Political
1844 "Dorr's Rebellion" Rare Imprint Where Rhode Island Tells the U.S. Congress to Stay Out of Their Internal Affairs
March 29, 1844-Dated, "Dorr's Rebellion" Historic State's Rights, Constitutional Issue 3-page Imprint, by the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island, Protesting Against any Effort by the U.S. Congress to Involve Itself in the Government of the State, Fine.
1844 Rare Protest and Declaration by the General Assembly of Rhode Island & Providence Plantations, being a Statement against interference by the United States Congress or House of Representatives with the internal government and the Constitution of the State. 3-pages, measuring 7.75" x 9.75" printed in black on off-white wove period paper. There are several dark soot stains from fire at the top and bottom edge corners of the right side on each of the pages, as shown. This important "State's Rights" Constitutional issue began After Dorrites in the State Assembly Sent a Memorial to Congress Questioning Whether the Members from RI Were Entitled to Their Seats. A rarely encountered "State's Rights" document.
This historic Imprint related to the continuing fallout from "Dorr's Rebellion" of 1841-1842, led by Thomas W. Dorr, who mobilized the disenfranchised residents of Rhode Island to demand change to the State's electoral rules. The Rebellion established a parallel government alongside the existing chartered government and wrote a new State Constitution, known as the "People's Constitution", which greatly expanded the right to vote.
The Rebellion was crushed militarily, but it forced the rewriting of the State Constitution to provide broader voting rights. In this "Protest and Declaration", the Rhode Island General Assembly note that certain members of the Assembly, styling themselves "Democratic members of the Rhode Island Legislature", transmitted a memorial to the U.S. Congress questioning whether the RI members were entitled to their seats, claiming that the Dorrite People's Constitution is the true and lawful one and the elections of the Representatives to Congress were not held under it and are therefore invalid.
The General Assembly of RI then issues a stern Protest "against the doing or agitation, by Congress, or by either House thereof, of any act, matter or thing, concerning the government of this State, and the constitution thereof calculated to stir up and excite anew, rebellion, insurrection and war therein..." An important Imprint concerning the continued efforts by members of the defeated Dorr Rebellion to work from within to usurp the State Government and Constitution.