The Portland daily press., 1864-04-16

A few days since, when the Argus, appar-
emily in the full possession of its mental fac
ulties, declared that any persons possessing
the power, who should "at once stop HOSTILE
ties" and then If the rebels "refused to return
to the Union," would assent TO disruption
of the Union, and recognize the independence
of rebellion, "might truly be charged with
being for peace at any price'-even that in
volving the deepest disgrace and blacklist dis
honor = that they would justly merit the
scorn, condemnation and contempt Of erery
true patriot" when the Argus thus declared,
we repeat, we began to have hope, and thought
its salvation possible event. In anticipation
of the return of the prodigal we began to
think of the "music and dancing" and of 'mak-
ing merry" with friends, of "the best robe"
the "ring" and the scandals" and but for the
high price of zeal might have heard the bleat-
ing of the Stated calf''-all indicative OF that
rejoicing fitting to be INDUCED in over the
return of friend from his weary wanderings
in the desert of disloyalty, where the rank
grass becomes offensive from the presence Of
the loathsome and deadly copperhead, and
where one tries to satisfy the cravings of hun
ger with huslxs from which even respectable
swine would turn in disgust.
Then when 1t said the next day, after quo
ting Mr.. Longs speech in the House of Rep
resentatives, "If there are men in Congress
holding these views,i we are glad to have
them avow them, that the people may I'M
a. n 81. If Mr. uae
s. correctly reported he substantially took
" ground for disitaion-a position which no
riqht minded patriot can assume" we felt
doubly assured that there would be opportu-
nifty for rejoicing over the conversion of
political sinner saved from the error of his
ways but alas who can calculate the gyra-
tions of modern democrat, or understand
the mysteries of party iniquityl Only one
brief day was sufficient to blast our hopes,
and to afford one more evidence that the Loop
ard cannot change his spots.
After such hopeful "signs" as the Argus had
given, we find it only two days later, in an
article on the Freedom of Debate" using
such language as this:
are done. We ought, perhaps, to be surprised
at nothing - even at the course pursued
toward Mr.. Long, of Ohio, in the House of
Representatives. A member of the House
delivers speech. 1t is evidently sincere, but
it is sad, and seemingly comes from man
utterly disLeartened. He feels no hope for
the salvation Of his country.
Did we believe with him on this point, zee
should be as hopeless as he.
10 make any sacrifice to save his country, but
he does not believe it can be done and lie says
so. II is his sincere conviction. he errs in
judgment. Should he be punished for giving
utterance TO that error? That is the question
not whether he was guilty of great folly in
what he said.
This is enough. How kind, how soothing,
how lambIike The man who would stop the
war, and If the rebels would not return to
the Union, would "assent to its disruption
and TO an acknowledgement of rebel indepen-
dence," and who, by SO doing, might "truly
be charged with being for that which would
involve "the deepest disgrace and blacklist
dishonor," and justly "merit the scorn, con-
demnation and contempt Of every true pat
riot is now simply utterly disheartened,"
sincere" but 'errs in Judgment and should
by no means be punished"
Who ever saw such an instance of humilia-
tion before? Who ever before saw such
manifestation of selfdebasement and eating
OF dirt to save party friendp Verify, the
curse upon the serpent, -"Upon thy belly
shalt thou go, and dost shalt thou eat all the
days Of thy life,"-was not without meaning.
The Copperhead is simply serpent. How
then can he help crawling upon his belly and
eating dirt?