The Portland daily press., 1864-07-19
Vallandigham and the Argus.
For Members of Congress.

Vallandigham and the Argus.
Our contemporary, as the time approaches
for holding the Chicago Convention, begins
gradually to show his hand, and to lay some
stepping stones to smooth his way to the
peace platform which the aforesaid conyen-
ton will probably construct. A shrewd gen.
eral always looks out for a good chance to re-
treat In case OF discontinue, and the editor OF
the Argus Is lubricating his throat that he
may hereafter the more easily swallow his
own words, when the order shall go forth for
him to do 90.
Besides, his readers must be prepared for q
similar exercise of deglutition, and some
boluses must be administered to them to pre-
pare their minds to receive, and their stomachs
70 digest, doctrines their hearts now loathe.
The task Is an arduous one, aud how 1t will
succeed time will show. The Argus lie q pow
or with the Democratic party, but whether 1t
has influence enough TO drag the war demo-
Gratis upon peace-platform is quite problem
atical. A good many Democrats of Maine,
who voted with their party at the last election,
will be very reluctant to stand on yallandg-
ham platform and say to the world. the rebels
ought to be treated otherwise than as ene-
mics Of our government. and that the loyal
people OF the North are doing wrong to fight
them, when their blood-stained hands are up
on the throat Of the nation, and no power but
n military one can make Thorn rslax their
grasp. And we venture the opinion that
there are thousands of Democrats In our
State who will never approve the vote of the
Democratic members of Congress who oppos-
ed and defeated the resolution to amend the
Constitution in the mode pointed out in Il
instrument itself, so that no more human
bondage should curse this fair land. That is
load the Argus may possibly carry aud live,
but the backs Of all Democrats will not bear
Il. They will not only shrink under il, but
east IL of and trample 1t under their feet
The Argus man may make up his mind now
that loyal War Democrats can never be Undue
cd to swallow such a dose as that. They
have no stomach for IL, and all the coaxing
and teasing Of the Argus can never bring
them to It.
Suct Democrats might have been willing
to let slavery remain where they believed the
Constitution permitted and local laws sane
TONED It, but they viii never consent to ar-
prow measures that sustain it per Sc. They
dom love the peculiar institution" enough
for nat; and II the editor of the Argus thinks
the. do, and hopes TO bring them up to his
standard, he will find himself sadly mistaken,
ans his paper the organ OF more hopeless
aui helpless minority than II has ever yet
ben. II he wishes his paper to become mere
1.-THE mouth-piece Of venomous copperhead
Clique. and the rallying point of quasi trailors,
le will continue TO crack up Vsllandigham,
ct ID genus onne, advocate peace platform
and recommend our loyal hosts to lay down
their arms, creep on their bellies In the dust
and humbly ask the rebels for peace at any
price.
We have been led to make the above re-
marks by leader In yesterdays Argus, under
the imposing captions Vallandigham's Plat
FORM" The editor thinks the gentleman has
been most shockingly abused, and more mis-
represented than any public man of this peri
cd. "In regard to the best method OF reach
ing an adjustment of our difficulties, q large
portion Of the Democratic party has differed
from him." says the editor, "and we being of
the number" Now we suppose the valIan-
digham "method" Is creeping in the dust and
asking pardon Of the rebels for presuming to
ight and shoot them. The Argus has not
heretofore favored that method" but never.
heless 1t Is approximating towards it very
lst, otherwise we have greatly mistaken tie
pirit and tone of its leader of yesterday
70 doubt valIandigham has always been for
he Union as the Argus asserts, but on the
condition that the rebels should have their
own way and dictate the terms Of peace
This traitor whom Ohio has repudiated and
spewed out of her mouth, and his friend, the
editor of the Argus, know very well that the
rebels have, from the beginning Of the war to
the present time. openly and constantly de-
clared that all they asked was to be let alone.
They have always ayowed their determine
tion TO be separate Confederacy, and have
spurned the Union times without number.
md these are the chivalric gentlemen towards
valandigham, with hat in hand, would
s~.vsn ,pd ask for peace! Shame on such a
n.y. an! All the loyal people of the
contrary notrjat the cry, the Argus to the
vallandigham's pis- L.,
bespatters with such H. a..,.. -
1.-THE unhappy war in which, 49, s,ra.e.
was waged In the beginning PHI p,
in spirit Of oppression, or for any ps.-.. -
conquest or subjugation, &C." That Is
true. Who waged this war? Did our Gov
eminent, or Its loyal citizens? No. The
rebels waged it, and for the purpose of ad-
vancing the interests of slavery and sin the
spirit of oppression" They could have peace |
to-day II they would first lay down their arm.
and ask for 1t. They began the war upon the
they had sworn to protect. and
still persist In carrying 1t on. And wha,
would peace Democrats have US do. Be can.
1ous. Mr.. Argus, and not be dragged upon
VallandIgham's platform, to which you now
'eem tending. True, there are some smooth
Fords and gentle phrases In 1t, but remember,