The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-08-19
The Issue Fairly Stated.

We have published the resolutions passed
by the democratic convention of Penobscoi
county. They are the only open, honest ano
pointed resolutions we have yet discovered
amid the mass of verbiage under which the lee,
OF the great and honored party which once ruled
this State, are striving to hide their insignia.
canoe and conceal their intentions. This l.
not surprising, when we reflect that the me
who contr2 i the democrats In that county al,
the leading spirits Of the party in the State
men true to their old Instincts, radical, uncom,
promising and Misunderstanding their doctrine,
With clearness, precision and force, and nevel
shrinking from the logical result OF their rea-
soniDg. These men of Penobscot, foremos'
among their party, have stated the issue OF
which rests the present campaign, in the fol
lowing two brief resolutions, which Union men
may well adopt with the changes we indcat,
below In brackets. We shall thus set the real
issue 10 a nutshell before the people of Maine:
Res,ved That believing war to b. not q [the only
enedy ors cess on. but ldtdl the very means I,
gu OF lprsceHfl perm paraion ofihe States
we fore so emny pr ie-t aiuss Insist nl
osl urine ornse uiioa and that We are ia favor
Res lived, That the past h. tory Of the Democrat
tcpry.i spu,i 'tism aud de.otion to Constitution.
81 iib rts, ri eth, str tnge>t lno assar-
dncs riateUerl hat its return to power will re,tor
peae' and tranquility to our now distracted .untry
There you have 1t, gentlemenl With the
substitution OF nine very small words we adopt
your platform as written by yourselves. Let
there now be no misunderstanding.
We may be charged with untarness in as
suming the resolutions of single county as
ths voice of the party throughout the State
We have done so for the reasons above stated.
that these resolutions are the only ones we
have seen that have any pith ia them, and
were passed In a county controlled by demo-
Gratis OF acknowledged eminence and leader
ship.
Sensible men have long ceased to look in the
published di TIA of the democratic party for the
sentiments off It's leaders, who have, In modern
days at least, always hidden their designs from
the people. With all leading measures of the
party the democratic masses have had nothing
" do but TO acquiesee" after the deed was
accomplished. they were amused in conyep-
ton with gli,terlng generaities, but as to acts
deeds-blind submission was the iron rule.
Was that Infamous and odious enactment.
the fugitive slave law loreshadoweds Itstart-
led The country with its drst troubled dream
Was the repeal Of the Missouri compromise
foreshadowed? 1t came like thunder clap
Did any one expect the Lecompton measures I?
They divided the democratic party Did any
one imagine that Buchanan and his cabinet
would invent the cowardly subterfuge OF non
coercion? IL aroused the whole American
people from their long, and well nigh fatal
sieep. Does any one nov imagine that the
right OF secession win be formally recognized
by tue democratic party ia council assembled
No! Aud yet listen to the utterances of ac
knowledged leaders of that party-men who
avow themselves Ia favor of separation: not
because of our exhaustion, not because of the
blood that has been and will be spilled. not be.
cause OF the alleged corruptions of the present
administration-but because secessi N is rigbt
and the legitimate oayqoiC Of original demo
cratic principles. These are the open words
ofsuch men as Marcellus Emery, Gorham L.
Boynton, John w. Daua, Adams Treat, and
other leading and representative men of the
present democratic organization In this State
10 private conversation, but the time has not
yet come to place them on record. Even Judge
Howard stated distinctly and emphatically
three years ago that he acas not prepared to
deny the right ofa State TO secede. Is he now9
Let US refer for moment to the democratic
Platform as built at the gubernatorial conven-
ton. Wedo not wish to misrepresen the mass
Is. We will assume that out of the 500 dele
sa'es there present, 100 or 800 were earnest,