The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-09-16
The Argus and New England.

The Argus, smarting under tho rebuke
which Monday election administered to the
principles it advocates, relieves itself by ar
raigning the public sentiment Of New England,
and makes some very disparaging comparisons
between this and other sections Of the Union.
1t has some choice filings at fanaticism, Salem
witchcraft, &c, and its denunciations Of the
dangerous and subversive tendency of New
England ideas, are a faint though faithful echo
of the Trades with which the fire-eating
Southern Journals have for years been accus-
toned to indulge US. 1t takes credit to itself
for its boldness in saying what i. thinks.
That Is quite needless. Speech is free in this
despised New England of ours, though the
Argus and its compeers are accustomed to
rail at the "worse than Austrian despotism" OF
the administration. The impunity with when
its own libellous datribes against the govern
ment are allowed 10 pass, is however sum
refutation of the charge of desPoiis'n' Du'
what strikes one most forcbly is the strange
dizziness Of the Argus. It's hundred eyes
must be of little service If 1t can read cause
and effect no better than this. II the public
sentiment. the political theories" of New
England are so dangerous, how does It happen
that the dissemination of that sentiment, the
extent to which those theories" are received
and put In practice in any portion of the IN
lon, is the sure criterion Of the prosperity, the
intelligence and instability Of the society thers
found? Why is 1t that wherever New Eng
land ideas, New England customs, New Eng
land principles have failed to penetrate, the
extent OF that failure is the exact ratio OF
the ignorance, the turbulence and the disloy-
atty which there prevail? This is the simple
fact, and Its significance is SO plain that ii
would seem as il it must be patent 10 all
Throughout the great Western and Middle
States. which the Argus congratulates on be-
Ing so different from this region, 1t Is striking
ly apparent. In passing through those States
the least observing traveller can readily dis
tinguish the places settled by New England
men by their superiority in every thing which
goes TO make up stable and prosperous COM
munity. The West owes to New England
the best elements of its present greatness, and
Its surest hope for the future is the rapid
spread of New England culture and principles
throughout its length and breadth, The diff.
ference between the two to-day, is but the
difference of age and degree which we find
between the teacher and the pupil. The best
wish, the proudest prophecy which we can
utter for the latter Is that 10 that richer and
wider aeld she may plant the glorious seeds
ripened on New England soil, and gather
through all coming time their legitimate har-
vest. iN
In saying thus mnch the writer would not
be misunderstood as undertaking the many
other rich and varied elements which 60 to
make up our American nationality. The so
Der thrift of Germany, the uncaleulating ardor
and enthusiasm of Ireland, the fire and fancy
of Southern Europe, all help to feed with
strong rich blood its swelling pulses, but the
ncblest impulse the highest thought which in
forms our national life Is of New England
growth. Wherever the New England emf
grants have gone they have carried with them
their strange fondness for free speech, free
thought, free schools, and free ballots, their
respect for law, their hatred of tyranny and
wrong, with many other of the pernicious
heresies which seem so alarming to the Argus
and everywhere their progress is written in
light. East or West, North or South, there is
not in America, there is not in the wide world
any nobler, purer, grander civilization thar
that which draws its life-blood from New Eng
land, and Its inspiration from Plymouth Rock
EPSILON.