Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1855-09-28

Massachusetts. through what has hap.
pened in Maine. Say wha, else you
please Of the causes Of the triumph Of
hunkerism in that State, attribute the de.
feat Of the Republicans to whatever you
choose, il all resolves itself 10 this, tina,
ultra men obtained the control Of the bet.
ter party, and by,her counsels ana con-
duct rendered its defeat inevitable. There
was no safety for ii after it had given it.
sell up To ,ogudance SO bind, to leadership
so absurd. The American people will
stand many things, and sometimes they
may be guilty of foolish things, but there
is one thing that they will never stand
and one Thug which they will no, do.
They will neither allow political leaders
TO lead them into the support Of ultra
measures, nor engage in them voluntarily
themselves. Small bands of extreme
men there are in every State, but the
grea, bulk Of the people have no sympa.
thy with them npr aid for their schemes.
This is the reason why there need be no
deep-seated fear for the perpetui,y Of our
system or Of the nation. Whenever a
party shows intentions Of going beyond
certain limit, no matter what may be It's
motive, the conservative instinct OF the
people is reused, and the ascendency Of
'ha, party Is at an end. 1t is because
they have lost sight Of this important
truth that more than one great party,
which under wise direction might have
ruled the republic, has fallen away, and
become extinct. The iederalsfs were
lost because they were 100 violent; aud
the Democrats. learning wisdom from the
follies Of their rivals, aud stealing only
such parts OF their creed as the people
would bear To have carried out in prac.
tendency for long period. Even they
have more than once been on the brink
Of destruction; and a, this very time they
are threatened with great rum because
OF their ultraism in behalf of slavery and
the slave power, and have no other pros.
pee, OF beng saved from destruction than
whnt comes from the hope that portion
Of their opponents will be even more vio.
lent than themselves though in an oppo-
site direction. aud with better intentions
Maine has been lost 10 the side of free
DOM we mean the present-and her in.
huencc thrown on the side OF slavery ex.
tension, not through the strength Of that
side. bu, through the violence and ultra
ism of some people who are enlsted on
the other side but who con,rive to do a
vast deal OF misch hief TO the cause OF free.
dom. Until these men shall have learned
that the people will bear no yoke-,hat
they will not allow themselves to be en-.
shaved. no matter however necessary il
may be to enslsve them for certain pur.
poses in the opinion OF the men Of v,o-
lence-they will be able to accomplish
nothing and will harm no party except
that with which they may act. In Maine,
and as respects local affairs this ulsraIsm,
which is always so irritating 10 the most
enlightened portion Of the people, made
itself visible by support of the liquor law,
aud BY upho'dng all the action under it.
The question is not whether that law is
a good one or not, or whether Mr.. Dow
did right in sweeping the streets OF Port
land with muske,ry, for the purpose Of
upholding his pc, panocea for social Ills
but. were the people ready to approve Of
the law, and OF its founders conduct on
a particular OCCASION! They were not.
and hence it was tina, the Republicans
wen, to the wall; for the people had, not
without reason altogether. taken up the
idea that they were the unfiinching sup
poriers Of the liquor law and Of Mr.. Dow,
though il is certain that, as party. they
were not. They we're punished for be.
ing found in company which the people
did not like. The hunkers had the sa.
gac,ty TO see that the contest could be
successfully fought on the grand local is.
sue, and that they took. and Stunned the
Nebraska affair as utterly as their great
patron saint is said 10 shun holy water.
Had the Nebraska question been up for
the decision Of the people Of Maine on
its merits, and had The liquor law no.
been up, the hunkers would not have
succeeded in getting 5000 voles.
The moral Of The Maine election is
this if you would defeat hunkerlsm.
you mus. be united; and to be united.
you should not put into your political
platform things ,ha, not only have nocon.
nection with the leading question Of the