The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-02-27

Near Falmouth, Va, Feb. is, 1868.
To the Editors of the Press:
All intercourse between our own and the
rebel pickets is now forbidden; yet to-day
saw copy of the Southern Illustrated News,
which was brought over in boat to our side
by some rebel soldiers, who were promised
immunity. Our own soldiers had to pay the
penalty Of disobedience OF orders, however.
Ihave spent most of this rainy afternoon in
reading the Southern Literary Messenger;
and on the supposition that you do not often
have just such literary treat, have, with
very little labor OF selection, made the follow
ing extracts from political article entitled,
The Great Danger OF the Confederaey.r
The whole. drift Of the article is against De-
mocracy. It's design seems to be, to prepare
the people for the inevitable rule Of the aris-
tocracy, 90 often prophesied for them in the
North, and so natural result Of the princi-
pies upon which the Confederacy Is founded.
Altcr mentioning the State Rights theory as
safsguard against capitalization Of powell, the
authcr uses the following remarkable words:
That benign institution Of slavery, nhich 10
e scC the pride and glory Of Tie Sofh % ascribe 10
tks conception Of Dtrinity, and snhich this has
proven 10 Be, next TO the devoted patriotism and
undaunted resolution Of her sons, THE GREAT
ELEMENT OF POWER IN THE CoNFEDERAcY,
will prove, in preventing too heavy an influx
ffOm foreign shores, or that class OF population
devoted to menial pursuits, another bxisourk a.
gaiaa the enroackments Of those tendencies to dsm-
suucy which have been the Pandora's box of
disintegration and ruin to all republics.
Upon the perils which threaten the infant
coafederacy, he says:
No enlightened man will deny that these dan
gvs pvvosed from crfreme democrufic and popular
ckavacf1isfics, which are now stamped upon ev-
cry feature Of our national and social organ
ism. That spirit Of tepeiing agrarianism, which
succeeded In degrading everything beneath
the heels of an ignorant and vicious democra-
cy, which sought TO remove every barrier of
distinction between virtue and vice, between
enlightenment and Ignorance, which sought to
EQUALIzE ALL by enfifiing oil alike TO the fullest
e.jcymesf Of the rights Of citizenship, &c, &c
This was the genius Of evil which, perpetually
lowering about the destinies of the late Union,
eventually triumphed In its downfall.
At length he very naturally comes TO say:
WE HAVE NO SPECIAL OBJECTIONS TO
ROYALTY, when restrained by constitutional
England, illustrating for centuries the beauty
and truth Of free government, demonstrates
that royalty and liberty not incompatible.
Certainly the condition Of a subject of the
Gar Of Russia, the most absolute of monar-
chies, is preferable TO that Of that democrat
ic government which we are nevertheless, as
sured Is the "freest and best government the
world ever saw"
The Confedcracy, 1t seems, has no desire
TO rival the United States as the asylum for
the poor and the oppressed OF all nations !;
witness the following:
One among the most important subjects
claiming cur attention will be the standard Of
citizenship. When the struggle for independ-
ence Is finished, the door of our Janus closed
In token OF the termination of this bloody
strife, and the laurels Of victory entwine the
brow Of the youthful Confederacy, we cannot
forget the duty OF gratitude and deny the
fullest privilege Of citizenship to any of the
noble heroes who have rescued MS from the
chains Of servitude. The gallant foreigners.
who have sustained US in this pious struggle,
are all entitled to the common boon of lber-
~. But NO FOREIGNER, WHO COMES AMONG
Us AFTER THE STRUGGLE is OVER, SHOULD
EVER ENJOY THE ELECTIVE FRANCHISE. II
We cannot check the spread over our ter
ritory Of that spden Of ignorance and crime
uHtcH ytOU W. <ftutccs tsSueS from th6 prisons
and dens Of corruption In the most of Eu-
rope, zoe can at least shut out its cdnkering
effects from the rifdts Of our body polite
WE SADLY NEED, TOO, A PROPERTY QUAIL
FIcATIoN FOR NATIVE AS WELL AS FOR
EIGN, &c, &c.
The usual arguments in favor of property
qualification are then rehearsed. "Finaiiy,'
ne goes on 10 say, "ue should curtaii the num-
Der Of officers electice by Mepeople.'
In conclusion we find the following seuti-
ments, which seem intended as the initiative
to future changes In the form of government
they also contain remarkable confession OF
the instability Of government founded upon
secession principles:
In addition to all this we shall still learn an
important lesson, if we will hearken to histo-
ry and not place so high an estimate upon our
system as to induce us TO build our hopes up
on Us perpetuitH II we do not, we shall
learn when too late, THAT TITS IMPOSSIBLE TO
. EsTABLIsH A PERMANENT GOVERNMENT. lie,
us therefore avoid the error of our forefathers
In seeking TO stamp the superscription, este
perpetud upon that which, as the work O
man, must contain from its origin. the seeds
of Its own dissolution.
WEIR.