The Portland daily press., 1863-05-18

Che gear.
A Direct Answer respectfully Demanded.
The highest Democratic authority in this
State-the last Democratic State Convention
--solemnly enunciated as one of the purposes
of the Democratic party, "ute preservation Of
the Constitution as IL Is.' The Argus COM
mended and approved that enunciation, and
has preached almest daily sermons from this
text. II is believed that the Advertiser need
not be searched very thoroughly to find elab
Grated and enforced the duty of all patriots to
defend "the Constitution as it is" This has,
in fact, become one of the principal catch
phrases of all who oppose the war-especially
of those who oppose the policy of emancipa-
ticn "a a war measure.
Now we wish to know il our contempora-
ries are sincere and honest in this demand?
Do they mean what they say? Are they sat
isfied with the old Constitution of the fathers,
as II has been handed down from the past?
Does the "Constitution as it is" satisfy them?
Now if those to whom these questions are
proposed are honest, then all the questions
must be answered in the affirmative. II not
IL men camor for the Constitution as 1t Is
when they do not mean this, when they want
a different Constitution, when they would
change 1t If they could-then they are dishon-
est, are guilty of base trifing with the good
sense of their readers, would mislead and
cheat them, and therefore are entitled to no
respect, and their teachings and admonitions
should be no more regarded than the idle
wind or the song of the siren.
But we are disposed to regard the parties
referred to as honest, and to give them credit
for sincerity in their urgent appeals for 'the
Constitution as it u.s." And now-remember-
ing that they are honest and sincere, and are
above indulgence in deception or claptrap-we
have other questions to propose. If the "Con-
stitution as it Isl is the safeguard of the ma
ton, why do they constantly complain of the
Republican members OF Congress for refusal
to change ii The proposed Crittenden Com
promise of which we hear so much, was a pro-
posed change of the Constitution, and why is
1t that those who are so jealous for the 'pres-
eryation of the Constitution as it isl are con-
stantly regretting the failure to change the
Constitution; constantly finding fault with
those who refused to make it what it is not;
constantly asserting that, by refusal to make
II different from what it is, war and all its hor-
rors have been precipitated upon the country?
Remember that those who now clamor for
the constitution as it is are honorable men,"
who would not say one thing while meaning
A. l..
nounce as unworthy of confidence, respect or
forgiveness sinners above all others-the
very men who were the most willing to "pre-
serve the constitution as it Isl! To the ques-
tions above proposed we respectfully solicit
Straightforward, direct answers. Weask for
no "ifs," or sands" or 'buts"-no circumlocu-
tion or ziz-zag argument, but we wish to be
informed by plain Anglo Saxon "yes," or "no"
whether the men who lament the failure of
the Crittenden resolutions, and denounce the
Republican members of Congress for aiding
in securing that failure, are honest when they
de mand the preservation of the Constitution
as ii ISL Do they mean, in their censure of
the Republican members of Congress, to i'm
ply that they would have made the Constitu-
ton different thing from what it iss Would
they have changed that sacred instrument
now so important to preserve as it ito sat
isfy the demands of rebels and traitors? If
they would have done this in 1S6l-if the
Constitution was worthy of a change then
will they tell us why it is so sacred nop-why
q change now would be so sacrilegious?
Upon these points we ask-in no captious
spirit - for information, direct, straight-for-
ward, explicit. Our contemporaries owe it to
themselves to answer these questions. They
owe it to their hohest readers to explain why
they continue to upbraid and abuse men for
refusing to change Constitution which they
themselves insist should be preserved as it is.
Shall the answers he forthcoming? viii our
neighbors tell the honest truth? Either they
dishonesty clamor for the Constitution as it is.
Intentionally deceiving the people by advoca-
ting what they do not mean or they are I'M
generous, unjust and wickedly malignant in
assailing the Northern members Of Congress
for refusal TO make the Constitution a different
thing from what it is, or by some wonderful
necr omancy the same Constitution which was
radically wrong in 1861 is Fundamentally
right in 1868, and the apparent discrepancy
in the conduct of our contemporaries is sus-
ceptible of rational and honorable explana-
ton. Shall that explanation be forthcoming?
Shall the direct questions contained in this ar
ticle receive direct answers? We shall see.
General Burnside and the Newspapers.
General Burnside's communication to the
Circuit Court, from which writ of hdbe0s
corpus was asked in the case of g. l.. Vallan-
digham is printed at length on our first page
this morning. This case attracts and deserves