Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-06-01
from lions Herald.
Political Peril and the Remedy.


Stability OF administration is a thing
unknown in Mexico. No President re
mains in Office longer than until the OPP
posite patty is able to depose him. His
tenure of office depends upon the same
authority as that of any monarch, namely
superior force. He is never allowed to
serve out his term il be can be overthrow
sooner. Up to the present time, the Unit
cd States have adhered to what was
thought to be better plan. Officers have
been allowed to remain in power undis-
turbed. unless guilty of high crimes and
misdemeanors. until the people had an
opportunity in the regular course of events
to elect others. There have been many
instances when the rightfulness OF the
election has been doubtful. and when there
was q conviction on the part of large
body OF the people that if the election had
been honestly conducted and honestly
canvassed, the officer declared elected
would have been declared defeated but
the people have almost invariably submit
ted to the decision arrived al by forms OF
law. and awaited the opportunity OF
another election to correct the injustice.
There have been some instances where
officials. who were beyond question fairly
elected. have been driven from office by
lawless instruction, as Governor Ames
was driven from Mississippi; but in the
main our people have respected legal IT,
ties and discountenanced revolutionary
proceedings.
A new policy is now attempted. A Icing
concealed, formidable and INSCRIPTIONS
plot has burst its secrecy, proclaimed its
malign intent. made an assault on the
peace Of the nation, and won a prelim
nary victory in the campaign to overthrow
the legally -constituted President OF the
nation. II is high time that people who
reverence law and order took the alarm
The Potter resolution, so called. is dan
gerous attack on the stability of republi-
eansm 10 the Uuited States. 1t is as
threatening as the famous resout ions OF
1898. In which was first formulated and
promulgated that doctrine of State sover-
eighty and the right of secession. which
led TO the war of the rebe lion. The
meaning of the resolution. as unguarded-
ly revealed by Mr.. Potter when he intro
dnaaA II and N IL h,,D
dali. In his carefully-prepired ruling, per-
hitting It's immediate consideration as
question Of privilege. is that any party
which c0nceives itself to be unfair
~ treated In an election, may in
augurate measures to revolutionize the
government in the middle of a Pres
Dental term. Disguise and deny it as the
authors Of the resolution may, this is the
real and calamitous significance of the
action begun by the democratic party in
the House OF Representatives on the 18Th
OF May. No one who has carefully
watched the current Of events in Wash
ingtou, and the course of the democratic
party leaders, can longer doubt that they
mediate an act not less threatening in its
consequences than was the secession of
the Southern States when a President
not to their liking was elected They in
tend, II they can find plausible pretext for
the crime. TO overthrow the lawfullyco
tuted administration of the government
and establish another in its place. not nv
election. but by revolution. They protest
that they do not mean war, but they do
so because they believe the North will
suffer such q revolution to be achieved
peacefully. o. they believed it would suf-
fer secession TO be accomplished peace
ably.
1t 10 folly for anybody 20 rest Ia security
THERE'S no safety exeep, is making II i'm
possible for the men who have formed this