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Letter
Providence, R.I. Oct. 22, 1841
Hon. John Quincy Adams ,
Dear Sir,
At the last weekly
meeting of the Rhode Island Suffrage Association, of this
city, the undersigned were appointed a Committee to ask of you
the favor of a few Address ‸or Discourse on the American doctrine of Popular
Sovereignty, or on any ‸ kindred other subject
at such time as might ‸ as may be
bemost agreeable conveninet ‸ to you. We take great pleasure in communi
cating to you the wishes of our constituents; and trust, that, after with
a brief explanation of their ‸
portion of the objects ‸ and motives
which they have in view, will commend
our application to your friendly regard.
Through By means of ‸ this Association, and
the cooperation of similar societies in other towns in this State, the body
of the people have been enabled to concentrate their action in part of ‸ for a
Reform in our Political Institutions; and its consequence has been
that a Convention of the whole People of the State, fairly represented in
proportion to population, has recently been assembled in this city—, &
proceeded to form a written Constitution of Government. The Convention
after completing their labors, voted to adjourn to the 16th day of Novem-
ber next, when they will review their work, and lay the same before
the People at large for their final adoption or rejection. The non-free-
holders of Rhode Island ‸ (with the aid of their friends among the freeholders) have been compelled to take this course from ‸ by a
just respect to their own rights, and after the denial of every applica-
tion which has been made to the minority government for the estab-
lishment of a Republicans ‸ Government ‸ of their State. in the place of our worn out system. The present gov-
ernment ‸ of Rhode Island is an oligarchy. One third of the adult population rule
the other two thirds, through a landed property qualification, which
‸ practically excludes the two thirds from all participation in political affairs,
and through “a rotten borough system” of representation, kindred to
that of Great Britain before the passage of the Reform Bill. And
our unwritten Constitution, consisting of the Charter of Charles II, ‸ & of
laws & usages, points out no mode of amendment. We contend therefore
in the spirit of the founders of this State ‸ & of the authors of our
national Independence,
the Republican Institutions of this country, and appealing to the
express language of nearly all the State Constitutions, that the Peop-
le of this State, ‸ that is the majority of the whole People, have a right, in their original & sovereign capacity,
to alter & amend the form of government here existing, and to render it
more conformable to the standard of justice and equality. If the
Constitution of the United States
amendments, could it be contended that the power to amend
resides in Congress, and not in the ‸ State or in the People, who are the depository of all
reserved rights? If the Constitution of Massachusetts were equally si-
lent on this important point, can it be believed that the people ‸ at large of your
State are thereby disabled from correcting the defects of their government?
If this be ‸ not true in a State, which has a written Constitution, silent
only upon the subject of its own amendment, how much more readily may we affirm, that, under our vague and non descript political
institutions, the right of the People,
freeholders & non freeholders (God’s people as he made them) is clear, definite & just. – Beside, what is the
meaning of the clause of the Constitution of the United States, which
guarantees to each State a Republican form of Government?
The friends of Reform in this State bring to this great
question ‸ (great to them, and great in principle to every American citizen) no feelings of local or national party politics. Men of
all shades of party are found standing shoulder to shoulder in a cause
which they we believe is large enough for to embrace all the right mind-
ed & true hearted sons of Rhode Island; ̌ and that all things appear to be tending towards peaceful & happy settlement of this vexed question by the establishment of long defeated rights. and we rejoice to know that
of such our ranks are receiving constant accessions, ‸ The undersigned
do not agree in their ‸ are of different political parties‸views; and they do not stop to inquire
what are the opinions of those with whom they act in this controversy, other-
wise than to know whether they are true to their cause of equal rights. We
can therefore, in behalf of those whom we represent, with the greatest propriety
invoke the counsels of one whose venerable age ‸ and character, whose distinguished public serv-
ices, and the rich treasures of whose ‸ observation & learning and observation commend him
so powerfully to the willing attention of his countrymen. Permit us to hope that
you will take this occasion to expound and illustrate a subject, which, we may say,
is new in the history of the American States; ‸ all the other reforms elsewhere having been accomplished without embarrassing difficulties, or obstructions form the ruling powers, or from the favored portion of the people, and all the other States of this Union, except
thisbeing governed by the majority of their adult free citizens. You will
In practice then what is this right of ultimate sovereignty in the People? You will
be [...] welcomed ‸ here in this labor of love by men of all par-
ties and opinions, who as one, who, after receiving the highest
[...]‸ distinction of the Republic, illustrates the spirit of its institutions, by [...]
[...] ‸ dedicating himself [...] ‸ to the disinterested service of his country and his fellow citizens, to the
[...] when time ‸ and honor have filled the measure of all ambition save
that of being useful to the last.
Should objections still exist in your mind, which we
[...] ‸ do not anticipate, we would repeat the expression of
an earnest desire to be favored by a discourse on any subject which
may be most agreeable to yourself.
In sending copies of the proposed Constitution
to those friends in other States ‸ abroad who, in former years, gave to our
predecessors [...] in this work of Reform the aid of their friendly advice,
you were not overlooked; and, lest the copy transmitted may not
have reached you, we herewith transmit another, requesting your
consideration of the instrument. We should be happy to receive from
you any suggestions for its improvement.
With the best wishes for your health ‸ and happiness, we are, dear Sir, very truly and
respectfully, your obedient servants.
Thomas W. Dorr
Samuel H. Wales
John A. Brown
Committee appointed
by the Rhode Island Suffrage Association *
Thursday evening, Nov. 16th,
would be the themost desirable ‸
favorable
to our country friends for the
Delivery of an Address or ‸ your Discourse, as
the Convention of the People will
reassemble on that day. But
we desire to be governed entirely
by your convenience.