The Portland daily press., 1862-09-02
COMMUNICATIONS.
"The Constitution us II is, and the Union as
II was.-..NO. @.


The readers of these papers are desired to
excuse me for number of typographical err
rors, some of them very important, in Nos. 3,
and 8, as had no opportunity to correct the
proof In his last number the Argus editor
alludes to me in my summing up. He quotes
from No. 5, in which / say "We have shown
that only last year that paper [the Argusl was
opposed to the Constitution as it's" and marks
it with three exclamation points; but he makes
no answer to those quotations made from the
Argus in No. l, in which the editor came out
against the Constitution as it is, and advocated
alterations therein to satisfy the South 1.-THE
siavehoidersl or dissolution of the Union.
The editor does not deny that he was opposed
TO the Constitution as it is in 1861, nor that if
an alteration was not made therein he advo-
Gated dissolution of the Union. The facts
are too notorious. He cannot have the hard-
hood to deny them. Again and again did he
urge upon the people to adopt the changes in
favor of slavery proposed by the infamous
Crittenden Compromise!
But having shrunk from denying what l
proved against him by extracts from his own
paper, he by implication denies what never
charged. Only notice the deception. He saws:
at is quite news to us that the Argus stood
upon the same platform with Phillips, Greely,
Garrison, and the rest Of that class. The au-
thor should secure patent for his discovery"
Now here is an assertion by implication, that
have charged that the Editor of the Argus
stood on the same platform with Messrs. Phil
lips and Garrison and that Mr.. Greeley belong
ed to the same class. Phillips and Garrison
were formerly opposed to the Constitution be-
cause they regarded it as pro-slavery docu-
ment On the other hand the Argus was op-
posed to the Constitution as it is on account
of its anti-slavery provisions, and urged fire.
quently that it should be changed to strength
en- slavery by the adoption of the Crittenden
Compromise. Two platforms could not well
be more diverse. We regard Phillips and Gar
rison as honest anti-slavery men. We regard
the Editor of the Argus as a pro-slavery man,
and we do not vouch for his honesty Phillips
and Garrison were opposed to the Constitution
for what they regarded an imperfection. The
Editor of the Argus was opposed to it for its
perfection, and was desirous of altering it for
the worse. Phillips and Garrison urged a
peaceable dissolution of the Union to get
rid Of slavery, but did no act to bring it about.
The editor ofthe Argus pretended to be oppos-
ed to dissolution of the Union; but support
ed all those measures that have brought on
the civil war and dissolution of the Union de
fdcto, and which threaten to make such dissolu-
tion permanent. The scheme of Phillips and
Garrison was visionary and impractcable are
that could never have succeeded The meas
ures Of the Argus supported by Presidents
Tyler, Polk, Fillmore, Pierce and Buchanan.
were such as decided the people, and have
proved efiicacious to involve the nation in civil
war. Phillips and Garrison in the past, have
been sincere. The editor of the Argus has
been sincerely determined to obtain the patron
age OF the government, and the offices for its
partzans. Phillips and Garrison since this
war began, have seen their error, and now 20
in for the Constitution as it is, and for such
measures as shall speedily restore the Union.
The editor OF the Argus having done what he
could to involve the nation i'm civil war. per-
sists In his errors, and insists on such measures
as will prevent the restoration of the Union un-
der the present Constitution. God forbid. that
should put Phillips and Garrison in the same
class with the Editor of the Argus! God forbid
that they should ever deserve It'll
The Editor of the Argus says, 81. C. w. has
for years opposed the constitution as it is;
but cannot prove and does not undertake to
proyelanything of the kind. l have proved
the editor of the Argus guilty by extracts from
his paper. The charge puts me in mind of the
burglar, who cries out 'Stop thief, stop thief"
and passes off in the crowd. You are found out,
sir. As Nathan said unto David, thou art the
man. You cannot divert attention from your
criminal connection with the secondary causes
OF this rebellion. If the Argus were to utter
any thing in my favor, should begin to sus-
pect myself u villain, and with the psalmist to
cry out, "What hath thy servant done, that the
wicked should praise me?''
Among the secondary causes of this rebel
hon, named the admission of Missouri as a
slave State: The Argus says "Missouri has
now % regiments of Union troops in the field"
suppose it is so. Does not the editor know
tll't The democratic Governor and he demo-
cratic legislature in the outset took part with
the rebels? Does he not know it was their pur-