The Earle family : Ralph Earle and his descendants

2IO THE EARLE FAMILY [Seventh
admitted to the Bar in Philadelphia, where he practised his profession
during the remainder of his life.
Aside from his legal avocations he was engaged, for many years,
as editor or assistant editor, of several newspapers, in succession, and
was interested, as publisher, in two of them. He was at one time
the sole editor of The Pennsylvanian, the leading anti-slavery paper
of the period in Pennsylvania. In the canvass for president, in 1825,
he at first supported General Jackson, but after the publication of
" the Monroe correspondence," he transferred his allegiance to John
Quincy Adams. He was, however, so well satisfied with the first
term of the administration of Jackson, that he advocated his re-
election.
He was the first, and for nearly twenty years the persistent and
laborious advocate of a reform of the Constitution of Pennsylvania.
He began this work soon after his admission to the Bar, by contri-
butions to the columns of such papers as would publish them. Subsequently,
he continued it in papers the command of whose columns
he possessed by right of editorship ; and at length he and a Mr.
Johnson were joint owners of the Mechanic? Free Press and
Reform Advocate, which was specially devoted to it. The cause
gradually gained adherents, slowly at first but rapidly afterwards,
and the reform was at length consummated, in 1S37, by a convention
to which he was one of the delegates, and of which he was called the
" father." When the convention assembled, his views had become
so generally acceptable to the dominant party, that it was understood
that any office within the gift of the people of the State was open to
him. But he neither sought nor desired office. His object was, the
greatest good of the people under the organic law. Hence he sacri-
ficed all political preferment to a sense of justice and of duty, in
advocating the right of colored citizens to the elective franchise. He
would let the negro vote,—the majority in the convention, repre-
senting the democratic party, would not. " His," wrote John G.
Whittier, " was a heroic martyrdom of the politician, the self-immolation
of ambition at the call of duty. In the history of political men
there are few such instances on record."
"With a great portion of the amended constitution," remarked a
Philadelphia editor, in an obituary notice of him, " he was satisfied,
and united with the majority in its favor. But, in relation to the
extension of the right of suffrage to the colored people, the limiting