Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-09-26
The Election in Maine.

Ma;na for Governor and members or the
legislature. has resulted in the defeat OF the
Maine Law candidate for Governor, ana III
the election of a large majority OF antl-pro-
hibitory men to the Legislature. Inns Is
indeed a complete. revolution. Last year
the Senate was composed entirely OF ITO
hibitory men-this year there is not one re-
turned to that branch. In the House the
majority was four to one now there are on
" 40 Prohibition men elected, out Oh ABOUT
$50 members!
This sudden, unexpected and complete
revolution in the State that first adopted
and for several years has so successfully
maintained, the Prohibitory law, naturally
enough excites inquiry as to the causes wnicn
,sro brought it about. We notice there
we're three tickets before the people, VIZ the
q Fusion v-the Democratic, and the wing.
The 9 Fusion " party, it seems, was COM
posed of Maine-law men, Abolltlonlsts' ana
g Liberals" and went in for MAINTAINING
tha Maine Law as it now stands, or for IN
c-reasing it's stringency, If necessary, ana
olso for the repeal of the fugitive slave law
and the Nebraska Kansas act. The Demo
Gratis. aided by the opponents OF the law
from all other parties, went before the people
under the cry of modification OF the Name
law which was interpreted to mean !" re-
peal :" and the Wings occupied about the
same ground. And the two parties together,
have gained the control of affairs, and will
we presume, so modify the law as to bring
it into greater disrepute, or else repeal it al
together.
With our views of legal prohibition, we
believe the principle entirely just, republi
can, and necessary for the protection of SO
ciety from the enormous evils of the hduo
traffic. But over the result of this election
we have no tears to shed that the vile aboli
ton herd who had seized upon this righteou
measure as a hobby upon which to ride int
power and place, that they have been defeat
ed. The interests of our section OF tn
Union, the Constitution and Laws of tn
j, Confederacy, are paramount consideration
:. with us, to all matters of State or Nation;
! policy and we shall always rejoice at the d
:, feat of those who disregard and set thel
: at defiance, even though we may agree G
:. other matters.
Such is the view we take of this MAR
. election. The Fusion " party imported i
- to the State, to harangue the people and a
vocate their measures, many of the vileS
most rabid fanatics in the country, the bu
den of whose speeches breathed deadly al
!; mostly to slavery, and boldly proclaim
defiance to the fugitive slave law. We re
:; some of them, and we repeat, we have
tears to shed over the defeat of a pan
!, ayowing such dangerous and disunion sen
ments. We love the sacred cause of TIE
perance-we are firmly convinced of /
], justice, equity and necessity of Prohibitc
laws against the liquor trafic-but we Il
our country mOre-we are too strongly
= tached to our glorious Union-too much
= voted to the institutions and interests of
South, where we were born and reared, a
where we expect to live and die, to feel OF
e than the deepest horror and detestatior
any thing coming in conflict with these cl
Ao1OO I'LL Ollo WIN ~ VI OuA
We may remark, however, in conclus
that we do not regard these things as furn
ing just cause for abandoning the principl
Prohibition, or for turning a cold shoulde
the cause of Temperance. Upon the ST
:, principle, might Democrats, Wings
Americans Of the South, be called upol
%. abandon their party principles and predi
- tons, for in many instances Abolition fr
cism has so "fused" itself into each a
NJ. have entirely leavened the whole lump.
20, people of the South mustprotect themsel
n at home, from the evils of the liquor ira
and at the same time protect themselves
the Vaccinations and evil designs of oul
emies abroad. They both alike intima
affect our social, moral and political sal
and neither can be ~disregarded without s
er or later bringing upon us the direst
sequences. Protection at home, and r,
~ ness for defence from assaults abroad, is
true policy for the people of the South.