Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-09-09
Miseella q
Fighting for Principles.

What are the principles lee and Jack son
fought for2 The question has instant prac-
iiesl Importance for every Northern citizen.
! For Wade Hampton, who represents the
Solid South with II, l3s electoral vote.
gained mainly by fraud. publicly assert.
that the Democrats Of the South are con
tending for '.thc same principles for which
( Lee and Jack son fought for four wears"
These i3S electoral votes give possibility
, Of success. if any Northern States are OF the
same mind. What. then. arr the principle.
for which lee and Jackson fought. and for
which Northern State will vote, If II vote.
with the Solid South
The right of secession vas the principle
for which Lee and Jackson profe.scdi, cen
tended. ANY State, they claimed. could dis
solve the Union AZ its pleasure 4 simple
resolution 10 secede, adopted by the tempo
rary majority Of the people or their repre-
seniatl'es IN any State. was enough 10 rend
all ties between the people OF that State and
the United States. Against that doctrine OF
secession the loyal people Of thu. country
raised powerful armies. spent money by the
thousand millions, and sacrificed tbs lives of
tao hundred thousand patriots. Are they to
vote that they were wrong2 Will the peo-
pie OF Northern State vote that the blood
and treasure OF the North we're spent in an
unho!y and unjust effort VIII they mara
with dIshonor the graves of the brave men
Sho died that the Nation might live,
Secession had u cause. The principle for
which the Southern States seeded was one
OF the principles for which Lee and Jackson
fought Secession Was TO preserve slavery.
The right of white men 10 hold black men
usA IN inrA and 50 -,
eSery respect a. cattle, vas the principle for
which the Southern States seeded The
iron hoofs and wheels of war have passed
over the institution of slavery, and il is
dead. Every foot Of the soil Of these United
States has been made sacred TO freedom by
a Constitutional Amendment Ne,erthe-
less. it seems, We have to fgh, the battle all
over again. for the Democratic party is still
con,ending for "the principles for which
Lee and Jackson fought for four years.r
Does the South still fancy tha, it can restore
negro slavery? Apparently. Civil rights
are denied TO the colored race. Social free
dom is denied. Political rights. especially,
though guaranteed by the Constitution,
are completely denied TO those unhappy peo-
Pile who were once slaves. Democratic pa
pers at the South boldly declare that the
ut-Eu TaNt II upoIltu 10 tAliflCllOD or slaN-
cry; that il can continue 10 exist a; the
South only as a servile and enslaved race
But is this one of the principles for which
any Northern State is ready TO yore2
The Democratic party, We may as well re-
member, has never yet consented TO the ex-
tinction Of slavery. In some places. and at
some times, IFS platforms recognize abolition
as fact accomplished, but not as a fact ir-
revocable and irreyersible. There is not
trace of proof that the Democratic party. if
il should gain power again. would not revoke
Acknowledgement. undo abolition. and remand
the colored people, by various legal devices
which Democratic States can easily contrye.
TO a condition OF. slavery. The acts passed
by Southern Legislatures. immediately after
the war. would have remanded the colored
race to virtual slavery. as We all know and
they were therefore revoked and held void
by the loyal Congress of that day. Since
the Democratic party came into power in |
Congress. it has never been able to pass an
act for such purpose over Presidential |
veto. and therefore has refrained from the |
disclosure of its purpose. But is there |
shred Of evidence that such acts would not |
be quickly passed, if President could be |
got TO sign them?
Really, We cannot guess how far reaction |
may 90, if it once begins When the little
stream, not bigger than a mans finger,
uekles through the great dam, it looks
harmless enough. Yet everybody knows
that il will gain power, If left unchecked. TO
tear the most ponderous masonry, and to
wreck industry and destroy life for miles
below. Democratic reaction is of the same
nature. 1t crawls through the creyices Of
the Constitution very humbly as yet, but il
lacks only the confidence of power to sweep
away all the Amendments, and the Consti-
tuition itself. Wade Hampton did not talk
rashly or wildly. He knew the spirit and
purpose of the people to whom he spoke
Democrats find no fault with his utterance,
except that it was "indisereet" He spoke
the feeling Of his party. but spoke il too
soon. More cunning Democrats would have
waited until a Democratic President had
been elected. But, thanks to Hampton,
Northern men can see Just what Demo
cratic vote really means. Ii means, as he
truly says, triumph of the principles for
which Lee and Jackson fought for four years.
Northern men will look into the matter.
Before they vote they will consider what
were the principles for which Lee and Jack
son fought, and how far Democrats reaction
may 90, Il it once has chanee.-(N J.
Jri6Wae.