The Portland daily press., 1864-09-10
FL r E-W OR x s !
elimination of Democratic Rule.

RESULT OF FIFTY YEARS TRIAL.
Democratic hands have guided the Ship
OF State for half century" advertiser.
This is the copperhead refrain. For ffty,
seventy, or four-score years, the Ship of State
was manned and controlled by Democrats.
All our prosperity came through Democratic
rule. These, and similar to these, are the
forms in which Democratic boosting and ego
tism show themselves.
Now let us look at this thing single mo-
ment. 1t is safe to judge the tree By its fruit
to judge Of the wisdom of any particular
course or policy by its results. Arailroad, no
matter how evenly its ears run, that dumps all
It's passengers into an open draw bridge, or off
an embankment, or into eternity 10 any mode,
BILE consideration OF the community by having
set forth the beauty and ease with which it
brings its doomed victims to the brink Of ruin.
Let us apply this rule.
Democratic hands have guided the Ship of
State for half century, And what was The
result? When Democratic officers handed
the Ship of State over to their constitutional
successors, what shape was that Ship of State
in? Was she sea-worthy? Was she in con-
dition, with ever so good management, to en-
counter storm? Were her rigging and sails
In good repair? Were the anchors in place
We're the wheel ropes perfect and strong?
We're the signal bells of certain sound?
1t was the 4th of March, 1851, that Mr. Bu-
chanan passed this Ship of State over to Mr..
Lincoln. He, with full crew Of officers and
men Of his own selection, had guided and
controlled the Ship for four years. Before he
left, as the result of his inefficient command,
eight States had seeded, and the Union was
dissolved so far as their voice could dissolve
1t. He had allowed rival government to be
erected within his own jurisdiction. JEFF.
Davis had been formally inaugurated Presi-
detn of the Southern Confederacy. The Stars
and Stripes had been torn down by traitors
throughout eight States; United States forts
bad been taken forcible possession of by State
troops; Revenue Cutters had been turned
over to so-claimed foreign government;
U. 5. Mint had been rifed by traitors; U. S.
troops had been basely surrendered by Y. S.
officers to rebels in arms, and the country was
In all the throes of anarchy and revolution
Buchanan had the satisfaction Of seeing all
this; of having his own Cabinet officers en-
gagged In this very work; OF seeing his Col
iectors oil ustoms, his Post Masters, his
Judges, his Marshals, and his civil officers of
every grade, engaging In a gigantic effort to
subyert the Constitution which he had sworn
to support. aud he did-nothinq, absolutely
NOTHING. The poor old imbecile man sat
with his hands folded, doing nothing, saving
he couldn't help himself; that there was no
power in the government 70 protect itself,
This was the elimination of fifty years of
Democratic rule democrats had guided the
Ship of State for fifty years." and such was
the result
Look at it, men of Maine! Look at it, pa
triots of the "Star in the East" State! The
result of that fifty years rule was RUIN. Be-
fore it ended pirates were on board the Ship.
They had cut away her anchors, unshackled
the chains, tied knots in the rigging, made
rents in the sails, bored holes in the bottom,
filled every locker with rats, aud ruin was all
around.
The picture is not over-drawn. No darker
moment did the country ever see than for the
last three months of that Democratic rule.
1t was black overhead; the sea was angry be-
meath and around; the storm ragged with fe ar
full fury; mutiny ragged on hoard, and infdel-