The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-06-13
The Elements Essential to Success.

49,
tency of effort, coupled with good cause, are
almost sure to win success. No matter if
temporary discouragements do arise, and re-
actions sometimes occur, the results in the
long run will vindicate the truthfulness of the
proposition here laid down. A small band OF
Galilean fishermen, headed by the son of
carpenter from an obscure village, by the
merits of their cause, the boldness Of their
leadership and the persstency of their efforts,
put in operation moral force that has de-
throned monarchs, overthrown empires, tum-
bled idol gods from their pedestals, driven
heathenism into the corners and by-places of
the earth, and rolled up tide of civilization
that promises to submerge every continent
an the islands Of the sea- And this has fol-
lowed, or is following, Notwithstanding the
founder and leader of the band referred to
was seized like malefactor, condemned to
the most disgraceful of deaths, and actually ex-
ecuted in the company of thieves.
The reformeis of the 10th century, few in
number, without prestige or influential friends,
by their lion-hearted boldness and indomita-
BILE perseverance in a good cause, kindled up
fame in central Europe the heart of which
extended even to the Vatican, and which fused
many of the iron bonds with which men had
been spiritually bound for ages, even in coun-
tries remote from where Luther personally
wrestled with spiritual wickedness in high
places.
The authors of the American Revolution
brought to the aid OF one of the best of eau
ses, hearts as bold as ever faced tyrants
power, and efforts as persistent as the laws of
gravitation. Pledging their lives, their for
tunes and their sacred honor TO the cause of
emancipation from British domination, they
knew no waverng, and no bounds to the efforts
TO be put forth to accomplish that result, ex-
cept the boundaries of the grave. And they
won How could ii have been otherwise?
Now we insist that the same law of success
holds good in carrying forward political en-
terprise, that has ever been found memorable
to all the great enterprises - religious, moral
and temporal-in the worlds progress. If
political party has ever arisen in this country
SO fruitful in parties, having great and noble
object to subserve, its success has been just as
sure as have been the boldness of its friends
and the persistency of their efforts to secure
its triumph. And we may say without fear of
successful contradiction, that the failure of a
good cause to win success, in nine cases out of
ten, will be found to be the result of tmidity
or bad management on the part Of its friends.
Take, for example, the few bold, earnest, hon
est men who first consecrated their life-labors
to oppose the idea of human slavery. Who,
at the present day, with an active conscience
in the light of transpiring events, and in the
sight of God, ddres say the cause they es-
poused was not good one just, holy, and
approved of Heaven? To this cause those
few men, despised, hooted at, denounced as
fanatics and madmen, gagged, mobbed, and
treated with all sorts of contumely and vio-
lence, brought their bold hearts and their per-
sistent Wills and to-day how they have reason
to rejoice in the fruition of their hopes-in the
waving harvests of their early toll
The history of the Democratic party affords
apt illustration of our proposition; and if il
does not show in all cases the success of a
good cause, it at last furnishes evidence of
what may be accomplished, even for doubt
full If not bad cause, by bold men, possessed
of an invincible purpose to be followed with
the persistency which marks the progress of
a cancer. The Democrats boast that for half
century. with short intervals, they have adj
ministered this government, and yet they
have seldom, if ever, had popular majority
of our whole people. That the Democratic
party has been, during aportion Of its history,
consecrated to the unfolding of much that
was good and noble, we shall not deny. When
the nation was in a contest with Britain in
1S12-15, and with Mexico in 1857, the
Democratic party was true to the country
and stood by it against all foes. 1t is no won
der with such purposes to subserve, with its
Characteristic boldness and persistency of pol
icy, it achieved magnificent victories. But
even when its purposes have been Of the most
doubtful character, by putting forward its bold
representative men, and by backing them with
a will which knew no yielding, they have often
succeeded though opposed by the best of caus-
es: and all this because such causes have been
too often represented by feeble men, governed
by timid councils, constantly vascillating and
changing their policy.
The Southern rebels to-day, with all their
poverty, by their defiant boldness and terrible
earnestness, are found nearly match for
double their numbers; for great nation roll
ing in wealth and groaning beneath the
weight of its abundance, and all because we
are not in earnest-are not alive as we should
be to the necessities of the occasion, and,
worse than this. because our policy has not
been so clearly defined and SO steadily pursu-
ed as theirs has been.
But to return to the Democratic party we
find them to-day in Ohio actually preparing to
make their stand on their most offensive man
and revealing purpose to make c. l.. Vallan-
digham their candidate for Governor! Who
ever witnessed boldness more determined or
impudence more imposing! Before such a
spirit, though linked to cause most diaboli-
cal, the friends of truth, loyalty and freedom,
fear for the result. What lesson should this
teach us What lesson should it teach the
Republican party of the nation, and particu-
larry the Republican party OF this State! Our