the hercditary attachment with
which the people chung to it, tor nearly
two centuries, proves what good reason
the colonists had for welcoming its ar
rival, and how well 1t fulfilled the pur-
U The II in Se W. against the govern.
ment Of Rhode Island eliminated on tne
18TH OF May, 1879: Dorr nau organlz2e1u
Ind elected various executive officers; but
lis adherehts lacked his bold and reSolute
spirit. sJThey evidently feared ,thelegat
consequences OF assuming 10 aG G.t unu a.,r
their commissions NO vigorous eiiGrt was
made TO enforce the authorlty wnlcn they
claimed, and not 1901 OF tne territory OF
the state acsn9wieagea ~ IL s,,i aus u own
Immediately after his inauguration, and to
Ake iofctote possession OF the archives;
This WIS The next logical consequence Of