USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Providence > State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the end of the century : a history, Volume 1 > Part 34
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The Federalists made no contest in April, but they tried conclusions with their opponents in August in the congressional election, although they did not come out under their own colors, but hoisted the banner of the "People". They put in nomination, as the People's candidates Samuel W. Bridgham, a leading Federalist, and Job Durfee, of Tiverton. The latter came out in a card in the papers, declaring that his name had been used without his consent, and that he should vote for Messrs. Eddy and Hazard, the Republican candidates. Mr. Eddy had voted to admit Missouri at the late session of Congress, and the Federalists appealed to the anti-slavery sentiment of the people to encompass his defeat. Mr. Hazard, the other representative in Congress, was not very popu- lar, and the Republicans were somewhat fearful of the result. But they feared Bridgham more than they did Durfee. They denounced the former because he was not a native of the State, and because he was a lawyer. The Providence Patriot in an editorial declared, "They (the Federalists) profess to be actuated by the cardinal principles of honesty, integrity and fair dealing, and yet they nominate a practicing lawyer !" One candidate of each party-Eddy and Durfee-were elected. No opposition was encountered by the Monroe candidates for electors, but the vote was very small-only 720 in all, of which Provi- dence cast only 81.
The Republicans had a small majority in the assembly at the October session, and they elected James De Wolfe to the United States senate on November 4, to succeed William Hunter, whose term would expire
1 The Manufacturers' and Farmers' Journal, November 27, 1820.
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on March 4, 1821. Some years before, Mr. De Wolfe had been exten- sively engaged in the slave trade, and when the Federalist journals called attention to this fact, he declared that it had been "many, many years" since he had trafficked in slaves, and that the greater portion of his property had been obtained in honorable employment.1 Anti- slavery sentiment was very strong in New England at this time, and Senator Smith of South Carolina, in a speech in the winter of 1820-21, undertook to prove the insincerity of Rhode Island antagonism to slavery by showing the interest of the state in the African slave trade. He said that the law against the importation of slaves into his state had been suspended for four years, from 1800 to 1804, inclusive, and that during that time 59 Rhode Island vessels-nearly one-half of the whole number-had entered the port of Charleston with shiploads of African slaves, and of the 59, 10 had been owned by Senator-elect James De Wolfe.2
The Rhode Island Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Industry, which subsequently became an important factor in the in- dustrial development of the state, was organized in 1820. It held its first fair in 1821 at Pawtuxet. The census of 1820 gave Providence a population of 11,767, of whom 5,118 were on the west side of the river. Westminster street was already beginning to rival "Cheapside" as a resort for ladies looking for bargains.3 The rapid growth of the town about this time is shown by a writer in the Providence Gazette of September 5, 1820, who stated that he counted one day one hundred and seven wagons of fruit and vegetables at market, while only six years before the presence of forty-nine such wagons at market was a matter of surprise and remark. This year public lamps were erected at the expense of the town. A fire hook and ladder company was also established.
A resolution was passed at the January session of the general assembly in 1821, requiring town clerks to collect and transmit infor- mation regarding schools and the cost of the same in their respective towns. At the same session, Representative Dexter Ford of Provi- dence introduced a resolution which passed both houses to submit the question of calling a constitutional convention to the people at the
1 The Providence Gazette retorted: "More humane, honorable, successful and constitutional business-that of privateering!"
2 Rhode Island's participation in the slave trade was indeed large. As far back as May 1, 1784, the Newport Mercury had admitted, " It is well known that inhabitants of this state have had a greater hand in the slave trade than any other on the continent ", and the records show that this reputation was fully sus tained during the next twenty-five years. (See Spears, American Slave Trade.)
3 A local news item in the Manufacturers' and Farmers' Journal of April 8, 1822, says: "A number of shops have lately been fitted up in superb style for the re- tail dry goods trade. The pleasant promenade on the north side of the street will probably be more frequented than ever by our belles and beaux."
