Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1861-08-30
MisttllamtouS.
Remarks Of J. G.. Dick
erson, Esq.
Before the state Convention INT
Augusta, Aug. 6, 1861.


Gov. Washburn, Hon. James 6 Blaine
rose and said: Two young men OF
Maine commenced political life in the
Legislature OF lsl2. They had pursued
different paths, but had now met together
at the Grand Station House Of the Union;
the convention had just listened to one OF
thcm-Govcrnor Washburn; he would
now Introduce the other-J. 6. Dickcr-
son, ESD. of Belfast" After the ap.
plause had subsided, Mr.. Dickcrson ad-
dressed the convention as follows:
Mr.. President anil
Gentlemen of The Cmreatioa:
am heartily obliged to you for thi,
cordial greeting, and | accept it with
greater thankfulncss, since it is tendcrcd
by those with whom differ upon party
questions. Indeed can scarcely account
for this distinguished token of your par
tiality, except upon the theory that |
may be regarded somewhat in the light
of " contraband' from the democratic
party. | beg, however, to assure you
that | am not here as Il partlzan but Il,
national Mon man, acknowledging po-
litical allegiance only to the Constitution
aud the laws. and every man my brother
who stands upon this platform anl Is
ready to battle for it as long as ther, is a
ray of hope or 4 shred Of the Constitu-
tion left
More than seven months ago publicly
declared "that, in my judgment, the
qu ,stion raised By South Carolina was
not one of party, but Of national exits.
tence, and that if the Federal Govern.
ment should abandon It's right, duty anl
power to defend, protect, aud pcrpctuate
/ itself against all foes, domestic a well a.
/ foreign, ii would commit moral treason te
its history, To civilization and humanity.
t resolved thus carly not to be one Of the
-, 900 democrats, relied upon IN Maine
to chain the free spirit OF the North
while JeH Davis AMI his confederate reb-
els should seize upon the national capital
and establish new kingdom of Dahomy
under the shadow of the tomb of " ash
in.ton. At the same time avowel my
purpose to stand by aul with those who
should take this view Of the question, and
in good faith fight on and fight eyer for
the preservation of the Union al all hgz-
ard, and at whatever cost Such was my
position in January last; it is the samo
to-day.
But the m.n who assuma to control the
Bfeekiuridse organization, in thi- State
with which | acted in the last Pre~jleu-
tial canvass, entertain totally different
views. They have discovered that the
doctrine, heretofore universally entertaln-
ed, that it is the right, power and duty
of the Federal Government to protect It.
self against alt foes is a dclusion. These
aatioaai men now deny that there is any
such thing as nationality, o. national SOW
ereiguty, and ,toutIy affirm that ii Is all
State sovereignty aud that allegiance to
country is subordinate TO allegiance to
State the power to declare war and to
conclude peace, the treatymaAing power
the power to raise an army, arm and
equip navy levy aud collect duties on
imports, are not sovereign powers, but
must be exercised i'll saborlInation to the
lcmi-god of State Sovereignty. THIS Is
not a government Of - the people OF the
'nitea States, !" but Of the sovereign
States; bare majority Of the people OF
State can take that State out Of the
Union in the twink ling of an eye; the
change of single vote will bring i: back
into the Union with the same dispatch
the issues of peace and war no longer
rest with the Federal Government, each
State having the right to abrogate any
,rea.;' Tween nc IT.! >''t- AMI iar-
eicn nowcrs it Is perfcctIv constitutional
to give up the control of the Mississippi,
or to consent to the establishment OF amy
/ foreign power or powers upon 300 mile
of our Southern border; We are no longer
one government, but thirty-iour soyer-
eigns; indeed it is no perjury, but thl
perfection of patriotism IN an officer s'
the United States, sworn to obey the Con
Isttution and the laws, to rcnounce that
alleriance and take sides with the seeded
State, provided he bear away with hlm,as
proof of his fidelity to his native State, a
/ few hundred thousand dollars Of Uncle
Sans money, or a battery OF rltied can
non.
These new school politicians, in effect
charge that the trainers OF the Con,titu
tion, alter ten years experience OF STATE
riyalries, and State icalouslcs, OF the dan
gers OF personal scIfShness and ambition
and of local interests under the old Con
federation, incorporated the exploded I'M
pertcctions of that compact into the new
Constitution-that they acted upon th'
belief that political millennium was tc
dawn upon the land simultaneous y witt
the adoption of the Federal Constitution
in fine that they had discovered SORT
Of philosophers stone in =" the spirit ol
Cancellation, concession and compromise
then existing which should reg;nerat'
the hearts of men, and forever continue
these fraternal feelings ~
cannot thus impeach the Intelligence
wisdom. and patriotism of the Madlsons
the Franklins, the Hamiltons and Wash
ingtons of 's9, and why? Because they
wrote it in the Constitution that Con
gress shall have power to declare war
conclude peace, levy and collect duties or
imports, raise an army, arm and equip
navy. suppress insurrection, and repel IN
yasion, and pass all la'es necessary Il
carry these poeoers into effect. Ine.
wrote it in the Constitution that tn
States shall forever be prohibited from