The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-10-09

ghe year,
Doubtful Position Of d Cabinet officer.
Ever since Postmaster General Blair made
speech at Concord, denouncing a large class
Of loyal men--a speech that couple of weeks
later was quoted approvingly by Franklin
Perceive have looked upon him as one not
well calculated to encourage harmony in the
ranks OF those who are doing their utmost
to sustain the President in his efforts to crush
out a wicked rebellion and to restore the au-
thority OF the government over every foot OF
our soil.
Mr.. Blair has recently made another speech,
which is being copied and approved by the
copperhead papers of the free states, and we
should not be surprised to learn that it was
having wide circulation in Ohio TO promote
the interests of yallaudigham. We under
take to say that this speech-if the extracts
we have seen from it are correctly reported
is condemnation of those who have done the
most to uphold the Government, aud who are
now the most active and reliable supporters
of the administration.
Ostensbly it is aimed at radical abolition
lists, but In fact 1t would strike down not only
those who have heretofore been included in
that class, but our most efficient Generals in
the field, our most influential and patriotic
statesmen, and seven eighths of those In
Maine who have Just rolled up nearly 10000
majority for the Union cause. 1t is quite
enough to awaken the deepest feeling of sur
prise on the part of loyal men, to linda men,
Der OF the cabinet under an administration of
their election and SUPP orting, complimented
by such disunion sheet as the Eastern Ar
gus, and claimed as eDdorser for the views and
opinions heretofore put forth by that organ of
treason in disparagement of the true men of
the north.
To show who Mr.. Blair includes under his
comprehensive term of "abolitionists," 1t is
enough TO say that he holds up the Washing
ton Chronicle, the ST Louis Democrat, and
the Atlantic Monthly as their representative
organs. The Chronicle is owned and controlled
by Col. Forney, Secretary Of the U. S. SEN
ate, and is the leading loyal paper at the fed
eral capital, and enjoys the general confidence
of the Republican party OF the nation. The
st. Louis Democrat is the leading loyal paper
west of the Mississippi, and represents the
great emancipation controlling party of Mis-
souri,. II is enough to state thai it has no
sympathy for the singular recent course of
Frank P. Blair, jr., to explain the probable
reason why it has fallen under the ban of his
brother OF the cabinet. The Atlantic Monthly
is well known to represent the best class OF
New England minds, and to reflect the scnii-
ments of the loyal people of one Of the most
loyal sections Of the entire North.
Those who have read the last number of
the Atlantic are aware, that an able article is
therein published from the pen Of Mr.. Sumner,
in which he has discussed at length the rela-
lions of the federal government TO the seeded
states. Mr.. Summer Insists, that for the Pres
ident, as Commandcr-in-Ch Chief, to have the
full control of ten or a dozen states and to
govern them through officers OF his own APP
pointment, is not in accordance with the spirit
OF our constitution, and is not what Jefferson
understood by making the military subordi-
nate to the civil power. He insists that, with
an ambitious and designing man at the head
of the Government, such a state of things
would be long stride towards Military Die
tatorship, and would be the very step that
bad man wonld seize upon to accomplish such
purpose. Mr.. Sumner believes, while neces-
sity requires the President to appoint Mill
tary Governor and to take the control of
rebellious state into his own hands, that this
necessity can exist only for the most temporal
ry purposes, and as soon as may be the civil
power should resume control To this end he
argues that Congress should provide for the
temporary administration Of government in
such states, thus substituting civil authority,
provided by Congress. for the Military author
ity necessarily called into requisition by the
President. He believes the Representatives
of the people, fresh from the people, and rep
resenting all sections Of the country, better
qualified to provide laws for the adminstra-
ton of justice and the maintenance of order
In an insurgent state than the will of single
man, and moreover he believes such course
more in harmony with the institutions of
country which do not rest upon the will of an
individual sovereign, but upon the aggregate
or majority will of the sovereign people,
1t is this article from Mr. Summers pen upon
which Mr.. Blair makes specific war, it forming
the text of his bitter and most singular speech
With this definition, we are now prepared to
give few extracts to show the animus of this
cabinet officer, whose stump speeches seem to
command the general appreciation of that class
OF doubtful politicians who are constantly
abusing such men as the Vice President, our
U. S. senators and the generals in the army,
for presuming to express their opinions on the
stump in relation to the affairs of the country.
Mr.. Blair says:
The Abolition party whilst pronouncing philippics
against slavery seek to make caste of another color
ba a,adigamafing the black element NTH the free
chife labor qfour land, and to expand far beyond
the present confines of slavery the evil which makes
i obnoxious to republican statesmen. and now when
the strength of the traitors who attempted to embody
power out Of the interest of slavery to overthrow
the Government, lie seen 10 fail they would make the
manumisson of the slaves the means OF usng their
blood into our whole system by blending with it
'amalgamation, equality and fraternity
Here Is pretty SANDER for an officer high
In the Government to perpetrate against sew
en-eighths Of the very men to whom he is in
debted for his position. This man, born and
raised In the midst of negro slavery, which has
degraded labor till a white man In its over
shadowing influence drops the working tools
of honest toll, and becomes either ordly
owner Of slaves or component part of the