The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-01-31
COMMUNICATIONS.


The Albany dead iock-More ofAe Harris
burg performance - Gocernor Seymour
troabled-Hope from FStE John Porter's
yusfsenfence-GeR. Me McDotceil-Sdndy rirer
batteries opening on Governor Coburn, DC.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 70, 1858.
To ths Editors Of the Press:
The difficulty In the New York Assembly is
altogether different from that which lately
occurred In the Pennsylvania Legislature
In the Pennsylvania case, the probability of a
rich mans buying himself into the Senate of
the United States, as the same man was be-
lieved TO have done six years ago, was immi-
nent, and was strenuously resisted. The
threatened violence was to prevent such a re-
suit There Is no such issue in the Albany case
III corruption In reference to the coming eiec-
ton Of a Senator from New York shall be found
to exist, IL Is more likely that it will be in the
direction of buying votes, mscalled Republi-
con, for some person Of the morals of Fernando
Wood, who Is already spoken of in connection
with the New York Senatorship.
The question which has called New York
mob TO Albany is merely one referring to the
organization Of the Assembly--a question as
TO who shall be speaker-by a determination
OF which in either way, neither are the peo-
pies rights invaded, public morals shocked,
nor the members of this mob aggrieved.
But the person who is most troubled by, and
who has most at stake In this Albany affair, is
Governor Seymour. He has, ostentatiously
as some thought, declared that he should see
that all the laws of the State of New York
were enforced, and all its rights respected.
Clearly one of the rights OF the State of
New York is that its Legislature should be
permitted peaceably to assemble after the man
ner prescribed in the State Constitution, and
freely TO deliberate upon the subjects whereon
they are called to legislate, without having the
chamhnF mo snv Aa1 hx,
armed mob and violence to members threaten
ed in open session by the same mob. Ii Gov
ernor Seymour has not the spirit to vindicate
that 'right," he will be deemed a coward II
he proceeds to vindcate 1t, by forcibly dis.
persing the shoulder-hitters who have gather
ed at Albany, he will incur their i'll will. He
will temporise with the case, disgust the bet
ter sort among his followers, lose all repute as
man Of spirit and promptness, and generally,
leave himself no nearer the presidency, to
which with an absorbing ambition his thought
is straning, than he was before he was Gov
ernor of New York.
You need have no doubt that your cores
pondent fairly represented lin recent letter.
the extraordinary proceedings in the Pennsyl-
vania Legislature on the occasion of the cleo
tion Of a U. s, Senator. He carefully under
stated them. He forebore to inform you that
Gen. Andrew Porter, In command at Harris
burg, had the guns OF the Arsenal loaded and
trained upon the street in which the mob was
expected TO show itself, and, also, that men
well known In the State, temperate and not
timd, have affirmed their belief that the cleo
tion Of Mr.. Cameron would have been follow
ed by bloodshed-the slaughter OF Mr.. Came
ron and those who helped his election. Ii was
In reference TO this election that the Republi-
can newspaper here printed some days since
theEfoliowing jea desprit:
Az OLD SAYING RgyERsED-The Committee
on the Conduct ofthe War have decided that the
recent Senatorial election in Pennsylvania dem
onstrates that the fear of death is stronger pas
sion than the love Of money.
From the Republican also / extract the fol-
lowing item:
ferson Boyer, a member Democratic, of coursel
OF the State House Of Representatives from the
county Of Clearheld, has published an elaborate
card in Harrisburg newspaper, charging Gen.
Cameron with having endeavored TO purchase
his vote for $50 900.
In reference TO this last, Pennsylvania
told me last night that the rumor runs that
the author Of the "card" was successfully ap-
preached but, for the reasons ntimated
above under the head of "An Old Saying Re-
veIsed," did not do as he was expected to do
and now seeks to conceal guilt by telling how
great was the temptation to which he was ex-
posed. But this report is as likely as not to
be SANDER.
Nothing lately has frightened patriotic hope
more than the sentence of Gen. Fitz John
Porter, and its prompt confirmation by the
President. Its effect will be to teach lot OF
small fools graduated at West Point and else
where) that they cannot trifie with the nation
al honor committed to their keeping. These
little fools-they are minority of the West
Point men-have all along imagined that this
war was special blessing sent to them to
give them promotion and the chance of being
the great men Of the nation on small capital
The manner In which Fitz John Porters head
has fallen will be a warning to them. All the
excuses ne got up to show why he did not
obey Gen. Pope's four successive pressing or
ders to him to fall upon the right flank Of the
enemy at the battle near Manassas. ayailed
noting before the court. For seven hours and
a half he lay. with thirteen thousand fresl
troops the corps claiming TO be the finest in
the army. within sound Of the cannon of Tho
battle all the while raging. He saw from hi,
tent the clouds OF dust raised by the moving
columns OF the enemy; he heard their battle
hre gaining on our wearied, oyerpoweret
men; and. though In command OF a body O
troops sufficient 10 have turned the tide Of bat
lie 'ssi any held since the beginning of time
he stirred not 10 the aid OF his sorely presse,
comrades, Gen. Mcdowell testifies that
Porter had come up promptly when ordered
The battle would have resulted In a vieforv 4,