The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-03-27
The Argus and the Union Meeting.


The course of the Argus toward the Union
meeting has been Enthusiastically crooked.
First the call laid over one day. The Argus
wanted time to consider. Yesterday morning
the notice appeared, accompanied by no less
than flee articles, expressly calculated to dis
courage and defeat the movement. One en-
qdires, if the Portland meeting will endorse
Van Buren,, Brady, Seward and Weed? Will
the Argus, utoroughiyl For our own part,
we endorse any man, so far as he is for the
Union, and no farther. A second ailudes daint-
lily, in passing, to the Greeley Abolitionists,
g" with their know-nothing Union Leagues
a third tells what the political abolition man
"agers are after, with their Union Leagues"
A fourth contains a mischievous allusion to
the Union meeting" at Skowhegan. The
fifth is so ingeniously mendacious, that we re-
produce it, first calling attention to the follow
ing paragraph, copied rerbatim from the Au-
gusta correspondence of hast evenings Cou-
rier:
For the Courier.
AUGUSTA, March IS, 1863.
To Editor Courier:-Ihere is to be a great
pose of organizing Union League. Senator
Morrill,, Mr.. Blaine and others expected to
speak.
Now, can any man overlook that conspicu-
Gus date, or fail to see that the word here just
below means at AUGUSTA? schoolboy would
be whipped for such an oversight. The veri-
est blockhead, who spells his doubtful way
through an occasional newspaper, would not
commit such a blunder. 1t is incredible that
the editor of the Argus, whose daily business
is with newspapers, should have mistaken the
plain meaning OF the Courier's correspondent.
There was a Union meeting at Augusta last
evening; the notice referred to that meeting !;
the matter was too plain to be misunderstood I;
and this is the way in which it was neverthe-
less misrepresented in the Argus:
The Courer's Augusta correspondent states
that Senator Morrill, and Hon. James G. Blaine
are to be speakers at the public meeting in this
city Tomorrow evening.
That is the way the Argus takes to diffuse
sound political information. That is a speci-
men of the petty prevarication, varied with
downright falsehood, which has marked its
COuioc anu ileltHtu upou
ii the tenacious epithet, Lying, by which it
will be known to the end of its days. The
ingenious device succeeded in stirring up
yesterday morning degree of uncomfort-
able feeling among Democratic gentlemen,
who had signed the call in good faith, willing
to sink all partizan feelings in this solemn
hour, but justly unwilling to be led blindfold
into the Republican camp. The exposure Of
the trick produced natural and wholesome
reaction. The Democratic party is loyal; of
that party, however much we may differ from
them, we desire always to speak with respect.
The Copperhead faction, whatever It's motives,
is practically disloyal. With them we hold no
terms. 1t is the Democratic party, which is
represented in the call for this evenings meet
ing. 1t is the Copperhead faction, which is
doing its utmost to sow jealousy and dissension
between the loyal Democrats and loyal Re-
publicans, who meet Tonight with no surren-
der of political principles, to unite in cordial
expression of common love for common
country.