20-1
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town meetings in April. All the Providence papers, without distinc- tion of party, favorcd the convention project, and at the election the town voted 598 to 2 in favor of it. Six other towns of Providence county, the thirce towns of Bristol county, East Greenwich in Kent county, and Hopkinton in Washington county, also gave majorities in its favor ; while Newport county was solid against it, as were Kent and Washington counties-with the single exceptions noted-and three of the towns in Providence county also opposed it. Newport gave 57 votes in favor and 275 against a convention. The total vote was, yeas 1,619, to 1,905 nays. A leading argument in the Providence papers in favor of the project was the inequality of representation existing under the charter, which gave Newport six, Providence, Warwick and Portsmouth four cach, and the remaining towns only two representa- tives. The equalization of the representation under a new constitution would have deprived some of the smaller towns, and Newport as well, of a portion of the representation which they then had, in favor of Providence, Smithfield and other growing towns.
Senator James Burrill, jr., having died on December 25, 1820, Governor Knight called a special session of the general assembly to choose his successor, and was himself unanimously selected for the coveted position. On January 9, 1821, the Republican state conven- tion, which was held soon after, placed William C. Gibbs of Newport in nomination for Governor, with Caleb Earle as the nominec for Lieutenant-Governor. The Federalist party was no longer in exist- ence, but, although this once powerful body had lost many followers by desertion to the party in power, it still constituted a strong minority, ready to renew the fight at a favorable opportunity. An attempt was made this year to form a union ticket in opposition to the Republican Prox. Samuel W. Bridgham was placed at the head of the ticket, with Ezbon Sanford of North Kingstown, a Republican, for Lieutenant-Governor. About half of the candidates selected for the senatorial ticket for this "Union Prox" were also Republicans. Most of the latter, and the nominee for Lieutenant-Governor declined to have their names used on this ticket, and changes had to be made, George W. Tillinghast, of North Kingstown being substituted for Sanford. Gibbs received 3,801 votes, exactly a thousand more than were polled for Bridgham.
In October, 1821, a court martial was held at East Greenwich to try Colonel Leonard Blodget of the Second Regiment, who was charged by Brigadier-General Joseph Hawes with unmilitary and disorderly conduct, neglect of duty, and disobedience of orders. The court-mar- tial, of which Brigadier-General George De Wolf was president, found the accused officer guilty of the charges and specifications, and sen- tenced him to be "broke". It is not known whether the murder of the King's English, or the injustice done the accused by the sentence had
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the greater weight with Major-General Albert.C. Greene, the ranking offieer of the militia at the time, but lie overruled the sentence, and merely suspended the convicted offieer from his eommand for thirty days.1 While it was generally admitted that the sentenee of the court- martial was unduly severe, General Greene met with considerable eritieism for assuming authority to overrule the sentenee of a court- martial.
This year the "side-walk commissioners" of Providenee "com- meneed their hereulcan labors of making the rough plaees smooth and the erooked straight in the foot-ways through the town".2 The in- ereased expenses of the town, involved in this and other reeent publie improvements, alarmed some of the older eitizens, and at the June town meeting one of the heaviest taxpayers made a motion that the town watch and the street lights be discontinued during the summer months. The motion was negatived.
An aet was passed at the January meeting of the general assembly in 1822, forbidding the sale of rum, wine or strong liquor within one inile of any meeting being held for the worship of Almighty God. Another important law enacted at this session imposed a fee upon licensed persons and others, and bodies corporate, which was to be collected by town offieers without remuneration and turned over to the state treasurer. After a year or two the towns were allowed two-and- a-half per eent. for making the eolleetions: Another law forbade the running at large of eows in the business portion of Providenee between the 10th of November and the 10th of April, except on Sundays, and between 8 at night and sunrise. The constitutional convention ques- tion eame up again at this session, and the matter was again submitted to the freemen at the April town meetings. The friends of the meas- ure appear to have been discouraged by the adverse vote of the year previous, and it was again defeated, the vote being 843 to 1,804. Prov- idenee cast 110 in favor and 26 against a convention. At the June session, ex-Congressman Elisha R. Potter, then a member of the house from South Kingstown, introduced a bill to inerease the representation of Providence in the house to seven members and that of Smithfield, South Kingstown, Bristol, Coventry and North Kingstown to three each.3 The bill by eommon eonsent was laid over till the next session, that being then a favorite way of disposing of unpopular measures.
