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CHAPTER IX.

MARTIAL LAW. GOV. KING'S PROCLAMATION.

DORR'S RETURN AND PROCLAMATIONS.

GOV.

OUTRAGES

COMMITTED UNDER THE PRETEXT OF MARTIAL LAW.

DURING the absence of Mr. Dorr, after the 18th of May, and while he was supposed to be residing under the protection of his friend Chauncy F. Cleveland, then governor of the State of Connecticut, Gov. King issued the following proclamation:

By His Excellency SAMUEL WARD KING, Governor, Captain General, and Commander-in-Chief of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Whereas THOMAS WILSON DORR, of Providence, in the county of Providence, charged with treason against the said State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a fugitive from justice, and supposed to be now within the limits of our sister State of Connecticut; and from credible information, is still pursuing his nefarious enterprise, against the peace and dignity of said State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations; and whereas I made a requisition, on the 25th day of May last, addressed to his excellency Chauncy F. Cleveland, governor of said State of Connecticut, for the apprehension and delivery of the said Thomas Wilson Dorr, according to the constitution and laws of the United States in such case made and provided; which requisition his excellency Chauncy F. Cleveland, governor of said state, has hitherto declined to comply with;

I do, therefore, pursuant to authority in me vested, and by advice of the Council, hereby offer a reward of one thousand dollars for the delivery of the said Thomas Wilson Dorr to the proper civil authority of this state, within one year from the date hereof, that he may be dealt with as to law and justice shall appertain.

Given under my hand and the seal of said state at

the city of Providence, this eighth day of June, [L. S.] in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the sixty-sixth. SAMUEL WARD KING.

By his Excellency's command:

HENRY BOWEN, Sec'y of State.

But this proclamation had no effect, and Mr. Dorr fearlessly returned to the state on the 25th of June, and issued the following proclamation:

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.

A Proclamation, by the Governor of the same.

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the constitution, I hereby convene the General Assembly which was adjourned to meet at Providence on Monday, the 4th of July next, at the town of Glocester, on the same day, for the transaction of such business as may come before them.

And I hereby request the towns and districts, in which vacancies may have occurred by the resignation of representatives or senators, to proceed forthwith to supply the same by new elections, according to the provisions of the constitution.

Given under my hand and seal of state, at Glocester, the 25th day of June, A. D. 1842.

THOMAS W. DORR.

On the same day, June 25, 1842, the charter General Assembly, then in session at Newport, passed the following act declaring the state under martial law:

An Act establishing Martial Law in this State. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, as follows: SECTION 1. The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is hereby placed under martial law; and the same is declared to be in full force until otherwise ordered by the General Assembly, or suspended by proclamation of his excellency the governor of the

state.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of said state, at Provi[L. S.] dence, the day and year above written.

By his Excellency's command :

SAMUEL WARD KING.

HENRY BOWEN, Sec'y of State.

And about the same time Mr. Dorr issued the following proclamation:

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I hereby direct the military of this state who are in favor of the People's Constitution, to repair forthwith to head quarters, there to await further orders; and I request all volunteers and volunteer companies so disposed to do the same.

It has become the duty of all citizens who believe that the people are sovereign, and have a right to make

and alter their forms of government, now to sustain, by all necessary means, the constitution adopted and established by the people of this state, and the government elected under the same.

The only alternative is an abject submission to a despotism, in its various practical effects, without a parallel in the history of the American states. I call upon the people of Rhode Island to assert their rights, and to vindicate the freedom which they are qualified to enjoy in common with the other citizens of the American republics.

I cannot doubt that they will cheerfully and promptly respond to this appeal to their patriotism and to their sense of justice; and that they will show themselves in this exigency to be the worthy descendants of those ancestors who aided in achieving our National Independence. THOMAS W. DORR, Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

By order of the Commander-in-Chief.

WM. H. POTTER, Adjutant General..

Before this time, troops, with an additional supply of arms and ammunition, had been sent forward by President Tyler, and were stationed in the forts on Rhode Island, ready to obey the requisition of the charter government. When martial law was announced, a wild consternation spread over the whole state; business became in a measure suspended; a thrill of horror seemed to touch all hearts, and men looked aghast upon each other. This act was passed on Saturday, and early on Sunday morning, June 26, a band of armed and unarmed men of the "law and order" party entered the office of the Daily Express, in the city of Providence searched the office throughout, and commanded the publishers to evacuate the building immediately. A fearful mob collected in the street, and threatened to destroy the building. Under these circumstances the publishers were compelled to give notice that their paper would be discontinued. This was the only office which had up to that time continued to advocate the people's cause. As soon as martial law was made known, every law and order man and every heartless ruffian appeared to suppose himself licensed to commit all such depredations as he might choose, and armed bands soon sallied forth in various directions, and commenced their outrages. The following depositions will give the reader a few samples of their proceedings.

Deposition of Leonard Wakefield.

I, Leonard Wakefield, of Cumberland, in the State of Rhode Island, forty years of age, depose and say: That I am, and have been for about fourteen years, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. I have resided in Rhode Island, and been a local preacher there for about fourteen years. On the 13th of June, 1842, I was at home in my office; I acted at that time as assistant to the postmaster at Cumberland. The state troops were returning from Woonsocket to Providence

about three hundred. Two of the soldiers came into the office where I was then engaged, and inquired if I had any fire-arms, and demanded the same. I delivered to them a small birding gun, which I had had for many years, and they went away with it. I then went into my house to dinner; my wife was tending a sick infant child, which was not expected to live, and which died in a few weeks after. As I sat eating my dinner, three soldiers came into the room, and two of them were stationed over me as a guard; they were armed with

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