The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-15

40 eiSS Wno foAoV ikss WIN 40 A'os P>~s~
and 1t cost R66A, 9s. currency. They were
afflicted with pager money In that day,
the value OF which was between 10 and ID
shiIlings currency for one Spanish dollar.
This would make the total cost OF the
building about $3.50 of our present stand
ard. This little building served the pur-
pose OF State Horse, or Colony House,
for 27 years. II was burned In 1853, to-
gether with the public library, wbica at
that ime II contained.
A new State House was ordered In 1863,
and was nearly completed In 1852. That
Is the structure which is now used,
though 1t has been somewhat remodeled
at various times. The cost of this build
ing in 1862 was G5155e, 0s, lid., sold ten
or"
Other accounts audited in October,
1864, swell the total amount to G6l, 2a6,
"old tenor" The curse of paper money
had continued and grown more burden
some. so that at that date 1t took seven
pounds "old tenor" to procure one
Spanish .milled dollar. The cost, there
fore, was about $3.50 of the present
standard. When We compare such q
building with. that which is here project
cd We get a very perfect idea OF tho
enormous growth which the State has
made since that time.i
But though in 1862 ,Provi dence was lit
inhabitants, 1t formed q part OF an Or
ganized, free, self-governing, civil State.
The perfect freedom enjoyed promoted q
spirit of Independence which has always
characterized the citizens OF Rhode
Island. Our institutions fostered indi-
viduality and encouraged the develop
ment of strong characters. so, when
the American colonies began to feel the
pressure of British interference with
the first to msnifest unsasiness. A con.
siderable soasting trade had sprung up,
and the waters of Narragansett Bay were
patrolled by British naval vessels
charged with the duty of enforcing the
law against smuggling. As trade In
creased this interference became more
and more obnoxious. As early as 1894
difficulties began between the Kings
armed vessels and the inhabitants OF
Newport. In that year the royal schoon-
er st. John was fired upon from Fort
George. In 1865 a boat belonging to the
Maidstone was seized and burned. In
July, 1869, the people Of Newport, ex-
asperated by the seizures and searches,
compelled the commanding officer OF
the sloop Liberty to order his men on
shore that an alteration which had oo-
,s.k ha Inn taA
party boarded the vessel and scuttled her
near the "RoiLt" In the northern part
of Newport harbor. They also carried of
her boats and burned them. This Is styled
by the historian Arnold "the first overt act
of violence offered to British authority"
On June 10, 1772, His Msiesty's sloop
Gaspee was seized and burned while
aground on Gaspee Point, then called
Namquit. From this very spot the flames
coulo have been seen in the early June
morning, and the site OF the house IL
marked on nSouth Main street, whore the
evening before John Brown organized
the expedition with Abraham Whipple
in command. The town was notified by
beat OF drum. and eight long boats went
down the bay with muffied oars. The
first blood OF the revolution was shed
that night, when Lieutenant Dudding-
ton, the officer commanding the Gaspee,
was severely wounded.
Three years later, Ia June, 1775, this
same Abraham whipple, who led the ex-
petition against the Gsspee, fired upon
and captured an srmsd vessel belonging
to the British navy.
Rhode Island thus began the War of the
Revolution upon the sea. The audacity
of that attack on the great power of
Great Britain by this little Colony has
never been equalled.
On the 4th OF May, 1778. two m onths
before the Declaration of Independence
was signed al Philadelphia, the General
Assembly OF Rhode Island passed an act
severing all connection with Great Brit
ain, and repealiDg the act OF allegiance
to the British Crown. She was the first
State to declsrs her independence, and
she has always been slow to give 1t up.
Looking backward over this record,
We may well be pardoncd a feeling Of
pride. The idea of soul liberty, OF free
dom OF conscience, upon which Roger
Williams founded our. State, has grown
and expanded until 1t permeates our
whole nation, and Is recognized as the
true foundation principle by all English
speaking people. Its Is the corner stone
on which all true liberty is built up.
1t is no small matter to be thus fdenti-
fed with the origin and growth of SO i'm
portant principle.
Side by side, with the idea OF soul lib
erty, was the idea OF the supremacy of
the Stap. There was to be liberty OF con-
science, but not liberty to disturb the
liberty OF others. Roger Williams first
proposition was, "that the magistrate
ought not to punish for breach OF the
first table, otherwise than In such cases
as did disturb the peace" The power Of
the magistrate to preserve order was not
to be impaired. The Rhode island idea