1 It appears that General Hawes as reviewing officer had exceeded his author- ity in giving Colonel Blodget orders to march his men to a certain location and dismiss them. The orders were ignored, and subsequently, when Hawes ordered his arrest, Colonel Blodget resisted. The report of Blodget's trial was pub- lished at Providence in 1821.
2 Staples, Annals of Providence, p. 386.
3 The population of Rhode Island towns of over 3,000 inhabitants in 1820 was as follows: Providence, 11,767; Newport, 7,319; Smithfield, 4,678; South Kings- town, 3,723; Warwick, 3,643; Bristol, 3,197; Coventry, 3,139; North Kingstown,
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A bill to reduce the justices of the Supreme Judicial Court from five to three was passed by the house at this session, but did not get through the senate. The Rhode Island Historical Society was chartered at this session.
The Republican state ticket met with no opposition cither in 1822 or 1823; nor were Messrs. Eddy and Durfec opposed in the congressional election in August, 1822. Mr. Durfee, who had declared himself a Republican when placed on the opposition ticket two years before, was now accepted as the candidate of the dominant party. But, although the opposition did not deem it expedient to hazard a contest on general issues, it was always in evidence at the representative elections, and in August, 1822, it succeeded in securing one-half of the total (72) membership of the house. When the new house was or- ganized in October, several of the Republican members were sick and unable to attend, and the "Federal Republicans" had a clear majority. So it happened that when the senate, which was unanimously Repub- lican, invited the house to meet in grand committee to elect a United States senator, the house refused. On January 17, 1823, the two houses assembled in grand committee, and re-elected Senator Knight for six years, on the second ballot, by 40 votes to 39 for ex-Congressman Potter.
The year 1823 witnessed a slight collision of interests in this state between steam and sail passenger boats. The Fulton company of New York had built several steamboats for the Sound and the Hudson river services. A line of packets for passengers and freight was put on between New York and Providence, which also called at certain Connecticut ports. The New York legislature had attempted to give the company an exclusive franchise in New York waters, and, although its right so to do was subsequently denied by the Federal judges, its monopoly seems to have been in force some time before the decision was rendered. The Connecticut legislature, in retaliation, had excluded the New York boats from Connecticut ports. This "em- bargo" of course had a tendency to increase the travel and traffic between the metropolis and Rhode Island ports, but the sailing packet interest, which had already experienced a loss of business in conse- quence of the advent of steam, tried to secure the passage of an act by the Rhode Island legislature, at Newport in May, practically to exclude its powerful rival from Rhode Island waters. A petition from New- port and other shore towns asked the assembly for an act to prevent the New York boats from navigating Rhode Island waters, unless the Fulton company should grant reciprocal rights to Rhode Island citi- zens. A bill actually passed the senate imposing a tax of 50 cents a
3,007. Newport then had six members, while Warwick and Portsmouth, which had only 1,645 inhabitants, each had four, they constituting, with Newport and Providence, the four original towns.
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head upon all passengers brought into Narragansett bay by steam- boats. The house referred the bill to a committee, which was to report at a subsequent session, but before it had completed its duties, the United States Court had decided that such legislative attempts to impede inter-state commerce were unconstitutional.
The question of a constitutional convention was a subject of debate all through the year, both in the general assembly and in the state at large. At the June session of the general assembly, Elisha R. Potter revived the subject by offering a resolution to issue a mandatory call for the election of delegates to a constitutional convention, without waiting for the previously attempted popular initiative. The resolu- tion was laid on the table until October, when a committee was elected to bring a bill for a convention. The committee was unable to agree, and another committee was appointed for the purpose. The latter finally reported a resolution, at the session of January, 1824, calling a convention of delegates, equal in number to the representation of the several towns in the house. The resolution was adopted and the free- men of the several towns elected delegates in June.
The movement in favor of the adoption of a written constitution at this time was entirely non-partisan. While its earliest advocates had been more numerous in the country than in the larger villages, and were consequently more Republican than Federalistic in sentiment, at this time the sentiment favorable to a change was stronger in Provi- dence, the growing towns of Providence county, and in Bristol and Warren than elsewhere. As any attempt at an equalization of the representation of the house on the basis of population must reduce the representation then existing of Newport, Warwick and Ports- mouth, those towns were opposed to a change, and they were aided in the fight by the small towns generally, which already scented danger from the rapidly-growing young giant at the head of Narragansett bay. Hence it happened that conditions had been somewhat reversed, and Providence, the populous town and the Federalist stronghold, was clamorous for a constitutional convention, while most of the small Republican towns were now opposed to it. No attempt, however, was made to give any political tone to the matter. Providence selected two leading Republicans along with two Federalists to represent it, and party lines were ignored in the other towns.
The convention met at Newport in June and prepared a constitution, which was to be submitted to the people in October. The proposed instrument, in the preparation of which ex-Congressman Potter, the president of the convention, seems to have been the most influential factor, did not change the freehold qualification for voters. It gave the Governor the power of veto, and made the Lieutenant-Governor the president of the senate, with only a casting vote in case of a tie. The senate, which was to consist of ten members, chosen on a general ticket,
FROM AN ORIGINAL IN THE POSSESSION OF THE RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
MAP OF THE TOWN OF PROVIDENCE IN 1823, BY DANIEL ANTHONY.
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was practically the same as under the charter. In the house of rep- resentatives, every town, however small, was to have two members ; towns of three thousand and less than five thousand inhabitants were to have three ; towns of five thousand and under eight thousand, four; towns of eight thousand and under twelve thousand, five; towns of twelve thousand and less than seventeen thousand, six; and towns of over seventeen thousand people, seven and no more.1 One session of the general assembly was to be held at Newport in May each year; another session was to be holden each January, at Providence and South Kingstown alternately, while adjournments from the May session were to be held at East Greenwich, and adjournments from the January session in Bristol. The freemen rejected the proposed con- stitution by a decisive vote of 3,206 negative to 1,668 affirmative votes. Providence, North Providence, Smithfield, Johnston, Glocester, and the three Bristol county towns were the only ones that gave majorities in its favor. Providence gave 653 votes to 26 in its favor, but New- port polled 531 ballots against it and only 5 affirmative ones, while several towns voted solidly against it.
Governor Gibbs declining a renomination in 1824, the Republican convention selected ex-Governor Fenner as the standard bearer of the party, with Charles Collins of Newport as the candidate for Lieutenant- Governor. No opposition ticket was nominated, but two or three days before election a ticket with Wheeler Martin's name at the head was secretly circulated in Providence and a few other towns. It had little effect, although Martin, who was inore acceptable to the Federalist element than Fenner, carried Providence, West Greenwich and War- ren, his vote in the former town being 165 to 159 for Fenner. As there was supposed to be no contest the vote of the state was a light one-only 2,751 in all -- of which total Fenner received 2,146, and Martin 594.
The report of the committee selected to make a new estimate of valuation for the state reported at the January session in 1824. The total for Providence was placed at $9,500,000, while that for Newport was $2,000,000.
An event of considerable importance this year was the visit of Lafayette to Providence, which occurred on the 23d of August. He came by carriage from Plainfield, Connecticut, and was met at the western border of the town by a great military and civic procession. The ovation extended him was fully equal to that given Washington in
1 If the constitution had been adopted Providence would have had five mem- bers; Newport, four; Smithfield, South Kingstown, Warwick, Bristol, Cov- entry and North Kingstown, three each; and the remaining twenty-three towns two each. This would have given a house of 73 members. Were such a basis of representation in force at the present time (1901), the six cities and the town of Warwick would each have seven members of the house, and the total membership would be 136.
