The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-01-25
Has Portland any Reason TO be ashamed of
her Records

Has Portland any Reason TO be ashamed Of
her Record
We give place to letter from Augusta to-
day, some of the statements OF which demand
instant notice, before they have time to per-
vert or deceive any individual OF the state
So far as "Helios'' INDUCES in humor or sharp
words at the expense Of "Spurwink," we care
nothing; so far as he enters upon defense OIL
Augusta we make no complaint. we leave
him and the correspondent at whom he aims
his shafts TO settle such matters between
themselves. 1t is only when he assails, not in
dyiduaIs of Portland, but our city as Dtu-
nicipaiity-our people as q community. that
we feel called upon to notice his statements.
He Is at Augusta, as his article shows among
the books and papers Of the state, with mate
rails at hand, while "Spurwink" is presumed
to be away from the documents by which TO
defend any defensible statements he may
make.
1t is pity that our young friend "Helios'
for though he remembers so far back-thir-
ty-three years-he Is quite a young man
should have fallen into that spirit which seems
to exult in holding up Portland as place 10
be despised. A class Of persons in the state,
it is to be feared, look upon Portland very
much as the South have upon New England,
and perhaps think great gain would be ac-
complished by "leaying her out in the cold;"
but our impression is that all such feeling is
the result of unfounded jealousy, and envy of
her prosperity. Portland asks no favor, only
justice. She requires no defense, only facts.
She shuus no light or investigation; and while
she would make no boast OF her good deeds,
she would ask in simple justice to the state of
which she is part, that her record may not
be perverted.
aSpurwink" has made no attack upon the
municipality Of Augusta, or upon her people
as community only upon those sharpers and
knaves who disgrace every community when
opportunity offers, and who stand out promi-
nently In Augusta only because she is crowded
with demands beyond her easy capacity of
supply. The people of Augusta are like the
people of Portland no worse, probably no
better,-and the same evils to which .Spur-
wink" has referred would result here from tie
same causes which exist there The good
people Of Augusta, to our certain personal
knowledge, deeply deplore. and deprecate the
evils referred to, have felt mortified by them,
and have labored to avert them, and we are
sorry that "Helios" should place himself in
any suspicious attitude by defending or even
apologising for those things which the best
citizens of his town regard as reproach upon
ma, ~ fbair nil n,,& III.
fear Of the instability of the Capitalize which
lac twice refers = may have overtopped his
judgment, and that to this fact we should look
for an explanation OF the milk In the cocoanut
OF his communication. But upon this point
we have no disposition to enlarge. We come
to the few points in his article to which
we may, editorially, reply with propriety.
The following significant passage we copy
from Helios' communication:
When the good deeds of good men and wo-
men In Augusta are distorted and made to APP
pear in false light, do consider the duty of
every good citizen of the State TO repel the
Islander, and offer what words he can in their
vindication. The ladies Of Augusta have
been exceedingly and proverbially liberal in
donations of money, boxes of ARTICLES, &c, for
Commission and for the poor freedmen of the
South. They do not get up Masquerade Balls,
with q great flourish of trumpets in aid of this
work, aud instead Of having anything lea for
the poor soldiers have to draw from their own
pockets to pay the expenses OF the entertain
lnent. They have however, held Fairs and
Levees, and in more than one instance have
realized over $1,000 which has been paid over
TO the Sanitary Commission. They have done
better than any place in the State of the same
size or means, as every well-iniormed person
knows, and all fair-ninded, unparalleled men
acknowledge.
We have no doubt the good men and wo-
men"of Augusta are worthy of all praise; that
they have done all that they could and no one
we are quite sure, in our columns, has lsped
word prejudiciaI to their good name or their
good deeds" If they have done more than
others they should thank God who has enabled
them to do SO; If they have done less than
Others but all they could they should remem-
Der that it is not the amount of ones contri-
button but the spirit in which it is made, that
Is to be commended. But why this fling of
"Helios" at others? Why this fling at Mas
querade Balls and other common modes of
raising money? We have not the figures in
relation to the Masquerade Ball In aid of the
Sanitary Commission in this city, but we have
few figures for the correctness of which we
avcuch, to which we ask attention.
The Ladies' Committee (Sanitary Commits
sion) of this city alone, received and expend-
ed In their work, in 1861, s133s.52
1862, 5044y6
1865, I.S6
Sll,03l.34
Supplies sent Gen. Shepley, $1,000
Cash sent by Mr.. Stebbins up
TO Jan. !, 1864, 66S7
Aid to Soldiers In 1922, 1000
Hospital Stores, Wines, &c,
sent forward after battle
(,atfvslluru nnN