The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-01-26
COMMUNICATIONS.
Written for the Press.
New Wine and Old Bottles.

In the ancient German epic, he Niebelungen
Lay, we are told of certain knight named
Siegfried for whom was forged "by fairy lore
a sword Of such marvellous strength and
sharpness that nothing could resist it. The
keen blade of Sultan Saladin which cut the
silken cushion, and the mighty brand of Rich
ard cleaving great bars of iron at a stroke.
were nothing but the merest childs plaything
In comparison to this wonderful sword Bal
mung. 1t is related that once upon time
Segfried was taunted by brother knight who
refused to put faith in the miraculous powers
OF the weapon, and offered to test its efiicien-
cy by receiving blow from it upon his own
bullet head. So the challenger, clad in COM
plete mail sat down upon stone. Siegfried
swung the sword round his head and brought
1t down with comfortable thwack on the
helmet of the scofer. The latter only uttered
scornful laugh. "Dost thou feel nothing ?r
asked Siegfried. Nothing was the reply,
save slight feeling as of cold iron inside"
Shake thysclf," said Siegfried. The other
did SO, and straightway he fell asunder aud
gave up the ghost, cloven completely in twain
by the clean stroke Of that excellent sword.
We are frequently reminded of this vera
cious history in these days in which we live
Therecentaction ofcertain public assemblages.
inplacing upon their banners the name of Gen.
Mcclellan as their candidate for the presiden-
cy, and his own in allowing his name to be
SO used, very wildly recall it. tOf course,
we choose to 60 upon the supposition that the
action of these meetings was serious, and not
mere finger put out to feel the pulse of the
public mind.) 1t is a singular fact, but there
are certain personages who cannot be made
70 see that their life has departed. The keen
divination Of the people, slow sometimes, but
sure at last, has cut through and through their
iiimsy armor, and they are as dead as any
mummy that has been shrivelling in the re-
cesses of the catacombs since the days of the
Pharoahs. II is very unfortunate circum-
stance in the case of the General, that, in the
familiar language Of the street, he can't see
ii. 1t is true that about the time of the Penn
sylvania election, and soon after the publica-
tion Of q certain letter, he did seem conscious
of Al internal sensation resembling cold iron.
But how completely he and his political theo.
ries have become things of the past, he cannot
see. He came before the public hero ready
made, a Napoleon who was to begin his career
with Austerlitz. Never a man lived of whom
more brilliant things were prophesed. The
people had faith and patience. They waited
and waited. And still they waited. When at
last it became apparent to the dulest that he
was the embodiment in military affairs of the
principle of = mastery inactivity in poll
tics Of effete traditions, naturally enough they
grew tired. 1t was 8 live man they wanted,
and SO they laid him quietly on the shelf with
the other geological remains. 1t is very
great mistake in his friends that they do not
allow him comfortably to remain there, and
occupy him0lf with editing "reports" Is volu-
minous as an encyclopaedia. To seek to gall
vanize him into life again, and to offer him to
the people as a standard-bearer in these times
which so try mems souls, will prove task
both vain and perilous. The shock of living
conflict will reveal the truth, and he viii go to
pieces as surely as If stricken by the sword of
Sicgfried.
And not on him alone is the doom written,
but on the plans, principles and issues of that
party which chooses to make him its repre-
sentative. Those plans are hopelessly dead !;
those principles founded in mere expediency
not in eternal truth belong to day which has
departed; those issues have been swept into
the rubbish OF the past. The waves Of a
mighty inundation have rolled over us as the
fiery lava rolls down upon the plains of Sicily.
covering with its food all the old-time trad-
tions and conventions, but like that same lava
food preparing the soil for better and richer
growth. Even old duties have become obso-
lete for there is now no call for their exercise.
'old things have passed away, and all things
have become new The failure to recognize
this fact is the rock on which these modern
conservatives split. Their slow comprehen-
sion is unable to follow the rapid logic of
events. Said Winthrop nearly three years
ago, I'VE are making our history hand over
hand. He who is not quick enough to per.
ceive this fact, and to read the lesson of these
hurrylng events, must pay the inevitable PEN
atty. He will be left behind by the tide stran.
ded like an old sea-weed on the shore. while
the great stream of human progress flows on
forever. Fps,rox
Letter from the Camp Hospital.