Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-27

any nation declaration of war is
solemn official act impossible except by
, vota of CONGRESS. No such act ever
took place 1t may lie presumed the
platform refers to the hotlce given 10
the hostile forces on the lsthmus that
they were not to fight ON the line or the
railroad which it was our duty to Keep
omen. But this was no war, ana no
declaration Of war; there was no deli
ance of orr constitution. nor OF inter-
national law The action of the Presl-
dent was in the interest OF peace ana IL
was effective Not a hostile shot has
since been fired on the lsthmus. Ana
to complete the story OF inns aliiaAhlS
fiction. all the Presidents legal adj
visers. numbering good lnteilects,
such as Knox, Root. Taft, ana MOODY.
have heartily endorsed ana approved
his action Both Houses of Congress
have adopted it. Thu Senate accepted
the treaty based on it by an over
whelming majority. embracing half the
Democratic Senators, who hOnored
themselves nv rising above the petty
politics of their woull-be leaders and
refusing to reject a great national
benefit because of the sCfdld lear that
q President not Of their party might be
thanked for it, 1t is little less than
criminal that men should play so reck-
leSSly with words of serious import.
They do not seem to know the plain
meaning of words. They accuse the
President of the gravest of crimes one
deserving instant Impeachment. If
what they say were true, the House
which should impeach him, the Senate
which should try him. are dlsSraced by
every hour of inaction; and people
who would see their constitution thus
violated W ould be worthy of slavery or
anarchy There is but one inevitable
conclusion-they do not believe one
word they say.
And here is the plain proof of it. In
the very same breath with which they
accuse us of beng on the lsIhmuS az
the result of violence, robbery, and
treachery they propose not only to
stay there but to go right on and reap
the fruit OF our intany by building the
canal. There is no talk OF restitution.
no suggestion of national penance for
transgression. Nothing Of the kind.
They will enter the house of sin which
we have built-thcy viii eat of the fat
and drink of the sweet. rolling up sane
timonious eyes and thanking Heaven
they are not as those wicked Republic
cans. This would be d revolving spec
tacle if they believed what they say.
But it is rot so bad as that. They
/ know we are there by right. legally and
morally. If fortune favored them they
would go in and build the canal, in pur-
Suance of the action of President
Roosevelt. with no load on their souls
with consciences void of offense-eX-
cept that of having libeled and SLAM
dered their own Government and their
own country.
This Constitution of ours must pos
sess marvellous vitality 10 have sur
NlNed all the attempts to save it. They
began in the time of Washington. He
/ was tyrant, too in his day. The
Constitution was constantly in danger
OF violation at his hands. Next Je.fer-
son was accused Of the same crime; in
TACT, ne rather suspected himself ut the
time of the Louisiana Purchase-but
the people forsave and applauded. and
| that act is now the brightest jewel in
mis- coronal of fame. But The most
dangerous enemy of the Constitution.
the one whose supposed violations OF
that sacred instrument excited til.
most frenZied cries of rage ard terror.
was Abraham Lincoln. that nisi prius
lawyer. that old Clay Wing. who wor-
shipped the Constitution scarcely less
than his Maker. Even the Democrats
nave now grown shamed of these at
lacks. and it, has become fashionable
Ior them to praise and to quote him.
Ihat eminent constitutional jurist
Senator Illlman the other day joined
the ranks of his admirers aid re-
preached the Republican party for hav-
ing forsaken his teachings In the
evolution of LinColn's fame we have
seen some strange happenings; but we
Wcra not prepared to see him defended
with pitChfork
Patrlotisl1 WAS once petulantly called
| the last refuge of "a scoundrel The
constitution, which we ought all To
cherish and revere as something sacred.
IS coming to be considered as q missile
10 De thrown at the head of our oDpO-
hehts whenever we tall short of Other
ammunition. The simple fact is tina,
no president has ever violated the Com
>titution, ard | risk nothing in say:n~
mat no President Will violate if i'm tha
next four years
The Republicans can avow their adj
herthce to the Constitution without nv
pocflSy and without the labored emphas sis
OF remorse. The first great work of the
party was performed in 1851. when with
toii ard struggle such as we pray may
never he necessary again they saved the
constitution from the assaults of the pre-
deceSS"rs Of the men who now claim ex-
elusive charge of it. and who even today
no, only acquieSCe in its violation in cor
tam states of the Union. but shameIcssty
prom by 1t. 1t all the citizens of thr
southern states Were allowed their Com
+ Sllutlondl rights. the Democratic uartv
as al present organized would cease 10
| exist and the politics of the country no
lohScf chained to dead issues of the mast
.oui! arrange themselves on lines of dis
velopmeut "e
ms extraordinary campaign il dra wing.
70 j close. On the Sth Of November the
nlcherlng and confusion of tongues will
cease, The people who have been filling
me ar with Islander of the man who has
50 well and nobly served the country
VIII recognize with gratitude his cxrniInnt
WORK, and will be glad they are sill to
enJoE IT," benefits of it. Without refer
| Ing TO what might be the results of a
Sb.I