Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-12-22

extract bearing ON the point, he sald; Nv hteu NOT
abolish Government to rights, but we
can and will abolish the scoundrels who pervert H..
lie closed by saying We are living in "A time
when blow at the liberty of the people cannot go
unrebuked. ] recognize the fact that am talking
to cautious people as see before me many OF our
most venerable citizens, and would not speak inju
dicously, but If this great wrong is allowed to go
Il will result in bloodshed in the future. be
leve that II il only necessary for general uprising
of the people throughout the State TO the seats
Of the candidates who received majority of the hon
est votes in the recent election. The men who are
most indignant at this blow struck vt the liberty OF
the people of cool aud deliberate judgment
they are men with gray boards and bald heads. We
trust that the fire kindled tonight shall continue to
burn and that we shall 20 forth tonight fully deter
mined to assert our rights. The speakerss remarks
were loudly applauded.
COMMITTEES APPOINTED.
When he closed the chairman appointed a com
mittee of three to report executive committee TO
take such action in the interest Of the objects OF the
%ssnsg h@ ss ney
wright, John L. Cutler, Chas. g. sterns, Ilewellyn
J. Morse, c. A. Boutelle, Whiting 5. Clark. Geo.
Lancaster, Chas v. Lord, silas c. Hatch, Lysander
Strckland-al of Bangor; $. o. Brown, Dover;
Chas. shaw. Dexter; John Morrison, Corinth T. j.
Senator Hamlin then introduced and was re-
ceiyed with storm of applause. When quiet was
restored he spoke rs follows;
SENATOR HAMLIY's SPEECH.
Mr.. Chairman and Ftdlowcitisens;-rhes plsu
dts are grateful me because they the evidences
of earnest and honest hearts who have met here
tonight to take counsel together in the greatest
that they will not submit TO this attempted subver
sion of their rights. why is it that look down
upon this Of grey head. and upturned faces?
have asked this question in this hall in other days
asked il In the days when sumter was fired upon
and the whole North uprose against the attempt to
overthrow our republic. Then the integrity of our
Nation was threatened now IL is the integrity of
our state; There are various ways in which reyolu
tion may be brought about 1t may be done by force
of arms, IL was in 1851 II may be done by stary
ing the Government, through Withholding supplies
to carryon its work it may be done by the bold
niI.tIrt. a hV
those sitting In high places in the state, Is the
case which We have come together to consider to-
night. In view of the present situation of affairs,
what is to be done? Lei us have no vain Wanting,
but like COOL reasonable and consideratc men, let
look mildly and calmly upon the conditions imposed
upon US, and upon the remedy for those conditions.
have been absent from our pleasant little city, and
never have returned TO my native State with the
maniin. blush of shame upon my face and humilia-
ton in my hear, till now. Our State has been hon
ored in the past by the virtue, Intelligence and pat
rotism of her sons. | have been asked frequently
Governor and Council commit this high handed
act agains. the rights Of the people; told
believe that eight men could be found outside
Of the walls of the Penieniiary who would do such
a thing. No, did not believed eight men could be
found in the Penitentary of whom could be found
who would say the thing should be done. Ii has been
done, and what is it that has been done! why, its
magnitude is so great that can hardly comprehend
it, | cannot realize the enormty of IL. They have
sought in direct opposition to the provisions of the
constitution and tile statute laws Of your State to
sub,ert the will of the people. | want you, my
friends, to bear with you away from here in clear
and distinct manner the way this has been done.
They say il has been done under the forms of law.
Jesus Christ was cruciied under the forms of law.
