The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-06-13
PerVersion OF Language for
Partisan PURPOSES.

The Pittsburgh Post says = That
the sense-bearers OF the so-called Re-
publican party are striving by all
means to debauch the politics, and
gradually to subvert the Government
of our country, is by no means the
belief of only few of the people,
The gross outfages upon the rights
solemnly reserved in the Constitution /;
the mad efforts, successful in too many
instances, to control the elections by
the bayonet, have attracted good
deal of attention; but violent modes
are not the most dangerous by any
means, and the open attacks being
liable TO opposition and rebnke, the
conspirators hrve resorted to what
may be regarded as mining operations
by means of which they hope to un-
settle the foundations of our institu-
tions.
T "Webster's Dictionary was FIRST is
sued in 1928, and has ever since been
regarded as authority in all questions
of the English language. In l7S4 he
urged the formation of new form of
Government which would act, not
upon the State, as the confederation
dId3 Oub A1lCCllf uPOA n
copy of which he presented to Gen.
Washington. While the Federal Con-
stitution was .he subject of discussion
he was one of its most earnest adVo-
Gates, and after its adoption he moved
from Connecticut to the city of New
York, where he issued daily paper,
the Minerva, now the Commercial
AdUertiSer. There he was the inti-
f,,s 80 To- II
ton /; and in company with Chancellor
Kent, he published series of articles
in defense of jays treaty. We mem
ton these facts to show that he was
well qualified to judge of the institu-
tions of the country and that if he
was prejudiced, his prejudices were
not those of Democrat, but like his
associates and intimate friends, his
sympathies were with those who
claimed the greatest amount of power
for the Federal Government.
'sThe word compact, Mr.. Webster
defines as follows: " 1t is more gen.
orally applied to agreements between
nations and estates. or treaties and
confederacies. So the Constitution
of the United States is the political
contract between the States-a ma
t1Onal compact. Haf-as So 8Qltss
E sin the two editions of his Die
tionary prepared by himself, those of
1928 and lS41, and in the two editions,
those of 1847 and 1859 edited by DR..
this definition will llbe found
but in DR.. Portel's edition of 1864 it is
sOt the word ConfederdtSon, Mr..
Webster says: "The United States
are sometimes called Confederation"
This is totally suppressed by DR.. Por-
.er. -
.Comgress, Mr.. Webster defines as
The assembly of Senators snd Rep
of the several states of o.
America according to the present Con-
'titution o: political compact byI
which they are united in Federal |
Republic ;the legislature of the United |
States consisting of two houses-a
Senate and house of Representa-
ives" f5....s.,. fes.. .t.
"This definition contained in the |
,ditions of 1928, 1871, 1913, and 1860, |
s suppressed it can only have been
because the modern editor wished to
i'd in destroying the idea of our gov
,rnment, which had prevailed among
III people up to 1860.
sWebstcr defines Constitution as
ollows: f'In free States the Consti-
ution is paramount to the statutes Or
avs enacted by the Legislature, linn
ting and controlling its power: and
n the United States the Legislature
S created and its powers designated
" the Constitution" ai ait.t1 Ia sfgab
This also does DIR. Porter ignore,
or why the reader can judge.
SC That there is now and has been
or the past eight years, if not for a
onger period, a class of men here
nxious to twist our governmental
ystem from its original purpose, every
laws observation convinces us more
nd more; and this prostitution of the
,reat Lexicon of our language, is one
# the most dangerous of the various
nodes, which have been adopted to
AIRY out the evil design" 70'i