The Republican journal., 1913-02-20

Maine. For the historian to deny this
would be to write partial history of
this New England movement to separate
itself from the Union and form the State
governments into Northern Confeder.
acy.
In December, 1914, the Federalists
held convention in Hartford, Connecti-
cut, made up of 26 delegates, IL from
Massachusetts, from Connecticut. 4
from Rhode Island, 2 from New Hamp-
shire and l from Vermont. Among the
delegates from Massachusetts we find
the name of Major Timothy Bigelow,
who accompanied Arnold on his famous
march through the dark, stormy wilder
ness to Quebec at the opening of the
Revolution. This convention was in ses-
sion nearly month, and as it was held
behind closed doors full record of its
proceedings was never obtainable. But
enough is known of its proceedings to
state that much Indignation was mani
tested and earnest demands made for a
separation of the New England States
from the Union. The convention also
passed some amendments to restrict the
Federal Constitution and adjourned to
meet in Boston in June, 1916; but this
convention was never held, because the
terms of peace agreed upon by our gov
eminent were ratified by Great Britain
several months before the date for the
opening Of the convention, and there was
great rejoicing throughout the land.
Two years after the Hartford conven-
ton the Federalists made their last stand
liz the Presidential election of 1916.
Their standard bearer was that eminent
lawyer and statesmen, Hon. Rufus King
who received only "a electoral votes as
against 1873 for Monroe. Too little has
been written in our histories of the life
OF Rufus King, one of Names great
sons. He was not, like Timothy Picker
ing, violent separatist and extreme
Federalist, but broad-minded and far
seeing statesmen, who served his coun-
try with great honor and distinction.
art to his fame no aid hath lent
His country is his monument
The last instance of notification and
the State sovereignty idea was main
tanned in the State Of Maine 16 years
after the close of the war of 1872. when
our Legislature passed resolutions in
1881 denouncing the Canadian boundary
treaty, declaring that as a sovereign
State Maine would never yield to such
an unjust decision by our government.
Eight years later, in 1885, occurred the
Aroostook war, which cost our State
over a million dollars.
But with this question of the North
ern Boundaries" this paper has nothing
to do, and | will pass on and state that
thirteen years after the passage of the
threatening resolution by the Maine
Legislature, in 1881, the Legislature Of
Massachusetts denounced the annexation
of Texas into the Union as slave State
and threatened that it would "drive
these States (of New England) into 6
dissolution of the Union" | will ado
that both my grandfathers shared the
New England sentiment of State SOW.
ereignty in those early days of 1881 anc
1874. My paternal grandfather was borr
on branch of the Sheepscott river If
Montville in 1902, or one year before the
attempt was made in 1903 to separate
the New England States into Northern
Confederacy.
And now we come down to those terri
BILE days of the Civil War, when the
question of State sovereignty and The
right of secession, as we'll as negro slav
cry, was forever settled in our land; anC
we'll it should be. for the issue of State
sovereignty and secession was wrong il
theory as we'll as in principle, and coul6
never have beer carried out any more
successfully in the New England States
than in the Southern States. | rejoice
today that am son OF a soldier who
fought on the battlefelds of the South
to preserve this Union and make i
powerful and supreme over all tht
States