Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-05-06
8ailp Yfnr,ebtt Suurual.
Augusta. Saturday Morning, Nay 8.
The calhoun Doctrine Of State
Rights Advocated by the Fusion
Organ of Waldo County.

~ s/0bk4Oun AIOCSabhhO Va hcs~ss~
Rights Advocated by the Fusion
Organ of Waldo County.
Our able contemporary, the Kennebec
Journal, accuses US of the rankest Of bour-
bonism because we hold that this nation il
nation Of States in opposition to the lately
svowed republican doctrine that it is a nation
only of individuals blended in common
mass with consolidated sovereignty over the
whole.-Progress,re Age.
We accuse the Age of nothing which is
not borne out by its own language. The
Age speaks of the republican position upon
the matter in controversy as 1.-THE lately
"avowed republican doctrine" How late.
pray? In 1876, tie national republican
convention which nominated Hayes for
President, made this declaration in its
platform: "The United States Of america
lisa NATION, not a league" This was
the republican doctrine at that time, it
has always been the doctrine of the
party, and was the doctrine Of the eminent
supporters of the constitution at the time
that instrument was adopted as the su-
preme law of the land The ed
itor OF the Progressive Age cannot
have forgotten that he was chairman
of the republican State convention of
Maine in 1876, the platform Of which re-
affirmed and adopted the whole national
republican platform, including the words
we have quoted above: "The United States
of America is A NATION, not a league.n
From the speech which he made upon that
occasion no one could infer that he was
not in full sympathy with the republican
platform and party. OF that there was the
remotest probability that in 1880 he would
be found in the ranks Of the corrupt
democracy which he most vigorously de-
nounced upon taking his place as chair
man.
To show that this doctrine of the repub-
lican party is not new, we quote from Dan
lei Webster's speech of the 9th Of Janu-
AIRY. 1880, in reply to Mr.. Haync of South
Carolina. on the Foot resolution.
Mr.. Webster said: but, sir, the
gentleman has failed to maintain
'his leading proposition. He has
mot shown. it cannot be shown, that the
constitution is compact between State
governments. The constitution itself. in
''its very front. refutes that idea; it de-
''clares that il il ordained and established
"6y the people Of the United States. So
'.far from saying that it is established by
.'the governments Of the several States. it
''does not even say that it is established
"by the people of the sereral States but
''it pronounces that it is established by
''the people Of the United States In the
aggregate. When the gen
.'tleman says the constitution is compact
"between the States. he uses language
exactly applicable to the old Coniedera-
"tion. lie speaks as if he were in Con-
"gress before 1889. He describes fully that
"old state of things then existing. The
Confederation was. in strictness, COM
"pact; the States. as States, were parties
ito it. We had no other general govern
sand inadequate to the public exigencies.
1.-The people were not satisfied with it.
land undertook to establish better"
These were Mr. webster's views. and
they agree substantially with the doctrine
held by the republican party. The doc
trine presented by the Progressive Age is
xkn Ia,t,.ta, ,yb,ch th, att ~
made to establish the Southern Confed-
eracy. to repel and overthrow which Wal
do county sent thousands of her brave
sons to swell the armies which defended
the national flag and the national idea as
represented IN the republican platform.
Is republicanism so dead in the hearts
Of those republicans of Waldo county who
Joined the greenbackers in 1879 and 1880.
that they are willing to be led over into
the democratic party this year and place
themselves squarely in opposition to the
principle for which the Union boys fought
in the war. and accept the doctrine on
which JEFF Davis and his armies stood in
eucu uuuoit w" upon 'itS S"'eihhcht
We do not believe II. Their sons who
gave their lives that the nation might be
preserved would rise from their graves to
rebuke the act. Whatever may have been
the shortcomings Of the republican party.
it has a glorious record for patriotism,
and represents and defends the grand
principle of nationality found in its plat
form and borne to victory by the blood
and sacrifice of the brave men who fought
for the preservation of the Union and
government.
AndOyer Seminary and DIR, New.