The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-07-30
Sowing Dragons Teeth.

To know exactly how much mischief may
art, and one In which it must be admitted that
the Argus has taken the Masters degree. II
any one doubts, let him read the leading ar
ticle in that paper for yesterday. If an ex-
posed and branded falsehood could, by persis-
tent reiteration, be transformed into truth.
we know OF none more likely TO accomplish
such a feat than the Argus. That paper pro-
fesses to be In possession OF evidence proving
that large portion Of the rebel leaders. II
not even the most ultra of them. are now
ready and re,y anxious peacefully TO adjust
all difficulties between the North and Sonth,
and that they ,eHl consent 10 Il on the basis Of
restoration o. The UnioR.n THE italics
are not ous.) Aud this in the face Of JEFF
Davis emphatic declaration that tho rebels
are fighting for independence, and that they
will have IL il every man OF this generation
falls in his tracks &C."
IL the Argus is better informed a. 10 the
sentiments Of the rebel leaders than the pres
ident OF the rebel eonfederacy, let il come
C"t ea*AA $50 " tat 1nNAtNS III It's knDMltQut
ana the nature VI it, "-visi1u-s.- TIA !. .i.,ss
90. we must be excused for Withholding an i'm
plicii credence.
That large portion Of the. Southern peo-
pie are heartily weary OF the war, and
would gladly end it by a return to loyalty, no
one doubts; but this class have not the "con-
troll OF the armies now al war with the Unit
ed States" II Is not in their power 10 make
peace, and viii not he, until the strength Of
these armies is broken.
The fact is that the greatest and almost the
only obstacle 10 peace at this moment is this
bastard Democratic party, made up OF the
scum of Wings, Democrats, and Republi-
cans, who, In The hope TO foist themselves in-
TO power, are Strengthening the arm of the
rebellion ia every imaginable way. They
virtually say TO the Southern rebels-"Hold
on little while longer till with your help we
get possession of the government, and we
will give you all you ask. Then our forces
united with yours win be strong enough to
rule the country."-The rebels do not pre-
tend to deny this. They realize their own
exhaustion. They see their inleroiity OF
strength. They despair of foreign aid With
out the hope thus held out 10 them, they
could not sustain themselves two months.
Their Journals admit the facts, and openly
speak OF these men at the North, as the best
friends Of their cause.
And yet the Argus dares to delude its
readers with the statement that the admins.
tration refuses TO make peace" knowing as
IL does that no overture TO that end has ever
been made by the rebel authorities. They
are willing TO allow such irresponsible per-
sonages as Messrs Clay, Holcombe & Co., TO
hold consultations with any purblind North
erner, who may choose so 10 amuse himself,
and they hope their Northern allies NAV
make some capital ont OF the business; but
they themselves, as may be seen by the an
swer given to Mr.. Gilmore, hold q different
language.
These plots are eunningly contriyed, but
they will fail, after all. The people OF the
loyal states are not so blind as these wire
pulers think. They know the difference be-
tween light and darkness, and they apprec-
ate the characters Of such Northern aiders
and abettors of rebellion. Nature made a
master piece of wiekedness wheu she pro-
duced the Southern traitor, lifting his treach-
erous arm against the country which had
nnrtured him, aiming deliberately to ruin the
land be could no longer rule, but he had, at
least, the redeeming trait of courage. She
saw her work incomplete, and she added the
Growing grace of cowardice, and then
stood forth the Northern eopperhead-a mir
acle OF baseness 10 make the demons laughi
EPsIION