The Portland daily press., 1864-04-13


land Democracy furnish the other members.
We refer to Mr.. Fernando Wood, man not
unknown to the editor of the Argus; the man
with whom our neighbor walked the streets,
hob-nobbed, and dlned last summer, when he
was in this city on his way to the Provinces.
The Congressional report proceeds:
Fernando Wood said Mr. Long had declared
in his speech thrs he would prefer recognition
rather than that the people of the South should
be subjugated and eXterminated, and be
| (Wood) endorsed this, and they could expel
him for it.
Such is the ground taken by at least three
Democratic Congressman - leading men in
the party and no observing person can doubt
that it is such men who are to shape the poll
cy of the party and to control its action. Far
be it from us to charge disloyalty upon the
rank and file of the Democratic party. We
believe the masses of that party are honest,
though strangely misled, and wickedly de-
ceived. We insist, however, that as q party
as an organization, as an instrument Of poAt-
zeal po,cer, the Democratic party is srrayed
ON the side of disunion and "peace at any
price," IL is to be used against and not for
the country. II is controlled by wicked bad
men-dangerous men - who are no better
than JEFF. Davis; who to-dayIwould join hands
with JEFF. Davis If the rebel chief would soil
his hands by so doing. They have got the con-
troll OF the party, aad they will, SO sure as
effects follow causes, drag the present loyal
men in the party down TO their traitorous
level, or those men must refuse to follow their
lead, which can be done only by abandoning
the organization.
We do not say that the editor Of the Argus
is responsible for the reasonable proclivites
Of his party leaders we do not hold him re-
sponsible for the utterances of Messrs. Long,
Harris and Wood, but we do say that, unless
he washes his hands of all sympathy for them;
unless he not only refuses to cooperate with
them in any and all political action, but ac-
tually denounces them as disunionsts and no
true patriots, he will prove that he is not only
indelensably inconsistent, but that his Ian
guage, quoted above, is deceptive and conveys
no true idea either Of the sentiments of his
head or of the feelings of his heart.
Now we would plead with our contempt
rary, in the spirit Of old friendship, TO come
out like a man and abandon and abjure an or
ganization that is dragging him down to
political perdition. AS an old friend and fell
low-soldier, who has fought side-by-side with
him on many severely contested political
battlefield, we urge him to escape the tolls
in which traitorous party would entwine
him. Let him, by works and by words, prove
the honesty ofthe language quoted above from
his pen, and not by utilization with disunionists
and traitors compel his friends to believe that
his dis ease is Of the heart and not simply an
hallucination Of the brain.
We shall watch our quondam brothers
course with a great deal of solicitude; not
that his action can change the issue Of events
by single hairs breadth, but because we
would see him redeemed from destruction,
and have him WELD his graceful pen in defense
of his country and its honor, the Union and
Its integrity, leaving the Advertiser alone in
onr city TO work out the copperhead mission,
to Idle the death, TO rot and be forgotten.
Come, brother, now is the accepted time. De-
lays are dangerous. Procrastination may be
death. To-day only has hope Of salvation.
Remember. and be encouraged by the refec-
ton, that
while the lamp holds out to burn,
Inc rankest rebel may return"