The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-07-10

The Democratic Party and the War!
The fires of the rebellion had long been
burning beneath the surface, and the North
appeared to be unmoved. Men doubted wheth-
er there was any patriotism left. But the aw-
full silence of those March and April days was
but the precursor of the coming storm. When
at last the traitorous blow was actually struck
at the Nations flag, there was an uprising
of the people, such as the world had never be-
fore seen. From every hill and valley, from
every city and town, there was heard the
tramp of men rushing to the contest-the spir-
it of liberty and the determination to maintain
it or die, animating every breast. Democrats
and Republicans stood shoulder to shoulder,
and party lines were merged in love of coun-
try. There was hope, once more, that the
Government established by our fathers would
not perish.
But this apparent unanimity was real among
the masses of the people only. The leaders
and politicians of the Democratic party had
beerin too intimate communion and fellow
ship with Southern traitors, to have any heart
in the work of crushing them. They dared
not openly adhere to them any longer. They
yielded to the pressure around Them and pro-
fessed to be loyal.
But to their loyalty they annexed terms and
conditions that rendered it harmless to treason
They sustained the war in the abstract; yet,
1t must be waged in such way as not to Sub
jugate," but to concilidte the traitors. We
must waive olive branches in reply to shot and
shell; and, though the Shareholders were muir
dering us by every means of savage and bar
barous warfare, if their slaves should offer TO
help us, we must, to quote from a proclamation
OF Gen Mcclellan, put them down with
strong hand,' instead of accepting their aid
1t is evident that President Lincoln dis
trusted the loyalty of the Democratic leaders.
In order to keep up an apparent unanimity,
and prevent the newspapers from making war
upon his administration, he appointed Demo-
Gratis TO the chief places in the army. He acted
in perfect good faith. He desired to see the
North united in carrying on the war; and
knowing that he could rely upon the Repub-
licans under any and all circumstances. it was
his policy so TO enlist the Democrats in it that
they could not oppose it. If any one doubts this,
let him remember that every department of
the army is now commanded by democrat
Mcclellan, Halleck, Burnside, Butler, Hunter,
Pope.
If the President himself had had any distinct
policy in regard to the mode of carrying on
the war, the plan of employing Democrats. if
competent, TO lead our armies would have been
a wise one. But as he has had no definite pol
icy, to which all the commanders must con-
form, they have conducted the war according
to their own views. The result has been. while
we have had Republican President, chosen
by an overwhelming majority of Northern
votes-and while the masses of the Democrat
ic party have been anxious for a thorough and
efficient mode of crushing the rebellion-the
Democratic leaders haze dictated the policy
Of the pdri Their presses have traduced ev-
cry Republican who has been appointed to any
command, as their treatment of Fremont, and
Banks, and Lane, bears witness And If any
Democrat has shown any desire to do ANYTHING
out conclate rebels, by protecting their prop
erty, and catching their slaves, he has been de-
nounced, and his removal threatened-as in
while such men as Mcclellan and Halleck.
however incompetent, and however great their
plumbers, have been auded to the skies, and
all inquiry in regard to them stigmatised as
reasonable.
1t is well known in private circles that Mr..
Stanton, long ago, desired to combine the for
ces Of Fremont, Banks and Mcdowell drive
Stonewall Jackson out Of the Shenandoah val
ley, and approach Richmond from the north
west, while Mcclellan should approach it from
the east But Mcclellan opposed the plan,
and the recent terrible disasters, as well as the
retreat of Banks, are the result And yet, how
were Banks and Stanton denounced, and Nc
Clellan praised, by the partizan presses And
though the other departments have been left
nearly defenceless, in order to put all the troops
into McClellan's hands at Richmond, he and
his supporters have been continually complain
ing that he had not men enough.
The policy ofPresdent Lincoln has not pre-
vented the democratic leaders from. conspiring
to overthrow the administration, by reviying
and recognizing their party Mcclellan is
the favorite of the men who are engaged in the
scheme; and it is already apparent that they
intend to make him their presidential candi-
date,-torturing facts and manufacturing false
hoods, to enhance his reputation
Another result of giving democrats the con-
troll of the army, and permitting the politicians
ofthat party to dictate the policy of the gov
eminent, has been seen in the fact that no re-
publican, however competent, has escaped their
buse; while every democrat who has adopted
their policy, no matter how incompetent, has
been supported. Even the republican press
has yielded to this spirit, rather than meet
their attacks. To remove Halleck, though,
with the largest army in the country, he sat
down in his camp, and permitted Beauregard
to remove his forces safely to other portions of
the country, reinforcing Mobile, Charleston,
Savannah and Richmond or TO remove Nc
Clellan,--though dufing the last two months
he has spent thirty millions ofdollars and sacri-
feed twenty thousand men, without gaining a
single point In taking Richmond haz-
ard the loyalty of the democratic party. And
so incompetent men must be kept in power 1t
remains to be seen, whether the support Of
such men is worth the price that has been paid
for il.
We know that the ready answer to all such
suggestions has always been, that civilians
s.,1r g.. e.