The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-07-12

PRICE. THREE Dol
|ATURDAY, JULY II, IS7;
long after the royal parchment had
become dead letter. The other
1clairned authority by virtue of the
popular action in the State. A very
large majority of the whole people OF
Rhode Island had, in the exercise OF
their inalienable sovereignty, con-
ferred upon the latter the adminis-
tration of the State government and
had by the same act forever abrogated
and withdrawn all State powers from
the former. But this movement OF
the people against the charter gov
| ernment in Rhode Island was regard
ed by tire fnnctionaries of that gov
ernmeDS as sedicious as revolutionary
and the Governor, (King,) represent
ing the proscriptiye government, in
the midst Of the disorder and violence
incident to the CONTROVERSY, called
upon the Federal Executive for aid in
suppressing the opposition.
| In this emergency President Tyler
did one Of the most sensible things of
his whole public career. Previous to
sending the troops asked for by the
| Governor, a private and confidential
letter was dispatched to him, under
date of March 9, 1842. In this letter
the President recommends that new
convention of the of the people should
be called, ''to settle existing difficult
ties auditroables." And he continues:
why should this not be donef A
government never loses any thing by
lnildness and forbearance towards its
own citizens, more especially when
the coaaequencesof an opposite course
may be the shedding Of blood" In
your case" he says, "the one-half of
your people are involved in the con-
sequences OF recent proceedings. Why
urge matters to an extremity9 If you
succeed by the bayonet you succeed
against your own fellow citizens, and
by the shedding of Kindred blood !;
whereas, BY taking the opposite course,
you will have shown a paternM care
for the lives of your people," "My
own opinion is," he continues, sthat
The adoption of the above measure
will tend to give you peace and insure
harmony. A resort to force, on the
contrary, will engender for. years to
come feelings Of animosity." 81
These counsels, however, went un-
needed, and civil war was il,augurated.
1t then became the duty Of the Presi-
dent tOfnrnish troops in support of
the charter government against the
known will and wishes of u majority
OF the people Of Rhode Island. Thus,
by the aid of the Federal Government,
the popular will was defeated, the
government of the people was de-
stroyed, and Mr.. Thomas L.. Dorr,
their chosen leader, was convicted of
high treason and sentenced to inn
pris0nment for life. ba. 5o+~
But the reaction in favor of the rights
and liberties Of the people was sure
to come. The Legislatures of New
Hampshire, Connecticut, and other
neighboring States passed resolutions
OF sympathy in his behalf, and of con-
demnation of his sentence and inn
prisonment. After years confine-
nent, he was pardoned out, and the
Legislature of Rhode Island subse-
quently, i'll 1853, took decisive action
annrlling all the proceedings against
him, restoring fully Iris civil rights,
and reinstating him in the estimation
and good opinion Of the whole coun-
try. He lived to see his State placed
under liberal constitution, and his
political party completely triumphant.
Such and SO general was the rebuke
administered to the attempt of that
day, even under the form of law, to
thwart and set aside the popular will.
For the time being, indeed, the at
tempt succeeded, and succeeded by
the directaid of Federal interposition.
But even though this were so, no one,
it is believed, has ever ventured to
accuse the Federal Executive of any
unlawful or unconstitutional inter
ference in that case. There was noth-
ing left but this, under the peculiar
circumstances then existing, although
the President was called on to support
a State government in Rhode Island
which was known to be obnoxious to
u large majority of it's citizens-l gov
ernment by whose royal charter the
apportionment of representation in
the Legislature was greatly at variance
with the distribution of the population !;
the elective franchise was limited to
the holders of a certain amount of real
estate, and to their eldest sons, and
by which, consequently, about two
thirds of all the citizens of the State
We're entirely disfranchised.
The case of Rhode Island, although
differing almost totally from that of
Louisiana in the origin Of the contro-
versy, still serves to show that, after
all, the only etfectual remedy for the
redress of grievances is through the
action of the people themselves. Bear
ing in mind this singleprinciple, which
lies at the foundation of all systems of
popular government, let us inquire
further rs to the unestion =