392 GOVERNMENT, LAWS, [PART II. 



racter, is, " a conviction of bribery, forgery, 

 " perjury, duelling, fraudulent bankruptcy, 

 " theft, or other offences, for which an in- 

 " famous punishment is inflicted." "By forgery 

 is not, of course, contemplated puff-out forgery ; 

 for that, as an act of resistance of oppression, is 

 fully justifiable : it is not only not an immoral, 

 but it is a meritorious act. The forgery here 

 meant is forgery committed against honest men, 

 who, when they "promise to pay," mean to pay, 

 and do pay when called upon. " Bribery" is 

 very properly set at the head of the disqualifi 

 cations ; but, what a nest of villains it would 

 exclude in England ! White men are mention 

 ed, but, another clause, admits all the Blacks 

 now free, though it shuts out future comers of 

 that colour, or of the yellow hue ; which is per 

 fectly just; for, Connecticut is not to be the 

 receptacle of those, whom other States may 

 choose to release from slavery, seeing that she 

 has now no slaves of her own. 



408. Thus, then, this new Constitution; a 

 constitution formed by the steadiest community 

 in the whole world ; a constitution dictated by 

 the most ample experience, gives to the people, 

 as to the three branches of the government (the 

 Governor, Senate, and Representatives) pre 

 cisely what we reformers in England ask as to 

 only one branch out of the three. Whoever 



