The Portland daily press., 1863-07-21
PORTLAND DAILY PRESS

for the past few weeks. Dsheartened by the
loss of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, alarmed
at the success OF the attack on the defenses of
Charleston and the repulse of Holmes in Ar
kansas, and Frustrated at the defeat of their
greatest army and their most trusted general
In Pennsylvania, this is the darkest day of the
rebellion; but the news that mob has burned
houses and murdered men in New York, that
for forty-eight hours it has moved at will,
with but little check, and that it has destroyed
property to the value of millions of dollars,
will bring CLEAN Of hope to Richmond, and
will move the exhausted and all but paralyzed
rebel leaders to renewed effort.
"Our friends are striking for us at last"
Davis and Floyd will say to their Confederate
mutineers; "keep up your hearts; our battle
is fighting now in New York." and they will
add, better in New York than in Virginia, or
in Pennsylvania even.'
The beaten and retreating Lee, when he
reads in the World or the Daily News, or
some other Copperhead journal, accounts of
the riot, and reads too the editorial articles In
those sheets, which have melted and encour-
aged the rioters, will say: "What could not
do, these good friends OF mine have done. /
tried to carry the war to Philadelphia and
failed; they have opened the war 10 New York
ITSELF The rebel soldiers, discouraged at
their defeat, and at their forced retreat from
the fat lands Of Pennsylvania, will pluck up
nCN spHit WHICH lutA tOlu that q MOD IN
New York has attacked the houses aud per-
sons Of many patriotic citizens, and that the
rioters have been gently entreated and shrewd-
ly melted by such democratic organs as the
World and the Daily News.
Nor will this be the only cause of rejoicing:
the rebel leaders will say TO themselves: IF
these friends of ours in New York can only
bully the government into stopping the DRAFT,
then that viii be a gain to us equal to great
ylptnfV ~ bp tnt. h.. 70. In.
the free States'-they will say-.'and we are
ruined; but if the mob of New York can only
get such Roadway, and such countenance from
democrats in office, as TO enforce its demand
TO stop the DRAFT, then we shall be able to
struggle on, able to continue the war at least
another year, and able, in the end, to defeat
and destroy the fated Union armies now in the
field, which win be daily lessened by losses.
and no more restored by the accession of fresh
forces.r
These are the calculations OF the rebel lead
ers. Are they the calculations, too, of those
unprinclpled demagogues who by speech and
in their newspapers excited the passions of
the vile and ignoranrwho are found In great
city like New York, and now parade the mob
their appeals have created as great popu-
lar uprising?" Are these enconragers of dis
order in league with Richmond? Was il by
formal agreement that they called up this dis
graceful mob at the moment when all our SOL
diers are in front of the enemy? Did Davis
command this fire in the rear" in the hope
that it might discourage our army?
The mob must be put down: the man who
makes a promise or a concession TO any mob
commits crime against lawful liberty; but
the man who makes concessions to such mob
as this, composed of the vilest dregs of socie-
~, made upof pckpockets, house-robbers and
braves, this man deserves TO be hooted out of
free country. There can-be no temporizing
with such brutes as these; grape and canister
are the best cure for this evil. We are glad to
find the Proclamation Of Governor Seymour
asserting his discrimination to use all the
means needed to restore peace and order to
the City. His Proclamation has not, fortunate
ly, the temporizing spirit observable in his
speech to the mob, yesterday, which was re-
ceiyed with cheers by men who went at once
from the presence OF the Governor TO commit
new murders and to pilage and burn more
houses.
For the sake of the honor of the State and
Of its Governor we hope his acts will partakc
more of the spirit of his proclamation and less
Of the spirit OF his speech. The mob must be
put down; and he who treats with it-who
reasons with it-who promises it-who en-
deavors to cajole it--only adds TO its strength
and boldness, and TO the bloodshed necessary
in the end to crush il ont Humanity, as well
as selfrespect, demands prompt and vigorous
action and no concessions.