The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-02-11
The Demonstration i'm the Common Coun-

The demonstration OF DR.. CHADWICK ana one
or two Others In the City Council, against
Hon. SAMUEL E. SPRING, for words spoken
in debate at Augusta, was about as success
full as the charge ofa popgun against one OF
our iron clad Monitors. Mr.. Spring took oc-
casion in the Senate, in reply to Mr.. Wiggin of
York, and in vindicaton Of Ex-Gov. WASH
burn, to state the nature of some of the re-
monstrances which were made against COM
missioning the officers elected by the ununi-
formed militia. He said some of those men
were disloyal, and he spoke of conduct of
which they were guilty, in proof Of their dis
loyalty.
1t seems DIR. Chadwick has become the ex-
ponent of the indignation Of the implicated
parties, and by preamble and resolutions at
tempted to pass censure upon Mr.. Spring for
his honest bold, truthful, though not highly
complimentary words. The motire underly-
ing the effort of the Doctor is more transpar-
ent than the thinest gauze. He and his politi-
cal friends imagine TINT Mr.. Spring may stand
in the way of some of their party schemes;
that he may become to them like Mordecai at
the kings gate to the jealous-minded and vim
dictive Hannah, and they wish to erect gal
lows upon which to secure his execution. But
let them beware of Haman's fate, and rerhem-
Der that the gallows prepared for the unoffend-
ing Jew claimed its constructor as the first
victim.
Does Dr. Chadwick-we use his name only
because he has become representative man
In ftc mat ha tha
people Of Portland that there is no disloyaty
in their midst; that the city is not disgraced
by the presence Of secession sympathisers? We
doubt it. Nor can he satisfy the public that
!. Mr.. Spring slandered any loyal citizen; and
disloyal ci6zens, If there be such in our midst,
are incapable Of being slandered, as much SO
as a backlog or horse thief
In the Argus report of the proceedings in
the Common Council, it is said "the resolu-
tions were discussed for nearly an hour" Al
DO that "there was a general acquiescence in
the justice of the reprimand." More false
hood has seldom been crowded into few
words. The resolutions were not discussed
Jingle instant. Every word that was said was
pon the question of order, between the mover
and the President. The extent of the "gener-
NJ acquiescence" was measured by the emphat-
ic stopper which was put upon them, thirteen
to three!
There are some men in the city that seem
to make no concealment of their secession
spirit We know of at least one man who was
on the recent Mcclellan Committee, totM DIR.
Chadwick, whom we have heard declare OPEN
ly, in the presence of several individuals. that
he regarded JEFF. Davis as no more of usurp-
er than Lincoln; that he had not particle of
sympathy for the administration in prosecuting
the war; that he would not contribute cent to
prosecute it; that Lincoln had brought the war
on and he might fight it out, and much more
of the same character. Such things we have
heard, and heard too as we have said, from an
associate of DIR. Chadwick on the recent Com
mittee of one hundred. Perhaps the DIR. aud
his friends do not consider such talk indicative
Of disloyalty, but if so we differ from them. We
regard it as treason Of the blacklist dye, and
we suppose Mr.. Spring looks upon such con-
duct In the same light We will further say
that SO long as the unkindest expressions and
severest denunciations are reserved for those
who are most determined in their efforts to
prosecute the war, to crush out the rebellion
and to restore the authority of the Govern
ment, and praises and compliments and con-
CALCULATIONS are expended only upon those
who are supposed to be inimical to the admin
istration, opposed to its policy, ready to en-
barrass Its operations and to defeat the means
used TO cruslfout treason and traitors, it will
be very difficult to convince honest earnest,
loyal men that Portland, like other larger and
wickeder cities, has not more disloyalty in her
midst than is for the credit of her good name.
So long Mr.. Spring will not suffer in the esti-
nation of his fellow citizens for having spoken
distinctly in rcbuke of the base attempt of po-
ltical demagogues to make party capital out
Of the omission of Gov. Washburn to commits
sion men of questionable patriotism.