The Portland daily press., 1864-04-13
/" Peace at any Price. i.


length on Saturday last, the principal object
of the article being to ignore the idea that
Democrats-any Democrats-are willing To
secure peace with the rebels on terms dishon-
oraLle to the national government. We copy
an extract
1t is a favorite charge with a portion Of the
abolition press that Democrats, or at least q
class of them, are In favor OF peace at any
price,"--that they would, If they possessed
the power, at once stop hostilities; and then
If the rebels refused to return to the Union
they would assent to disruption of the Union
and recognize the independence of rebeldom
on any terms that the rebel leaders might de-
mand. We quite agree that persons holding
such views might truly be charged with being
Tor "peace at any price"-even that involving
the deepest disgrace and the blacklist dis
honor-that they would Justly merit the scorn,
condemnation and contempt Of every true
patriot.
We thank our neighbor for the expression
contained in the concluding lines of this par
agraph. 1t indicates that he, at least, is for
no concession that shall sunder the bands of
the Union, for no knuckling to rebellion SO
long as state represented by any Of the
stars on our national emblem remains outside
Of its legitimate orbit as member of our
national system.
Doubtless when the editor of the Argus
penned the foregoing paragraph he looked
upon his party as the true conseryator Of the
Union, and upon its leaders as true patriots,
for be says:
But are there any Democrats holding these
VII ie eharoad hat flara 10 "a
have never seen such an one, nor, in some
what extensive acquaintance with Democrats
have we heard OF one entertaining those views.
That both democrats and aboltionists have
individually, In the excitement of personal de-
bate, advanced views which they did not real
ly entertain and stated propositions for which
they would not in calm moments, be at all
responsible, is probably true.
We have never, however, heard a Democrat
utter views such as are charged upon "peace
men at any price," nor have we heard Of their
utterance.
We're there any in favor of peace at any
price, they would be bald disunionists. That
Is the plain logic of such a position. They
would not fight ut all and would give up the
Union, unless the rebel leaders would agree
70 return in peace TO its folds. Every one
knows-who knows anything about it,-that
the rebel leaders would do no such thing, and
that while they are invested with the power
which great armies give them, they will not
permit the masses OF the people of the South,
TO return to the Union. To advocate peace at
any price Is, therefore. to ddrocdte disanion-
q position ichich no Democrat occupies. But
Democrats are for peace-all for peace, - on
the basis Of q preserved Constitution and
restored Union, and upon no other condi-
ton.
Alter writing such sentences as the above,
embalming every Democrat as patriot, and
claiming that not a single member of the
household had ever uttered disloyal senti-
ment, or would under any consideration con-
sent to disunion, it mast have been exceed
ingly unpleasant for the editor of the Argus,
turning to his Geographic columns to see in the
same paper which contained his pointed de-
NAL of the disloyalty Of his friends, that while
he was penning that denial one Of the oracles
of his party-Hon. Alexander Long, OF the
Cincinnati District, Ohio-was making enun-
Citations in the House of Representatives SO
shocking to all true patriotism that his expul-
sion from the House was proposed on the
spot. From the Argus Congressional report
OF Saturday--in the same paper containing
the editorial from which we lave quoted
above = the following is clipped from the
House proceedings of the preceding day:
The House went into Committee on the
Presidents annual Message.
Mr.. Long made speech of an hours dura-
ton. He denied that the opponents OF the
Administration were giving aid and comfort
to the enemy; quoted from Benton, Seward,
Quincy Adams, Fillmore, and others, to show
that coercion could not be successful under u
Republican system, and that the last three
years Of war had proved the truth of the
proposition. There were only two questions,
first, the recognition of the Southern Confed-
eracy; second, the continuation OF the war
for the subjugat.on Of the South. OF the ttco
he preferred the former. He believed the
Democratic party cere torpeace and ,oouid
be placed In a false position u they nomina-
ted q ,car caniiddte.
This must have been an unexpected bolt
from what our neighbor regarded as a clear
democratic sky, and he frankly says in his
next issue:
Ii there are men in Congress holding those
views, we are glad to have them avow them,
that the people may understand who they are.
IL Mr.. Long was correctly reported he sub
stantaly took ground for disunion-a posi-
ton ,chich no right minded patriot can as
sumo. 1t may be, however. that his remarks
were not fairly reported.
II it should turn out that Mr.. Long icas
correctly reported, and is thus proved to be a
disunionist and no patriot, we trust the editor
Of the Argus will betray no weakness by
apologising for him, or by complaining of the
effort promptly made by the majority of the
House to eject him from the seat which he dis
graced. But what will our neighbor say to
the remarks of other members Of the Demo-
cratic household, when the resolution for the
expulsion of Mr.. Long was pending? In the
Congressional report as given in the columns
of the Argus, we find that
Mr. Harris, of Md, endorsed erery senii-
Dent uttered by MIR. Long. He would stand
by him for veal or woe. If there was any
honesty ia the Democratic party they would
rise like hurricane and sweep away those
who are preying upon the very vitals of the
republic. He lHarris) was not in favor of
recognizing the Southern Con;ederacy, but of
acquiescing In secession.
This Mr.. Harris, now misrepresenting
Union constituency as the vote of his Dis
trict the other day plainly shows, is not only
Democrat, hat leader of the Democratic
party, and II is but few months since the
Argus exulted over his election as a victory
Of the Democracy over Radicalism; and vet
he goes beyond those who would recognize
the Southern Confederacy. That would not
be enough for him; simple recognition might
be wrung from US, from our sheer inability TO
subdue rebellion and 10 rastore the authority