The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-09-17
Arrests and the Draft.

and his administration began on two questions
| which have been greatly magnifed and used
| by Copperheads on every occasion to belittle
A thousand changes have been rung on what
these peace men call arbitrary arrests" They
have made appeals to the love of Liberty
which the American people cherish in as full
measure as any other people on the globe. Up
on these arrests OF Northern traitors, the Cop
| perheads have based their operations to pull
down the present administration, not caring
whether the pillars of the Rupublic were pull
| ed down with 1t or not, and the Union scat
tered into fragments over this broad land.
Upon this basis they have lsaped up denun-
Citations against Lincoln as an invader OF State
rights, an usurper of despotic power, and ut
| terl- regardless of the rights ofpersons. These
are grave charges and it Is possible the Cop
! perheads have made some political capital out
ofthem, at least, so far as to induce those who
! are over credulous and very willing to believe
4 any ISLANDERS that might help them into place
4 and power. To persuade such to swallow
4 loses of that kind does not require much effort
or great cunning.
Now it is a little singular and somewhat re-
nsrksb!e that Mcclellan was early engaged
Ia this work Of making arbitrary arrests" He
vas the originator and executor of the most
aigh handed and the most sweeping ''arrest"
hat has been made during the war. While
he President ordered the arrest oftraitors and
,opperheads scattered over the country, and
Dut few comparatively, Mcclellan swooped
Town upon whole legislative body and dragg-
ID its members to prison. In this case he not
] )nly invaded personal rights, but also the more
4 sacred rights OF freemen constituting body
/ polite. This was indeed striking at the very
4 foundation Of free government on which the
structure OF society rests.
4 What do peace democrats think of such hi gh
handed proceedings WHAT do the accusers
II Lincoln say to such sweeping arrest |?
What consistency But they may say the
Great Hesitator" as Mcclellan is called out
West, wouldn't arrest traitors and copperheads
now, even if he had the power. Ofcourse he
would not, for he wants their votes in the com
ng election. and he is sure OF them. There
can be no doubt on that score. The truth is,
this Besitator Is willy and smooth, aud hand
and glove with JEFF. Davis. He can change
and set his sails TO catch any breeze. He can
appear war democrat mounted on peace
platform, or assume any shape that would be
likely to win votes.
But what Of the draft, the other question
from which the Copperheads have attempted
to draw political capital? A great hue and
cry have been made about that, aud many
changes have been rung upon it. Unceasing.
ciamerous vituperation has been heaped on
the government In consequence Of the con-
scription by these peace men who now put
forward Mcclellan rs their fugleman. II has
been denounced in every variety of form and
the doctrine preached that its enforcement
was anti-democratic and despotic. Such cop
perhead preaching produced the riot in New
York city, and deIuged It's streets with blood.
And yet who first proposed the draft? Who
4 first insisted that Mr.. Lincoln must resort to
conscription? Who, we ask 10 all seriousness,
but this same George B. Mcclellan? Yes,
this standard bearer of copperheads and peace
men, in 1851, when the enthusiasm of the coun-
pouring in by thousands aud tens of thousands,
wrote most emphatic letter to the President,
urging and demanding an immediate draft
Cruel, tyranuical and anti-repablean as this
draft has been represented to be 10y the oppo-
! nents OF Lincoln, the first mention of 1t comes
from Mcclellan, who is SO wonderfully and
ddenly metamorphosed into fugleman OF
fperheads and traitors both North and
III!
hat falling of Is there, my countrymens
this same war democrat i, changed into
Zee man who roars the rebels as gently as
cking dove! 1t is really marvellous in
eyes. But the truth is, and history,
win so record the fact, that this Great Hes
itator never was very unkind towards the reb-
Is, and his war principles always hung quite
ooselE about him. Recent events have estab- /
ished that fact most conclusively. Let war
democrats ponder these facts well ere they
cast their votes.
At the time Mcclellan urged the President
toinaugurate draft, it was suggested by those
who knew the kind Of stuff Little Mac was
made of that he was anxious TO make great
show BY military parades, aud feared volun-
teers would not come ia fass enough to graft,
~ his vanity In thar respect. He took great
pride In such military displays, and hence his
anxiety to rally round his standard all the sol.
diers he could muster. We have had no Gen.
eral In our service who has betrayed such ex
IRENE iondness for military parades. And on
such occasions Little Mac would come boldly |
to the front" especially when the rebels were
known to be lar away. Our brave SO .diers toe
liked these displays, aud exhibited that love
for the military which is iuheren, in human
nature.
1t was in such grand exhibitions Mcclellan |
gained the good will OF the soldiers, and not on |
the battle fields. He used them well ON such |
occasions-yastly better than he did when he |
he was compelled to face the enemy. Soon as
he left the field of parade for the field of bat
tie, he began to show signs that be was out OF
his element, and the soldiers began TO have |
doubts and misgvings In relation to his quail /
fcatloBs Tor the stern realities of war. But
we do not wish to enlarge upon this topic now.
Our object ~ this article Is TO show that Nc
Clellan was the first one to move in the draft,
and 10 arbitrary arrests, about which the cop
perheads now so furiousy howl And his re-
cord shows the tact most conelusively. The
materials are at hand and the true character
OF the "Great Hesitator" will be shown un be-
fore the loyal people of the country.
LIGHT BREAKING.-One of our Democrat
ic exchanges, speaking a few days ago of the
cheering prospects of the Chicagoites, declared
that slight was breaking In the East. even In
New England" True enough, and the news
from Maine betokens "dead broke" Demo-