The Portland daily press., 1863-08-28

| been elected by the Republican voters, who
were largely in majority. On the 9th of
March of that year, Mr.. Bradbury introduced
resolution, and subsequently backed it in
long speech, as follows
Resoired, That the people repose an unwayering
confidence in the ability, integrity and patriotism
of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States
and while fully approving of the policy by which he
has thus far been guided in the conduct of the ex
listing war, they pledge themselves to rally around
and sustain his administration in the prompt and
vigorous employment of all legitimate means and
measures now demanded or irhfch may hereaffer De
deaaonded by the ergences Of ne hour Tor the speedy
and thorough suppression of this rebellion and the
complete vindcation of the authority Of the const
tuition and laws.
The speech referred to was delivered on the
It'll of March, and in allusion to the above
resolution he said:
1t is due to the Chief Magistrate of the Nation that
this House should express its cordial approval of the
past policy of the conduct of the war; and its
pledge of unwavering confidence and generous sup
pyrt. In new and untried position, with new and
perpexing duties imposed upon him by the devel-
opment OF a widespread aud wicked conspiracy TO
overthrow the Government, with traitors all about
him, with scattered and feeble army, with navy
floating in all the other but our own, with an
exhausted treasury-thus powerless in the presence
of gigantic rebellion long preconcerted and thor
oughly matured-President Lincoln met the great
and delicate responsibilities of his situation with
wise Judgment, a calm prudence and patient firm
ness lchich commands my admiration.
When the above resolution was offered and
thus cordially supported by Mr.. Bradbury,
Lincoln had caused to be proclaimed martial
law in various places; had suspended the writ
of habeas corpus in several instances; he had
arbitrarily" arrested dsloyal men in Mary
land and placed them in military prisons; he
had caused the arrest of Bob. Elliot and
Cyrus F. Sergeant in this State, and lodged
them in Fort Lafayette: his victorious armies
under Burnside in North Carolina and Grant
at Fort Doneson, were carrying dismay to
the rebels, and slaves were being freed where
ever our flag found its way into the rebel
States, and yet Bion Bradbury had his admi-
ration challenged by the wise judgment, the
calm prudence, and patient firmness," with
which :. President Lincoln met the great and
delicate responsibilities of his situation" He
fully approved " his policy" and reposed
unwavering confidence" in his ability, in
tegrity and patriotism a
Such was Bion Bradbury Men-in March,
1861. How do we lind him no,c, in 1868, as
the candidate of the copperhead party? We
find him stutifying himself eating his own
words, backing down from his former high po-
sition, and virtually giving the lie to what he
said two years since, by accepting and emdors-
ing the following resolutions of the late con-
vention.
Resoired, That we declare that the power which
has recently been assumed by the President of the
United States, whereby. under the guse of military
necessity, lie has proclaimed and eNtended-or as
serts that he has a right to proclaim and extend
martial law over the states where war does not exist
4. Ill.
warranted by the Constitution, and its tendency is
10 subordinate civil to military authority, and 10
ubvert our system of tree government.
Resolced, That we unite with the Democracy of
the other States, in dsnoicing the arrest and mock
trial by Court Martial, and Punishment of Clement
l.. Vaandigham, citizen of Ohio, for other
than words addressed TO public meeting, in
criticism of the OF the Administration, and in
condemnation OF certain military order as high
the Constitution OF his own State and that OF the
United States.
Is Vallandigham made of more sacred ma
terials than Bob Elliot? Was his arrest more
fragrant than that of Cyrus +. Sergeant? No
writ of habeas corpus was suspended in the
case of yallandigham, though one was asked
for, and denied by Democratic judge-an APP
pointee Of Andrew Jackson. We find Brad
bury denouncing the Administration noc for
what he commended in 1861; and such is the
pattern of consistency for whom the people of
Maine are invited to cast their votes.
We further find this Mr.. Bion Bradbury ac-
cepting and standing upon platform which
denounces slave emancipation as a military
necessity-which scouts the efforts of the gov
eminent to detach 100000 Of colored popu-
lation from the rebels, where they have been
employed in the interest of rebellion, and to
transfer them to the loyal side to be made trib-
utary to the support of the Union cause, while
in 81 he occupied very different ground. Then,
while he denied the power of Congress in the
legislative capacity to emancipate and -confs
cate the slaves, he contended that such power
had rightful Judgment in the President as
Cemmander-in-chief of the Army, and he used
the following language:
am for the Union with or without slavery. Give
me back the old consiitution--the old government
all the States, old and new--the old flag. with
stripe erased. star obscured under which for
more than eighty years we have grown rich, powerful
aud great,-and am willing TO take them though
the local and national guarantees of slavery remain
unchanged. will go further and say il this rebel
lion be not speedily crushed IL the conspiraiors
against the Government obstindteiy profrdcf this
NECESSITY strikes the letters from the boudnen
Of rebels, IL iciH occasion me no regret.
This is all we have 10 say now to show the
contrast between the "No,c" and the "Ihen"
of Mr.. Bion Bradbury. Our material is not
exhausted but our space is. We will, perhaps,
take up the thread where we now drop it, at
another time. Meanwhile let the reader read
earef1lly and rahact uro,, and inwardiy dioaSt