The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-05-05
THE PERSONAL CHARACTER
Of Thomas W. Deu, BY Abraham Payss,
Written December 27, 1854.

| Inc iolloWins paper was Wri'teh 40
above stated. IL was submitted To the
late Walter =. Burgess for his approval
concerning the publication. Mr.. Burges
withheld his consent. so that il has new
er been published. Mr.. Payne kept II
just twenty years. when he sent it
again 10 Mr.. (then Judge Burges) with
this letter:
my Dear Sir:
| Why YOU should have advised me
not TO send tprinD this letter i don't
| know. 1 think Il Is very good. ana
hope YOU will use IL in the edition or
the Life and Works OF Gov. Dorr. which
you are preparing.
A. PAYNE.
! To the Hon. W. s. b.
These papers, with all the Dorr man
uscripts. Judge Burgess. seeing the time
| OF his own custody of them nearing its
T, end. turned over to Sidney S.Rider.with
| the same understanding under which he
held them for Mr.. Dorr--to be used in
writing the Life" suggested.
Providence, Dec. q, 1854.
Thomas w. Dorr died this morning.
I This ends a chapter I'm the politicai MS
| tory OF Rhode Island. Mr. Dorr was
born and bred among what are called
land propely enough) the upper classes.
lie was as well connected socially az any
man In New England. He was college
bred. studied law and in due time opened
an office. He was rather lazy anu han
none OF the tact which enables man 10
adapt himself to circumstances, and lack
ing this was wholly unit TO pracuce law
among Yankees. They go TO law TO get
ject in view would thing of employing Mr..
Dorr. He read very extensively, mostly
upon political subjects, Interested NM
self In every good cause. and was an es-
Unable and much esteemed man, He was
elected a member OF the ienerai assem-
bly, from this city at time when sucn
an election was evidence ,nat .., lmai,
of the community. lie distinguished him.
self as many other men since noted as
democrats have done; ov a & aesiouS una ane he
discovered that IL was an obsoiete idea
some time before Mr.. Webster did. tie
became soon after this Democrat. Inis
has been attributed to personal spite,
but think candid men have always given
him credit for an honest change OF opih-
ion. He was an early friend OF the , eN-
tension of suffrage In this state. the
number of the friends of this wise meas
are was for a Ions time small: but con-
stantly increasing. When the Democrats
went out OF power in that singularly IN
telligent campaign of lstO, number OF
retired custom house officers and other
ex-offcials had the duty OF extending
suffrage made very plain TO them. They
availed themselves of the popular feeling
In favor OF the measure and got up
procession. Some OF our leading men
as they stood upon the sidewalks and
observed the length of this procession.
became suddenly aware of ehe import
ance OF extending suffrage. W the Gen.
extending the suffrage. leading men, re-
tired custom house officers and other ex-
officials would have lost their occupation.
and our excellent little state would have
been saved generation OF heartburn
ings.
The conduct of the managers Of our
politics at that time was very mulish and
only To be accounted for as a species OF
the same kind of blindness as that which
happened In part unto Israel until the
fulness of the .gentiles should come In.
Mr.. Dorr who had had his fingers burnt
In one or two previous suffrage move
ments, came reluctantly into this and
only when he supposed that the people
were i'm earnest. He took the lead Of the
movement which was intended to change
the government by the primary action of
the people without the authority or con-
sent of the constituted authorities.
Whether the people have a right tn do
this is about as profitable a question as
that about the origin of evil. When
the people have the will and the power
to change the government they will do II
whether they have the right or not, and
when they want either the will or the
their right may be. Revolutions make
their own laws and are not to be pro-
vided for In codes and constitutions. The
conflict came on between the party OF
the peoples constitution and the old
charter government party and was for
long time of doubtful issue. the walters
TO the other with the chances until 1t
finally became evident that the matter
must be decided by an appeal 10 arms.
The great mass of the people knew well
IA vi
ances which would Justify this, and by
an honest impulse they set their faces
against II; Mr.. Dorr was left almost
alone. With "A very few exceptions his
adherents had been driven from his side
by their convictions, their interests or
their fears.
tion. and Mr.. Dorr came back to the
state, was tried for treason, convicted
and sent to the states prison. There
has been good deal of idle discr
as TO whether he had fair trial. He was
tried by the government against which
he had rebe.. ana he could have been
government which tried him was itself
an usurpaton. At the same time II must
be admitted that he was tried in a time
of great political excitement and many
men among his most violent political ene-
mics were very active In his prosecution.
lie was liberated. He was restored to his
ansnuied sT and Srers reversed. a Thi. ' was the the
natural reaction of the public mind.
Whoever writes the history OF these
things, IL he has an impartial temper. a
quick eye for the ludcrous. and the
power to see the causes of things in the
things themselves. will furnish a most
amusing and instructive chapter in the
history of the times When all who
took part I'm what we call "the trou-
bles OF 49, q very few words will ex-
! plain the origin and history OF those
troubles. The original cause of them all
was the foolish resistance of the gov
ernment 10 the reasonable demands Of
the people. The popular movement was
defeated because IL fell into the hands
OF a man who was entirely unified for
his position He was no politician, and
that was much to his credit. He was
no statesman. and that was nothing to
his discredit IL he had not undertak ken to
manage affairs. He could not lead and
| lie would not follow. I by no means
mean TO disparage Mr.. Dorr. Men differ
| i'm their opinions about him. and leaving
! those who think that he was a very bad
! man, To their own opinions | still think
| that he was a very honest aud able man.
| He was an abstractionist. In other words
| he had clear convictions and he had
! faith I'm his convictions He was a lust
| man. He never misrepresented or ira
| duced an opponent. and he never deserted
! "a friend He never concealed his opinions
\ TO gain personal ends. nor would ne ,ii-
| der any circumstances surrender prin-
4 ciple TO policy. He was a dull speaker