The Republican journal., 1917-11-08
Has Maine a History?

Two false ideas relative to the import
ance of a knowledge of Maine history,
we believe, are more or leSS prevalent
among Maine people: (0 That because
the ancient Province of Maine became a
District, that for a time was under the
political jurisdiction of Massachusetts,,
we have no distinct place in early Ameri-
can history. (b) That even if we have
a history it is not of consequence, inter-
est or value to any but lovers of any
thing that is antique and venerable; its
usefulness in the work of today being, at
most, only negligible.
A plain statement of the first PROPOSE
ton refutes itself From the times of
Weymouth and the Pophams to these
days of Oakley Curtis and Carl Milliken,
Maine has had a continuous record of
events that are potential parts of the
history of democracy in the world.
From the early years of the seven
teenth century when the explorers, colo
nists and missionaries first began the
making of American history, until 1775,
people of the old world were coming
to the new world, and coming here to
Maine, for a shelter from tyranny and
oppression. They subdued wilderness
and replaced ii with homes, fortresses
and fertile fields. Thus they came here
to Maine, as to other parts of the north
Atlantic coast, with bare hands but with
hearts full of longings for freedom that
was then only dream, and for liberty
that they knew not how to use.
The development of representative
government was slow process. 1t was,
at best, only an experiment. 1t was a
political ideal that startled and amazed
the greatest craftsmanship and most pro-
found philosophy of the entire world.
Our plan was unlike any other that had
before been known. 1t was a govern
mental system outside Of all known pre-
cedents, without an example, ancient
or modern" "a
The question Of it's success or failure
centered around one single problem;
whether or not man was capable of self
government
In this way did the roots of democracy
commence to sprout in this strange soil:
a thirst for individual liberty. For many
former centuries man had had sovereign
to direct him in his religious duties, and
blood and treasure had flowed continu-
ously to force him to pursue what his
rulers conceived to be the right course.
This new undertaking allowed him to
choose his own religion and his own
prayer book, or none at all, as his own
conscience might dictate, and he was to
be his own sovereign.
In 1882 the highest intellect and shrewd-
est judgment of the world sincerely be-
lieved that this scheme was doomed to
collapse Its success could only be DEM
onstrated by actualities; the day of
theories was done; the hour of facts had
struck The leaders in this majestic ad-
venture constituted the most glorious
band of patriots that humanity has ever
known. But Washington, and Hamil-
ton, and jefferson, and Adams and all
their great compeers were themselves
alone powerless to solve the problem of
lf-government. The men who built
log houses and cleared up farms, who
run stores, taverns, saw-mills, stages
and cooper shops, were the only ones
who could prove to the world that man
could govern himself without king.
And so, in all parts of the American
colonies, from the Carolinas to the Pc
nobscot, it was in the homes of these
grim old pioneers that we find the roots
of democracy. 1t was these first settlers
and their descendants, here in Maine,
whose sacrifices and toll laid the fonnda-
tons for great State, and for its pros
porous towns and cities, who helped work
out this problem for all mankind.
The story of their lives is a part of
the glorious record of mans supreme
achievement in finally making himself
capable of self-government. Their his
tory is a part of the history of the world
struggle between despotism and freedom;
it is the tale of the progress of humanity.
And yet, there are many in Maine today
who do not appear to perceive that such
a history is of worth and inspiration to
the present generation. It is full of fas-
cination, but they see it not. 1t inspires
patriotism and love for their own State,
but they know it not. Neither do they
seem to realize that the educational sys-
TEN of Maine in not making town, coun-
ty and State history part of its regular
course of study in every school, is doing
a fragrant injustice to the youth of our
State.-Sprague's Journal of Maine His
tory.