The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-04-04
G IL A Nd Il ALL Y!
lily Hall. Monday Evening, April 9th,
Grand Ratification Meeting.

The City Hall was well filed last evening
by Republicans and Union men, for the pur-
pose of ratfying the nominations of Jacob
Mcclellan, Esq, for Mayor, and Benjamin
Kiugsbury, Jr., Esq, for Municipal Judge.
The proscenium gallery was crowded with
ladies, and the floor was packed with men.
Chambers Band occupied the orchestral gal
lery, and gave some OF their sweetest music.
At halfpast o'clock the meeting was called
to ordeAby Newell A. Foster, ESQ.,, who nomi-
mated as chairman of the meeting Hon. James
T. McCobb, Esq. The nomination was re-
ceived with great applause and adopted with
an unanimous aye, and Mr.. McCobb took the
platform amid the applause of the audience.
Mr.. McCobb, after thanking his fellow-citi-
zens for the honor done him in selecting him
for presiding officer Of the meeting, said, that
they had not come up here, alone or mainly,
TO discuss the merits of the candidates pre-
sented for our snffrages, but rather to consider
what may be done to help hold up the arm of
the Government while it fights the battles Of
the country.
He could not, he said, with any propriety be
called TO this chair il he had not been known
to be heartily, fully and unreservedly for the
Union and the Government in its efforts TO
sustain the Union. There was, he said, but
one question before the people: How shall
the war be waged? how can solid and hon
orable peace be obtained?
For his part, he said, he knew no way to
h,,f HAT
years ago, when he went to Mexico; and that
is, to conquer it, 1t is too well settled, he
said, to admit of doubt that the rebels will
listen TO no terms, excepting upon the basis Of
independence. In a correspondence opened
with their leaders by parties, to whom they
would listen, if to anybody, they have de-
clared that they will hear of no propositions
of peace that do not involve the dissolution of
the Union.
We have united South, he said, to con-
quer. We must have united North TO con-
quer them. All other questions must be laid
aside, and we must put our minds and hearts
and hands to the cruel, direful, but necessary
work. We have selected our leaders for the
struggle, according to the forms and spirit of
the laws of the land, and we have no safety
but in supporting them, standing by them,
trusting them.
For me, be said. in this desperate struggle
Of the country for its very life, 90 for the
Government, and | make no nice distinctions
No distinction at all between the Government
and the Administration. j do not go, he said,
for the Powers that be, right or wrong. In
an emergency like this they must be presumed
to be right. He was not for supporting the
Government so far as their measures were in
his judgment wise and expedient He was
ready to presume they were wise and expedi-
ent He did not give them that faint aid and
comfort which is implied in the approval of all
their constitutional measures. He was pre-
pared to presume their measures were consti-
tutional. He was ready to contde in them
to believe in them. What they need, and
what we must give them, is not the cold, half
way service of the head, but the warm and
nnreserved devotion of the heart.
He was, he said, for waging the war. by all
the means allowed by the rules Of civilized
warfare; aud he knew of no rule of civilized
warfare, that forbid the seizing the guns of the
enemy, and turning them against them-and
he didn't care whether the guns run on wheels,
or four legs or on two legs! And if the Presi-
dent, sitting in his Cabinet in Washington, by
some cabalistic word can turn these batteries
upon the rebels, or spike them, let him do it,
even though the word he uses is not found in
the Constitution!