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1790, and was participated in by the veterans of the Revolution1 and by their children and grandehildren. The festivities were brought to a conclusion by the inevitable banquet and toasts, in which Tristam Burges proposed the toast to the honored guest, in an eloquent and felieitous little speech.2
The presidential campaign this year in Rhode Island was possessed of some peculiar features. The opposing political parties had beeome considerably mixed, and many leading Republicans, as well as many who were formerly Federalists, were favorable to the election of Will- iam H. Crawford, who had secured the Republican Congressional eaucus nomination. Many, however, of both party affiliations, de- sired John Quincy Adams.3 The Republican convention to nominate presidential electors was called to meet in Providenee, October 27, but a convention, ealled in Adams's interest, met on the 26th of that month and nominated eleetors. When the Republican convention met the next day, the "machine" magnates who expected to endorse Craw- ford's eandidaey without opposition, found themselves in a deeided minority, and the Adams eleetors were unanimously endorsed by the convention. The popular vote in November was: Adams, 2,145; Crawford, 200.
The most important legislation enacted by the general assembly in 1825 was an aet to transfer the jurisdietion of petitions for the benefit of insolvent debtors to eourts of commissioners. Three eourts were established; one for Newport and Bristol counties; a second one for Providence eounty ; and a third for Kent and Washington counties.
The town of Providenee had maintained free sehools since 1800. Newport adopted measures for the purpose in 1825, but not without strong opposition, which culminated in a petition to the general assembly from ex-Senator Christopher G. Champlin and one hundred and fifty others, who asked the assembly to deelare the action of their town null and void. The assembly doubted its authority to interfere so radically with the rights of its premier eapital, but it modified the
1 As Lafayette entered the State House on North Main street, he recognized and cordially embraced Colonel Stephen Olney, who had served under him at Yorktown, and had been one of the first to penetrate the British works. For further details of Lafayette's visit, see Z. Allen's Memorial of Lafayette, Provi- dence, 1861.
2 Burges toasted Lafayette as the companion of Washington and the friend of Hamilton and Greene. The incident, and the fact that the placing of Ham- ilton by the side of Washington and Greene as a military hero met with no criti- cism, show the strong Federalist sentiment of Burges, and of Providence as well, a sentiment that still lived, although no man then, when the memory of the Hartford convention was fresh in the minds of the people, had the moral courage to declare himself a Federalist.
8 Two anonymous pamphlets, one entitled Principles and Men, advocating the election of Adams, and the other, entitled Pro and Con, urging the claim of Crawford, appeared in Providence in 1823.
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town's action in appropriating $2,000, by authorizing it to use not to exceed $800 for the free education of "white children."
The dead calm which was resting on the political waters was dis- turbed in the summer by a lively contest over congressmen. It had been customary to hold the congressional clections during the August preceding the fourth of March on which the terms of the members began, but by resolution of the general assembly in June, 1823, the date of election was changed from August, 1824, to August, 1825. The Republican convention for the nomination of successors to Messrs. Eddy and Durfee was called, according to the usual custom, to meet at Newport, during the June session of the general assembly. But few delegates were elected, and, as was customary in such cases, Republican assemblymen from the unrepresented towns acted as delegates in the convention. Mr. Eddy was renominated without a contest, but Mr. Durfee was not so fortunate. He was beaten in the convention by Dutee J. Pearce of Newport. The defeated candidate claimed that the convention did not fairly represent the wishes of the freemen, and announced himself as a candidate for re-election. The old Federalist element, which had never been cordial in the support of the candidates named for them by the Republican conventions, which were-they claimed-a mere reflex of the wishes of Bennett H. Wheeler, the editor of the Providence Patriot, seized the opportunity to hold a conference and nominate Tristam Burges of Providence for Congress. William Hunter of Newport was also named. The original Republicans opposed Burges because, as was claimed, he had been a Federalist, and was still one in sentiment, and neither he nor any of his supporters dared either acknowledge or defend the "heresy". Burges received 2,932 votes ; Pearce 2,534; Durfee 2,468; Eddy 2,121; and Hunter 364. Burges was declared the only one elected, and a second trial took place in November, when Pearce was chosen.
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