The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-08-06
Hon. William Pitt Fessenden.

Hon. VIM. p. Fessenden, Secretary of the
Treasury of the United States, is row at
home in this city, for couple Of weeks res
pite from the arduous duties of his Office
that he may, by change of climate and by
inhaling our bracing sea air, invgorate his
system and regain that measure of physical
energy which he has never failed to secure
on his return from the national capital. Ii
was our good fortune yesterday TO enjoy
brief interview with our distinguished fellow
citizen, and we did not lose the opportunity
to ascertain his views in relation to the con-
dition and prospects OF the country; and we
can assure our readers and the people Of
Maine, that no man is more hopeful, or is pos
sessed of a more abiding confidence In the
ability and the determination of the loyal
people of the country, to sustain the Govern
ment, to crush the rebellion, to reduce the
rebels to q healthy submission to the authori-
ity OF the Constitution, and to re-establish
respect for our common flag over the whole
country, from the Lakes to the Gulf, from the
Atlantic to the Pacific coast.
Mr.. Fessenden is in a position-one of the
most onerous and responsible known to the
Goyernment-not OF his own seeking; one
which was virtually thrust upon him, and
which he was never asked to accept He
was appointed by President Lincoln because
his position as Chairman Of the Senate Com
mite Of Finance suggested him as the most
fitting man to Ill the place vacated by Mr..
Chase, and the first knowledge he had of that
appointment came TO his ears when the Sem
ate was In Executive Session, and his coniir-
nation had become fact before he could
possibly have gone into the Senate to decline.
What then could he do? The position was
not in accordance with his ihclinations. II
was near the close OF long and arduous ses-
sion, and he needed rest. 1t was in the midst
OF the heated season of the year, and his
system demanded the benefit OF change OF
scene, OF relaxation, of the sea-breeze. But
there were demands superior to all personal
claims, personal tastes, personal necessities,
even. Somebody must step into the breach
somebody in whom the business men and the
capitalists of the country would have conf
dence; somebody whose qualifications were
deemed commensurate with the mighty issues
at stake. The avalanche of letters and tele-
graphic dispatches poured in upon the Secre-
tary elect, showed beyond cayil that, what
ever misgivings he himself might have, the
moneyed and business men of the nation be-
Aeyed him to be the man-"the right man in
the right place."
Under such circumstances he really, as a
patriotic man, had no option. Duty was plain;
snd at the sacrifice of inclination, taste, de-
sire for relaxation, need of repose. absolute
necessity for recuperation, and entirely re-
gardless of all personal considerations and ALI
consequences personal to himself, he decided
to accept the position, and TO obey what SEEM
ed to be the demands OF duty, even as a SOL
der, regardless of personal consequences or
personal convenience, faces battery in ODE
dience to the orders OF his superors.
For this decision on the part of Mr.. Fessen-
den the nation owes him debt of gratitude,
and his own State particularly, SO highly hon
ored in her honored son, win not be slow to
recognize her obligations when opportunity
presents for so doing.
And here We will state, what we learned
from Mr.. Fessenden himself, that he consid-
ers his occupancy of a seat in the Cabinet as
a mere temporary thing he does not consid- !
er his strength adequate to the laborious and
unremitting duties of the place, and he will
hold it only till he can resign without detri-
ment to the public service. The best feeling
exists between him and President Lincoln,