The Portland daily press., 1863-02-04

On Friday last in the Senate, Mr.. Wiggin of
| York proposed to call upon the Governor for
the remonstrances and letters received by the
Executive, protesting against commissioning
men who had been chosen officers in the Mill
tia, and in his remarks endeavored to beget
the impression that no such circumstances had
been written. Hon. Samuel f. Spring of this
city replied to Mr.. Wiggin, and among other
things said:
He was slightly surprised to hear the re-
marks Of the Senator from York. 1t was but
few days since thathe offered another order
asking Tor investigation into the transaction of
Gov W ashburn, and in his remarks on that
occasion he had said that he thought 1t
due to Ex-Governor Washburn to have the
Inquiry made that he might have an opportu-
nifty TO clear himself from the odium which
rests upon him in some minds. The Senator
then expressed great deal of sympathy for
Governor Washburn. He had no doubt the
Senator felt it, But now he comes and speaks
of the same gentleman in slightly different
terms-ln way which implies that he has
done very wrong thing and he wants to ex-
pose his acts to the Reproduction of the people,
He had no doubt the Senator was sincere, but
he would respectfully submit that the tone was
somewhat different.
AhSic 20 ho uoubt tiidt CIRCUMSTANCES were
presented. a." said Mr. s., "wrote and sent
one myself. did oppose and protest against
giving commissions to men whom | knew
were disloya. am ready to own up to that
L thought at the time that the officers
against whom l wrote were disloyal and |
think so now"
MIR. ). continued. He thought that this was
not time to stir up these matters and create
dissension. He shouldn't want to do it, At the
ffffk..
inquiry should be made. There was nothing
in his own or any other remonstrance that he
knew of that he was unwilling to have come
to light But he was satisfied that there were
some things in some of those letters which the
senator from York and his friends would not
care TO have appear. He hoped the Senate
would pass the order.
The Senator asks how he judged that these
men were disloyal. He would tell him. At
ter the first battle of Bull Run they collected
In the public square in the streets of Portland
and cheered and crowed over the defeat Of our
arms. They hurrahed for JEFF. Davis. He
thought this pretty good evidence of their dis
loyalty, but it was not all. He had heard these
same men say that they were glad when our
armies were defeated. They exuted over eve
ry reverse and were respondent at every sue
cess of the Union cause. On the disastrous
termination of the Peninsula Campaign they
iNp'abci iitii t'tdSoudDlf CDuuuCI Dl aSsefn-
bling and cheering over it, and they wound up
one OF these celebrations with champagne
and oyster supper. They insuted Union men
on the street by their remarks about the war
We'll, haven't you got about enough of this ?r
"Your soldiers ought TO be defeated" "They
never ought To have gone down there.r 1--WE
hope they will be killed off-they ought to be-"
" Haven't you had enough of Abe Lincoln ~
and many other such reasonable remarks
When the Alabama burned some of our ships
they for the third time assembled and cheered
Some of those who owned parts of some of the
ships burned and had no insurance, didn't
cheer quite so loud as before.
He would ask if all these things were not
sufficient evidence of disloyalty. Perhaps
there was not enough to convict man of
treason in court Of law, but the evidence
was sufficient for him, and he thought for any
loyal man.
The Senator from York knows these men,
He associates with them, goes to their houses,
and partakes OF their hospitality when he goes
to Portland. They are his friends.
Yesterdays Argus undertakes to contradict
Mr. Springs statements just cited 1t is a
mere question Of veracity between Mr.. Spring
and the Daily Cretan, and as such we refer il
to our readers.