Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1875-06-29
TAc Meaning ofthc Beccher Trial.

The event, no effort by looking beneath
Tie surface To solve the meaning oil the
ahO!s transaction Ii is eMinently Citing
;hat its zeal significance should be made
apparent by advocates ol Equal Rights
OF Woman.
Here is a trial which attracts the alten
ti0n OF the whole world, which many say
will be considered OF more Importance
= hundred years hence than it is now
Il trial which some think more significant
IN It's bearings upon human destiny than
any which has taken place since the one
before PonIius Plate. Then what does
1t all mean? Surely the guilt or innocence
OF one man or one woman cannot be OF
world wide Importance; not indeed, un
less they represent principles universal
in their application.
That this is the case with the defend
ants in The present trial, will, We think,
appear upon investigation.
Tue value aud significance OF History
are due to the fact that all abstract prin
ciples ultimate aud lind expression. in
living human representatives. Thus
( Napoleon may be said To have been the
representative OF absolulism founded on
force. The doctrines of state sovereign
/ ty and sect ssion were utimaled in
/ Calhoun. while Washington and Lincoln
each represented principles which were
dominant during diilereuI periods OF Our
national history. Other examples might
/ be given, which will readily occur TO
every one Bat, while Washington aud
+ Lincoln eXempliiy some of The principles
OF American liberty, they do no. form
complete embodiment of all which We
conceive TO be embraced in this term.
The mos; distinctive of those ideas, those
which hlye given character and ind!yid
ua.i,y 10 our civilization were those
brought over IA the M,ynnwer. 'rhey
embrace a recognition Of Supreme Be
ing 10 whom man owes allegiance iole
ration OF The opinions oil others. an
equality Of right, among individuals. aad
a general belief in all the ideas which
are included in The term Institutional
Self Government.
There may have been failures in
expoundiag acd exemplitying these doe
tr;ac,; they have not Vet met their
perfect lui.ment; but they were
undoubtedly held by these who landed
at Plymouth Rock in 1920. and they
form The basis upon which the govern
meut was constructed. Literally as
well as metaphoricaIy our Republic was
founded upou a loca. II was The Church
. planted in The wilderness; not an eccics
. iasi,cism nor q hierarchy. bu; an edii;t
whose foundations were truth, and
whose walls bear the Inscriptions of love
. t. Col and good viii toword men.
ADd now, wh.re shall We ind one
who shall be a dtlinS representative oil
+ the ideas here contained. one who 10y
/ character and historical association seems
/ fitted to al The place Washington was
the founder OF a new civil poliy- union
OF tree States with one federal head
f Lincoln was the preserVer OF the Union
/ thus founded aud the liOerAtor OF q race.
/ Where shall we find man who shall
represent not only all the principles here
implied. but who shall include others
not vet considered? Ii will be seen that,
/ hitherto. an important factor in the body
polite has been overlooked. Woman
while performing the duties and sharing
. the burdens OF citizenship. has been re-
carded rs a political nonen,ity. Woman
in special sense represents the Family
and t,piii,s The Church; therefore we
should expect TO ind her representatives.
also representing the Church and Family
aad ii the Church should be one truly
American in character aud bearing, the
name most closely associated with our
American IDEAS OF religious liberty, then
the conditions would be IN re fully met.
We need hardly say that the pastor OF
Plymouth Church comes nearer to filling
the requirements Of such a representa-
live than any other in diydual.
Blu, i, must also be remembered that,
growing up side by side with the tree Of
liberty, we have q plant Of another kind.
resembling it in outward appearance but
ul,erly at variance with it. II is \ plant
not native to the soii-it is OF foreign
Growth. but, If not checked, it bids tair
20 rival the righ,ful occupant. Il is felt
in the form of opposition to institutional
Government, to lA~ and order, and to all
.,hatsoling theretrom |. strikes at the
institutions OF marriage, OF the family,
and Of he church. II would reduce So
ei.ty to chaos in the vain expectation
that from lhe universal ruin new order
Of living mi sht be evolved. The sup
por,ers OF this strange doctrine regard
the marriage bond rs one to be broken
at will by the contracting parties. They
have an III concealed contempt for relig
ion and for all the institutions connected
herewith. In their efforts to recon
,lruct society they strike at the very
foundations OF all we have been accus
toned to revere. Having increased in
numbers they become bold and out
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