The Portland daily press., 1864-09-12
Hon. James Brooks.

AkOA S0Aiep bANohSs
This gentleman spoke before the "unterri-
fed" last Saturday afternoon in the City Hall
The meeting was appointed at two o'clock,
but the audience did not come to time. There
were but three men in the hall and the band
was "sent to the 'front.' to play. They did SO for
an hour or so and then entered the hall again
followed by a few persons. The hall showed
good many empty seats and the enthusiasm
was low. 1t was bad time to get up crowd
for such meeting, for the Irish ladies and
gentlemen were at work and could not attend
1t is much to be regretted that they could not
have heard this leader of the knownothngs.
After three o'clock George F. Emery made a
few remarks and introduced Mr.. Brooks, who
began his speech in complimenting our beau
tilul and growing city. That was all very
well. The orator then came to the business
on hand. He said it would be of no use for
him to speak against the rebellion and the
leaders of 1t, as he was far away from them
down east, and so far that his voice could not
be heard across the Potomac. That's true,
and perhaps he was afraid his speech would
get INTO pflub anu itS way w cch. LAWS
and offend him, if he denounced the rebels
And we suppose such is the reason why all
the copperhead speakers. and all the resolu-
| lions at their meetings and conventions con-
tain not one single word against the rebellion
and its leaders. Even the Chicago convention
was silent on that subject, and the fact is a
significant one, and the people understand it
now. We did not hear all Mr. Brooks speech,
| but presume he let Off much bile against the
government, for such is the habit of his pen
and tongue. We were not a little surprised
that the audience was so small when such a
famous orator was to mount the rostrum, but
the truth is the copperhead party is down in
the mouth. The little life it had a few days
ago has departed.
We could have told Mr.. Brooks how he
could have electrified the audience and touch
ed the RICH. chord in the heart Of the North
and that is, repeated some of the sentiments he
wrote several years ago, TO wit:
$50 far as slavery is concerned, il is the in.
terest of the North that the South should hold
slaves to all eternity, ii the North consults her
own interests, reckless OF humanity, philan-
thropy and patriotism SO long as the South
are slaveholding population, so long the
South, Notwithstanding Heaven besses her
with the richest OF soil and the best of eli
flsurishing than the North. 1t is TACT sus.
ceptable OF demonstration, and confirmed by
observation and experience, that, tariff or no
tariff, free trade or no trade, white voluntary
labor is more than black involuntary labor
white labor, stimulated by ambition, emua.
ton, and self interest. is worth more thar
black labor stimulsted-by what? by the
frowns of the master, the lash OF the oyerseel
by fear and nothiug else. But the involun
tary working man consumes as much of thu
products of the earth as the voluntary work
Ing man, and yet brings not half so much in
to existence. Slavery is the poison destroyine
our institutions. 1t is the root OF all the mis-
chief and all the bad feeling toward us in thu
South, and we solemnly believe that the Unior
cannot stand forty years unless something i;
done gradually to be rid OF this vice."
The above is from his pen, and If he has
uttered such sentiments, perhaps he nigh
have stirred up the heart of the old white hair
ed Wing who sat beside him on the rostrum
and who has been living long and lnxuriou
life from the money that came from Encl
Sans Golfers. 0
In this connection we are reminded of
toast once given by certain gentleman at
Wing celebration, and the comments of th'
Argus upon it. Here's the toast: "The o.
knoweth his owner and the ass his master
crib" The scripture was used for the purpos'
of showing the subserviency of the Democrat
to their leaders. We have not space to pub
fish the comments of the Argus, but the gen
tleman can hunt them up at his leisure, ant
then soap in hand" shout hosannas to Vallan
digham, Wood, and other leaders of the Dem
ocratic party, who are now leading George 3
Mcclellan by the nose. o shame, where !
thy blush,