The Portland daily press., 1866-11-16
Ally PRESS.
CORTLAND.
Friday Morning. November l6, 1866.
Party Names.

1t is well occasionally to refer to the ancient
landmarks and see how far modern usage
has deviated from them. Party names are al.
ways significant and honest at the start, Though
by constant use they come to mean very iittle'
The Tribune lately sought to recall the at'eh-
ton of its readers to the real meaning Oh inc
party designations now in 7ogue, by quoting
the following definitions from Websters Una
bridged Dictionary:
Demoeracy.- by the people;
form of government in which the supreme DOW
er is lodged in the hands of the people collec-
lively, or in which the people exercise the pow
ers of legislation.
Democrat.-One who adheres to a govern
ment by the people, or .fdoors the extension of
the right Of suffrage to all classes of men,
Republc.-~A Commonwealth: a state in
which the exercise of the sovereign poacer is
lodged an representatives elected by the people.
In modern usage it differs from democracy
OF democratic state, in which the people eaer-
cise thepotoers Of sovereignty in person.
Kepubhcan.-One who fayors or prefers re-
pupncan form OF government
Conservatism.-The desire and effort OF pre-
serving what is established.
Radicalism.-The doctrine or principle OF
making radical reform an government by over
turning and changing the present state OF
things.
There is nothing strange here to people
who are in the habit of considering the force
of words; though it is surprising enough that
party which opposes the extension of the
right of suffrage to all classes of men, should
still call itself Democratic. 1t is this incon-
gruity, no doubt, which has led TO the very
general disuse Of the term among the more
intelligent members of the party. People who
know that they are not Democrats prefer to
cali themselves Conservatives.
We observe that the semi-weekly AdveItis-
er, with its usual facility in drawing an I'M
handsome inference, undertakes to treat the
the definitions as foreeries-thus:
The above is from the n. Y. Tribune. 1t is
from beginning to end misrepre sentation. if
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary of 1865 edi-
ton be referred to. 1t contains no such defini-
lions. The definitions above given are the
conceptions of partisan spirit that has forged
proclamations and praticed like receptions up
on the public.
This is most amusing exhibition of igno-
rance and spleen. Nobody who understands
English speech needs to go to dictionary to
verify the definitions. These are the mean
ings OF the words, whenever they are correctly
used. But if one were to give definition, he
would of course prefer to fortify it by some
acknowledged authority. And that is pre-
cisely what the editor fthe Tribane has DONE
He probably had dictionary before the 1866
edition" appeared. There lies upon our table
copy of Webster's Unabridged Die
tionary, published in 1856, before
the rebellion, before the questions
which now agitate the community had
arisen. On turning to that dictionary, word
by word, we find the definitions as quoted
The notion of charging Professor Goodrich
the accomplished editor of Webster, with SLAM
dering Copperheads dozen years ago, in the
pages Of SO grave work as dictionary, by
premonition, is delightfully."- absurd. Yet tl.at
iswhat the Advertiser must insist upon, un-
less it is prepared to withdraw its whimsical
assertion that ''the definitions above giver
are the conceptions of partisan spirit