The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-02-26

AUGUSTA, req. ~, 1000
Np surru,s ANNEXATION SCHEME.


MR. SMITHS ANNEXATION SCHEME
To the Editors of the Press
In NV last letter | hastily alluded TO the
fact that the gentleman from Westhrook, Mr.
Smith, In closing his seven hours speech, en-
larged upon the advantages to accrue TO
Maine from annexation to Canada, and took
occasion to say that all we should lose by it
would be the name of living under free gov
eminent 1t was fitting that he should as
sumo this position. 1t was the natural Sc
quence to his previous assumption, that New
England would be left out, when there should
be a cessation of hostilities and a re-construc-
ton of the Union.
1t has been said that previous ly to the.com-
mencement of hostilities by the rebels at Fort
Sumter, the fact that there would be an effort
to dismember the Union by an appeal to arms
was well understood in England, and it was
also understood that so far AS practicable that
nation would countenance the rebellion. More
than that, there men in the free States who UNI
derstood it also. 1t is easy to see why Eng
land desired the disruption and dismember-
ment of the Union of States. 1t was because
in that event she would no longer have RI
val, and would remain the undisputed mis-
tress of the. world. But there was another
object in view. The State of Maine is the
key TO her possessions on this continent, and
in case of the success of the traitors our State
was to be her reward. There were men in
our own State who were cognizant of this
grand scheme of treason; men, who at the
proper moment were to breach this scheme
of annexation to the British possessions and
eudeavor to carry the people with them, first
by painting the dire calamities of an interne-
cine war, and magnify the burdens imposing
and TO be imposed upon them by the war; and
secondly by skillfully presenting TO their
minds the benefits, in all their material rela-
tons, that would accrue to them under Brit
ish rule. Nothing to be lost, except the mere
name OF living under free institutions!
1t may not be, that the Hon. Francis o. j.
Smith was one Of these men then; but his
spee ch bears hard in that direction now. 1t
may not be fair to class him with those, who
are dong all in their power to cripple the en-
ergies OF the Government at this juncture; but
he has placed himself there. He is too shrewd
a man not to know, however much the Admin
istration may be abused and opposed in times
Of peace, when the only object Of opposition is
to change that Administration, that the Ad-
ministratioD is the government for its consti-
tutional term, and that TO oppose an Admin
istration, when red handed rebellion is striving
to overthrow the Constitution, is to oppose
the continuance of government and to give
aid and comfort to its enemies Looking lit
tie farther into the motives prompting such ac-
lion on the part of the submissionists and Sc
cession sympathizers, we find them advocat-
ing peace aud submission to Southern demands,
apologizing tor tie rebels because hatred TO
New England aboltionists urged them TO seek
redress by dissolution of the Union and the
destruction of the Constitution by force of
arms, and then very significantly telling us
that these Southerners will nerer return to the
Union, unless New England be left out and
more than that, SO lost TO patriotism and love
of country, as to advocate the advantages to
Maine ii she becomes a dependency of the
~ l., Il ..t,s. l...,l. ~