The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-02-02
Eleventh Leoture--M. L. A. oonraa.

This lecture was given last evening bv q.
W. Curtis, Esq, Of New York, before a bril-.
liant and interested audience. His subject
was ePoL1rIcAL INF1DELIrY." He said tbat
the cloud Of darkness was passing away. and
| hope which had been almost blasted with a.
lay, was now gloriously bright. But however
successful we may be 1t will be useless. if we
are false to our principles and guilty Of politi-
cal infidelity. .a9ooJ
The lecturer then alluded to several ipstan-
ees wherein the American people had been POI
ntlcai lnhdels. Our present national troubles
ana the civil war result not from any radical
oeiect In the organization of our Government
or the faction of the democratic principle, but
from our own unfaithfulness to our professed
principles. Heinsisted that we have never
guaranteed the freedom Of speech, but had
tamely surrendered it, and hence our humilia-
ton and our difficulties. tg2 ieoaal q.
John C. Calhoun was The original apostle of
the aristocratic idea in this country, and the
father Of secession. There are two Americas
as well as two Englands--one democratic, the
other aristocratic contending for the mastery.
and now it had come to the wager of blood. -.
Calhoun knew free discussion would be fatal
to his schemes, and so he said, athe slavery
question shall not be debated" and many of
our great men subinissively accepted the inso-
lent dictation, and we knelt at the feet of the
aristocratic element. He said that Il New
York city four years ago had voted on the
Montgomery constitution, they would have
swallowed 1t bones and all as boa constructor
swallows an OK, but he hoped it was not SO
now. ..s - nav Il (, ~. $500 z. y,
Calhoun said, "you shant say word about
slavery and that was what led this great
North into questioning itself on the policy it
should pursue in regard to the rebellion and
the slavery question. 1t was not strange that
foreigners thought we had grown so corrupt
that our national ruin was foregone conclu-
sion. The South has been attempting an i'm
possible experiment. trying to establish an
I arstocracy. And the North has been attempt
ing an impossible experiment perpetuate
human slavery in a free Republic. We must
all be free and democratic, or all aristocrats
and slaves. 8 assii b ~ ae..- - es.
81 The lecturer then referred to the Ostend
manifesto, and said we rewarded the chiefcon-
spirator in the crime by electing him President,
We should remember that when we pour out
indignation against our offending neighbors
that we are not free from guilt ourselves. This
political infdelity still exists. "A great party
attempted to throw the government into the
hands of those who seek its overthrow, and
Robert G. Winthrop and others like him stood
up in the city of New York and charged the 4
rebellion on the defenders OF free speech and
American Liberty! From this time hence
forth we should have one aim in view--to
achieve our own liberty and the liberty Of the |
nation. The two great fanatics of this coun- j
try are John. G. Calhoun and John Brown. and
every man or woman is following after one or
the other. One dies in his bed honored by his
country, and wept by nation-the other dies
on the scatfold, and tenderly lifting child Of
the despised race, beneath the winters sun.
sinks to his rest! His soul Is marching on /!
1t has been fire lighting FIRE, and by Gods
grace the fire of Heaven is being triumphant
over the fire Of hell as5 pig al eaaaa doHaI ~
In closing he alluded to Phil. Sheridan in
most eloquent strains that brought down the
house. We are quite aware that we have
scarcely given skeleton Of this lecture, which
was really one Of the most eloquent Of the
course and the President of the NJ. L. Associa-
ton win bear us witness that it was patriotic
to its very core. bas gaa ttnllaett ssaag noes
The next lecture will be given next We'd
nesday evening BY DIR. E. Fl. Chaplin of New
York city. N s,.aqi s * l-s.lsqs M, "A 'a 81