The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-10-15
The Birth Of RepnbllcanIsm.

Mr.. Blaine, in his well-turned speech
at the Republican celebration in Strong,
Me-, the other day, said properly
enough that "the place and time when
the Republican party was first organ
lied will remain, like the birthplace
of Homer, subject of unending dis
pute. Seven cities claimed the latter,
and seven States may claim the
former" Poetic license alone, how
ever, justities the comparison, for we
believe only three States ask to be re-
membered as the god-mother of the
Republican party. These three are
Michigan, Vermont and Maine. The
first two are rather better entitled to
the distinction than the last. Never
theless, not breath of disloyalty to the
pretensions of the Pine Tree State
comes from the town of Strong. Be-
yond doubt every man who honored
the interesting anniversary by his at
tendance was as firmly convinced that
the Republican party, name and all,
came into being in Maine in August,
1854, as he would have been If there
had never been Michigan or Vermont,
OF rival cities, be their number two or
six.
Whether Maine and Strong are just
ly entitled to the coveted distinction or
not, the occasion Just now commemo-
rated was every way noteworthy. Rep
resentative Dingley, who presided over
the speech-making of the celebration,
told the story Of the party's origin in
Maine very happily. Others eulogized
its childhood, its youth and its matur-
ity. 1t seems that the spirit of antag-
onism to the slave-power took root
early in the remote Eastern Common,
wealth. AS soon as 1852, faction of
the dominant Democracy, dubbed
"Wildcats" by Horace Greeley, but
called by Mr.. Dingley "the progressive
temperance and anti-slavery wing OF
the party" had revolted, chiefly, how
ever, on anti-rum rather than on anti
slavery grounds. These Independent
Democrats, in 1853, nominated Anson
p. Morrill, for Governor, and gave him
Hop votes. By another year the sans
people were fully primed to resist pro.
slavery aggressiveness. ''Copperheads"
were never popular in Maine.
Earlier still few more pronounced
opponents of t slave power had come
nut from among the Wings and Demo.
Gratis alike, and taken the name OF Free
Soilers. In 1852 they ranged them.
selves rnde .ohn p. Hale's standard.
TIE ec lion OF that year gave Pierce
~ 500 votes in Maine; General Scott,
the Wing candidate. 32, h43, and Hale,
tie Free Soler, 5000. This was a very
cred table nucleus for new organi2a.
ton. Hale had about 1000 voes ir
New Hampsh re, 1900 in Vermont,
abo $1,000 in Massachusetts, $500.
in New York and 5000 in Peunsylva.
mia.
Among the old-line Northern Wings,
again, slavery was held in adherence.
Thousands Of goo1 men and trIe in the
North voted for General Scott, not to
uphold, with the Southern Wigs, one
of the relics of barbarism. but because
public sentiment had not yet grown
into the lrm conviction that reform
could only come through new and
outspoken auti-s'avcry organization.
Four years more of plantation AFRO.
gance and Democratic mi sule worked
revolution. SO ii came TO pass that
in Maine, and, for that matter, in every
New England State, and in the West.
ern Commonwealth cOlnniI d from
New Enc and, Wings, Free S)ilers and
Progressive ID mu,ratI began tOstanl,
unconscicuSly, craup'. on prec sely
the same foundation principles
Parties have always originated in
about this way. They are born, moi
made. Or, as Mr.. Blaine puts IT, "Great
parties never come by whereas and 0
resolve. Parties can not be impro.
viscd or extemporized. They grow.
They come from an instinct in the
masses Of the people" Instinct had
full play in rural Strong (the town has
only 600 inhabitants) on the 7th of Au.
gust, 1854. On that day Mr.. Dingley
told his hearers: THE freedom-lovng
voters Of Franklin County assent led d
this beautiful village in three separate
! convent ons, ~ members OF three 4
| tinct plrt e.. omparing notes through
II committee they discovered. what 81
knew before, that they were OF ont
! mind AMI one aim, and Of light oughl
! TO. be one organization and one party
IN moment, therefore, the three con
ventions merged into ono memorial ,
| assembly, and IL was vO cd with zen
thusiastic iacclamatioD. Jas the news
/ papers o that time tell us, that the new
! organization should be. called the Re
! publican party. The possibility tha
other voters In distant States. cominI
together iind,r somewhM similar cir
1 cumstances, may have already adcpte,
the same designation does not impsi
! The beauty Of this pictur And tai,
story Of the origin 81 the Republican
,arty ought to teach those who ssek h
destroy II that they will never succee,
uptil that wonderful alliance Of think
ing men proves laithless 10 some ney
policy which thousand, Of votcrs Of In
telligence, resolution and uprightnes
burn TO enforce. st. Loatsi 6Lo6e- Dem
ocrat ID d -tuaLN 9rrlHJil gf
! DeB~A new Cleveland song Is out