Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-11-20
Has Maine q History9
IF 80, Is IT OF ooNsEQuENcEs

Editorial In sprague's Journal Of Maine History
| Two false Ideas relative to tho i'm.
portance Of knowledge Of Maine his.
tory, We believe, are more or less preva-
lent among Maine people: (a) Tha.
because the ancient Province OF Maine
became District, that for time wa
under tho political Jurisdiction Of Massa-
chusetts, We have no distinct place In
early American history. (b) That even
II We have history 1t is not of conse-
quence. interest or value to any but
lovers Of anything that Ia antique and
venerable; its usefulness In the work OF
today being, at most, only negligible.
| A plain statement of the first pr0po-
sition refutes itself. From the times
Of Weymouth and the Pophams to these
days Of Oakley Curtis and Carl Milliken,
Maine has had Q 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 Ito,
people of the old world were coming to
the now world, and coming here to
Maine, for shelter from tyranny and
oppression. They subdued wilderness
and replaced 1t 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 kew not how to use.
m nf koSt
government was slow process. It Was,
at best, only an experiment. It was
political ideal that startled and amazed
the greatest statemanship and most pro-
found philosophy of the entire world.
Our plan was unlike any other that had
before been known. 1t was . govern
mental system outside of all known
precedents, /" without 40 example, ancient
or modern"
The question OF its success or failure
conferred around ono 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:
q thirst for individual liberty. For many
former centuries man had had sovereign
to direct him In bis 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 1852 the highest intellect and
shrewdest judgment of the world sim
cerely believed that this scheme was
doomed to collapse. Its success could
only be demonstrated by aotualities; the
day of theories was done; the hour of
facts had struck. The leaders In this
majestic adventure constituted the most
glorious band OF patriots that humanity
bad ever known. But Washington, and
Hamilton, and Jefferson, and Adams and
all their great compeers were themselves
alone powerless to solve the problem OF
self government. The men who built
log houses and cleared up farms, who
ran 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 30, in all parts OF the American
colonies, from the Carolinas to the
Penobscot, It was in the homes Of these
grim old pioneers that we find the roots
Of democracy. 1t was these flrst settlers
and their descendants, here In Maine,
whose sacrifices and toll laid the founda-
tions 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 part Of the
glorious record of mans supreme
achievement In finally making himself
capable OF self government. Their his
tory is . part Of the history Of the
worlds struggle between despotism and
freedom; 1t 10 the tale of the progress Of
humanity. And yet, there are many In
Maine today who do not appear to per.
ceive that such history is Of worth and
inspiration to the present generation. |
1t Is full of fascination, but they see 1t
not. 1t inspires patriotism and q love
for their own state, but they know 1t
not. Neither do they seem to realize |
that the educational system of Maine in |
not making town, county and state his |
tory part of its regular course OF study |
In every school, is doing Q fragrant In |
in ekica m tha vOuth of Our state.