Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-05-02
FOUNDING a PANTY.
mn NORWAY sorrmo xAss CONVEX
TioN OF lS51.-TuE True ORIGIN OF
rHE REPUBLICAN, PARrr.

rioN OF lss1.-TuE TRUE ORIGIN or
rHE REPUBLICAN, rARrr.
Editor Demoerat:
Political events do not always have
the right place IN history. Ono reason
u, their Significance and Importance may
not be understood until Q long time At
ter they occur. These suggestions may
Justly apply to the boiling Democratic
peoples convention held IN Norway In
1854. The Democrats had then been 10
power In Maine long time, and Oxford
County was the stronghold Of the party,
always giving large Democratic MAJOR
tiles at every election. Regular nomina-
lions were always supported-whether at
TO be made or notify the rank and hle
Of the party, and the man who had the
audacity to "bolt" was Immediately
drummed out Of the Democratic camp
and branded descrter.
The disgraceful Democratic county
convention held at Paris Hin on the 9Th
Of July, lS52-which commenced its ses.
sion at 10 o'clock In the morning and did
not adjourn until 3 o'clock the next
mornlng-has been held. Il was pitch
ed battle between the "wildcat" wing
Of the party and their opponents, In
which the Wildcats fraudently won.
The two senator's who had played false
to their party In the legislature the year
before were renomlnated.
The best men In the party all over the
county declared for Independent party
action. A spirited address was Issued
and sent over the county, and q boiling
Democratic county convention OF the
people was called to meet at Norway.
The convention came, and 1t was
splendid meeting. The people came
from the hills and valleys Of old Oxford
In throngs. Nearly every town
and plantation In the county was repre-
sented. In point of numbers and respect
ability, this great mass convention, as q
political gathering assembled for direct
county action, never had Its equal 10
Maine. 1t was spontaneous uprising
Of the best men Ia the party, determined
on party reform. :.
Hon. Noah Prince, then president OF
the senate, was made president OF the
convention by reclamation, and w. w.
Bolster Of Dixfeld secretary. A full
county ticket was placed In nomination,
aud spirited resolutions passed amid tho
widest enthusiasm.
NV object In writing this communlca-
ton Il not 80 much to give q description
Of this great mass convention as to en-
phaslze the fact that II was practically
the origin cfhe Repab'icdn party IN this
cOuRtry.
This was In ls52-more than year
before It Il claimed by any party or any
section of country that the Republican
party originated. The nominees OF this
convention, with single exception,
were defeated at the polls, the Wildcat
wing succeeding only by the skin OF
their teeth; but the political influence OF
this convention killed not only the DEM
cratic party In Oxford County, but In
Maine. II aroused the anti-wildcat DE.
mocracy all over the state, and prepared
them for the great fight that came OIL
the next year. :.
To yindicate the truths Of history, Il
should be kept distinctly In mind that
the leaders In Oxford County who In
augurated the Norway convention and
made Il a grand success, were the very
men who, upon their own responsibility,
called the state convention that nomi-
mated Arson T.. Morrill, for governor In
1859. The call for that convention orig
mated with q self-constituted committee
Of three, consisting OF John j. Perry,
Rufus s. Stevens aud Noah Prince, by
whom II was written, printed aud circu'
lated throughout the state.
Another fact should be borne In
mind-that while the mass convention
| ..,lt.t, mat ,,n.lar thts tpfnrt,al call com
pletely filed the old city hall In Portland
. more than five hundred Of Its members
came from Oxford County In drench
ing rain, escorted by two full bands Of
music, under the old flag. While nearly
every county In the state was represent.
ed In the Portland convention which
nominated Arson L. Morrill, for govern
or In 1853, Oxford was the banner coun
~, and had nearly AS large representa-
ton as all the other counties combined
Ii requires no argument to prove tina,
had there been no "Norway" conven
ton In 1852, there would have been M
! "Portland" (Morrill) convention In 1853
To those best acquainted with the fact;
! of the case this Is n self-evident truth.
In following out this argument, u
must be admitted that the Portland con
ventiOn of 1853 was the logical result OF
the Norway convention of 1852. What
follows Is matter Of history. The bolt
Ing Democracy Of 1853, represented by
> Arson =. Morrill,, gave him at the poll'
, over eleven thousand votes, defeated the
Democratic candidate for governor
elected enough members of the leglsla
ture to hold the balance OF power be
! tween the Democrats and whlgs, and BY
union with the better element 10 thu
Whlg Party and the "Freesoilers" elect
ed the speaker and clerk Of the house
elected VIM. Pitt Fessenden to the
United States senate, and came within
, one vote of electlng Arson p. Morril
governor by the state senate.
And what was the result Of all this
The formation Of the great Republican
party of this country In the manner
have thus briefly described.
Briefly stated then, the Norway con
/ vention of 1852 practically inauguratet
the great Republican party Of the coun
try. IL was the first break from tn,
regular ranks that crippled the onward
march of the old Democratic party. The
Norway convention, In the language Of
old Tom Benton, once used In the Unit
ed States Senate, may be made to say
"lIerc, solitary and alone, / set this bal
In notion" IL was like the stone cuI
out of the mountain, which afterwardi
filed the whole earth.
admit that this new party did no,
receive Its name "l,epubllcan" until
after some of these significant political
events transplred. Nevertheless It wa.
these erents thsmseless that created the
new party, while subsequently, giving II
! name was mere matter Of form.
In justice to all concerned, l can no,
close this article without q brief refer.
ence to the Oxford Democrat, the only
newspaper In Maine that supported the
new party from 1852 to 1854. Solitary
and alone Il raised the banner Of reform,
and mailing its colors to the mast, bold
aud defiant, II fought Its way through
the fire and smoke of battle, until
the guns of the enemy were sllenced,
and victory pcrched upon the Republic
can flag.
| JouS j. PERRY.
Portland, April 81, 1898.
SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT.