The Illinois Free Trader And Lasalle County Commercial Advertiser

Revolution in Rhode Island.

From the N. Y. Herald of the 5th inst.

We learn that a civil war has broken out in Rhode Island, and that special messengers passed through this city last Wednesday with despatches therefrom for the government. If President Tyler does not hide the little state from the world for a week or two with the palm of his hand, its inhabitants may do some mischief.

The State has been in the greatest excitement all this week about adopting a constitution. In Providence, what are called the legal people, the few, have placed a guard over the State arsenals, and the illegal people, the mass, a guard over the arsenals of the independent companies. All these companies are for the illegals, and have had their ranks filled up to a complement. The guard stationed over the State arsenals being alarmed last Monday night by a noise, hailed three times, and then fired in the direction whence the noise proceeded, and killed, not a human being, but a very fine milch cow. And this is the first bloodshed in this civil war. Immediately thereupon messengers were sent to Boston to procure 2000 stand of arms for the people, the Governor issued his proclamation, and little Rhode Island is in a dreadful ferment and fever.

It appears that all this great commotion began about two years ago, when the people of that state first formed suffrage associations. But little attention was paid to them during the first year. On the 17th of April, 1841, however, about 5000 illegals met together on Jefferson Plains, Providence, had roast ox and other animals cooked whole, a loaf of brown bread weighing 700 lbs, and hhds of hams, &c., for the purpose of upsetting the old constitution granted by Charles the Second.

This mass convention attracted the attention of the legals, then in power, but they refused to pay any regard to the petition of the illegals. The latter then set about making a government for themselves and the whole people. They were determined to participate in the affairs of the government for the future. Called another mass convention at Newport, May 5, 1841, chartered a steam boat at an expense of $1200, to convey the people thereto, and about 7000 republicans met together. They passed strong resolutions, declaring their future intentions, and appointed a State Committee to draft a constitution.

The next public demonstration of the illegals was on the 5th of July, 1841, when 6000 or 8000 assembled in Providence with music and banners, marched to Dexter training ground, and had an oration delivered by the Rev. Wm. S. Balch, now of this city. Other resolutions were then passed similar to those adopted at Newport, urging the State committee to call a State convention at an early day. The committee thereupon issued an order, requesting the inhabitants of every town to send delegates to Providence on a day specified. The said delegates were elected in every town in the State, and the convention met. After a session of one week, it adjourned to meet again in a few weeks afterwards, when a constitution was completed, sent to the people, and adopted by nearly 14,000 votes, or from 2000 to 3000 more than one-half of all the American citizens over 21 years of age residing in the State.

The convention again met, and declared the said constitution to be the paramount law of the State, to take effect after the expiration of the present political year. All this was done, however, without any law, but on the sovereign right of the people, to establish a republican form of government, in place of an aristocracy, which held the reins of power under the charter, granted by Charles the Second, long before the revolution, which excluded two thirds of the American citizens of the State from participating in the affairs of the state.

In the meantime the legal people feeling their power slip out of their hands, set to work and made a constitution, which they called the only legal one. This was sent to the people to be voted