The Portland daily press., 1863-09-07
Senator Fessenden,s Speech.

Notwithstanding the frequency of political
gatherings in this city for the last two or three
weeks, the City Hall was filed to overlooking
on Saturday evening to listen to Hon. William
Pitt Fessenden. The meeting was called to
order by Hon. 5. E. Spring, who stated that
frequent inquiries were made in relation to the
prospect Of the success of the Union ticket in
the State. As a member of the State Com
mittee, he was happy to be able to say that the
most cheering intelligence came to them from
every part of the State--the Union men are
earnestly and faithfully at work, and the whole
State is completely awake to the Importance
of the coming election. The intelligence was
received with general applause.
Mr. Spring then introduced Mr.. Fessenden,
whose appearance on the platform called forth
the most flattering demonstrations on the part
of his fellow citizens. He spoke of his reluc-
lance to take the rostrum, not because he was
backward at this or any other time in present
ing his views on national affairs, but in a time
like the present every man should weigh well
his words before they were uttered. He spoke
of the horrors of war between different ma
tons, but they were nothing to be compared
to an internecine war-brother arrayed against
brother-said it had come home to thousands
of families with all its sad realities-spoke in
feeling manner of those who had fallen in the
support of their government, among whom
was one as dear to him as the blood in his own
veins. He said he was not there to sing
song nor tell unmeaning tales but to present
in plain, simple manner the issues involved
in the war between the North and South, and
the duty of every loyal citizen in relation
thereto. He proved conclusvely that the
South had no just cause to declare war against
the government, or to refuse to submit to the
laws of the land.
He defended the President in the different
measures taken to put down the rebellion,
stating that he knew him to be a man of the
kindest and most magnanimous feelings, but
firm as the hills when the path of duty is
clearly before him. He went into a full de-
fence Of the emancipation act, the conscrp-
ton act, and the right of the President, derived
from the Constitution, to suspend, under GER
tain circumstances, the writ of hdbeas corpus.
which, instead of being abused by the Presi-
dent, had not been exercised as often as, in the
opinion of many, the public safety demanded.
He said the war would have been closed long
ago if we could have had q united North-that
the copperheads of the North were doing more
to sustain the rebellion than the rebels them
selves in the South, and he could not find an-
gnage adequate to express his feelings in rela-
ton TO such men as Seymour, Vallandgham
and some in this State who are following their
lead. He said he had from the beginning been
in favor of arming the negroes and using them
to put down the rebellion as we would use any
other power for that purpose.
Mr.. Fessenden was repeatedly and raptur-
ously appauded during his address, which, al
though occupying about two hours 10 dev-
cry, was listened to with the deepest interest,
but very few leaving the hall during the time
His manner was candid, calm and dispasson-
ate, not seeking TO stir up the passions, but, by
unanswerabe argument and indisputable facts,
enlightening the judgment and awakening the
patriotism and love of country on which right
action SO much depended He spoke briefly
of the Importance of the coming election, in
its effect upon the war now upon us-said a
defeat of the Union ticket at the ballot-box on
the l4th of this month would be more disas-
trous to the country than defeat on the bat
tle-feld