There has been no act of oppression cruelty writ
under the forms Of law We want something more
than the forms of law. We want to vindicate the
spirit of the law. The Governor and his seven coun-
clllors-and one of them lives In this city-hsve by
their arbitrary and unwarranied acts reversed the
will of the people a: expressed by them through
what believe to be the duty of the citizens of
Maine. shun every one of these you would
pesience; make every one of them an outcast and
wandering jew, point the finger of scorn at them
shun them rs moral lepers who covered with
from the crown Of the head to the sole of the
an outraged and indignant people. How has this
thing been done by which they have accomplished
the revolution and subversion of our Institutions
by assuming the duties belonging to the legislature.
| Our constitution tells how elections shall be
called and held, and our laws tell how elections
| shall be determined. Every law upon the subject
| ever passed has thrown safeguard around the
| sancity of the ballot The constitution provides
that the votes given for senators and
shall be returned to the Governor and Council, and
that they shall issue certificates to such shall APP
pear to be elected ON the face Of the returns, while
the Senate and House shall judge to the election
| of the members of their respective branches. The
Governor and Council not to be the judges, but
in spite of this they have changed majority into a
minority, and a minority into majority. They have
usurped the function and duties Of the lcgisla-
ture itself. They are not the judges IS to whether
| this mode is formal or that mode Is formal. Their
action is the result Of star chamber proceeding,
and such star chamber proceeding rs brought the
| head of Charles I. to the block.
senator lainn next went to cite the act Of the
Council in the cases of Garland and Exeter, and said
that there was no man ensagedin that act who did not
| State laws could resch, but It could not escape
Gods laws. lie then took up the cases of Skowhe-
gan and Pennington. He said that it appeared that
the ballot bearing the name of Davis 1t the head
cloud cheers for Governor Davis cast Skow
was an iach longer aud hall IN inch narrower than
the bollols cast Ter the oppostos. and the names
We're printed in two columns, lsngthsiss of the bal.
lot instead of crosswise. and for that the
of the town had been thrown ost He then had RE- I'D
letter published in this evenings Commerc from
Hon. A. +. Could the legal adviser Of the Governor
and Council. in which he deaed having bees cou-
case, and which closed by saying III have uniform
and repeatedly asserted 1t as my opinion that the
and d, GG.ns had 70 into tn,
town meeting;' Then. said senstor Hamlin. re.
suming, even their counsel backs out from support
ing them. Ne then referred to the of Farming.
ton. where the whole vote Of the town thrown
out because the total number OF ballots was appar.
emily larger by four than the combined votes of the
candidates voted for footed up and the certificate of
| election was given to the man who in plantation
publican opponent recsysdbut thirteen, though hav-
ing majority of over 200 on the actual vote. He
that the throwing out Of the returns of that town
clearly unjust and Illegal. Now let us what
is to be done; II yos allow the Governor and Coun-
Gil to usurp the power of determining what they have
right to determine. what is there in the name of
| republic but = mockery and u fraud2 / believe il
people rise up in their majesty and demand their
rights that these usurpers will not dare to refuse
them. There is Il moral power in the freemen of
| Maine before which raseaity will quail. You will
assert the rights that belong TO you by swearing that
the government of Maine shall not be subverted nor
overturned by that body OF men, any other body
| of men whatever. As the Senator closed he was
greeted with continued cheers and applause.
| LETTERS AND TELEGRAMs READ.
| At thei close of Senator Hamlns speech, letters
and kilograms expressing the sympathy of the writ.
ers and senders, with the objects of the meeting and
the strongest Indignation 1t the action of the Cover
| nor and Council, were read by Gen. Charles Hamn
from Hon. Chas. Shaw, Dexter; DIR. l.. A. Thompson
| Dover; Josiah b. Mayo, Foxcroft; $. o. Brown, Do
yer; Mr.. Dobson, Pittsiield; President Bachelor
and Prof Jordan of the Maine Central Institute
| Pittsfed Hon. Lyndon Oak, Garland; and vigorous
| Guford, Charleston and Oldtown.
As the applause which the letters read
by Gen. Hamlin called forth had subsidized. the chair
| man introduced
| Hon. j. s. WHEELwRIGuT,
| who said Il would like to join in answering the
question asked by Senator Hamlin to the min
of this Of earnest, upturned faces 1t thai
the same blood courses in your veins coursed In
the veins of forefathers who overthrow the yoke
of oppression placed upon them by England, when II
became heavier than they could bear; the same blood
that coursed in the veins Of the noble boys in blue
rlo tba pf fba Nat,n,