The Portland daily press., 1865-05-09
A Looking-Glass for the Arpus,

A Looking Glass for the Argus.
The gentlemanly conductor of the copper
head organ on Exchange street, replies to some
structures Of ours upon that paper, in his yes
terday's issue, in the following chaste, digni-
fled and classical terms:
The leading editorial in Saturdays Press,
making nearly column, was devoted enureiy
TO "The Argus and its Editor. All OF IL re-
lating to the Argus, was, ike lts autnor, ma
lignant and false; but when an ex-parson Is
charged publicly and repeatedly by contem-
poraries. fsome of them of his own party
with the grsvest delinquinces, the grossest inn
moral practices, and he admits the truth of
the accusations by his silence, he ceases to
merit respectful notice-sinks into the region
OF contempt-becomes a mere backlog of vii
Hfcation--a moral yampire-ft representa-.
tive, mouth-piece, ste-boy-dog of those like
himself, but his calumnious scurrility Is con-
demned, despised, repudiated, by all respecta-
BILE people.
OF the personal portion Of the above we
have but little to say. We have never con-
sidered public newspaper the place either
TO assert or to redress personal grievances,
nor shall we SO far depart from our sense Of
propriety now as to reply to language so Al
thy that it would disgrace a London FISH,
woman. If silence under such vile and dirty
accusations affords proof Of guilt, then we shall
continue to furnish that proof and the editor
Of the Argus is at liberty to make the most Of
IL. The lion in the fable declined q contest
with a much inferior animal, on the ground
that even II victorious and he should utterly
demolish his assaiiant, everybody would ind
out that he had been engaged in conflict with
q skunk. We respectfully decline personal
controversies with some parties, for similar
reason.
In passing to matters more fitting the col
umns of public journal, our neighbor and
friend will allow US to suggest that, In throw
ing down the glove as he has above, snd chal-
longing an offensive personal controversy
especially in the face Of the records Of the
Supreme Court so easy Of accessible proves
himself bold and reckless man, and that he
has suffered his spite to outrun his discretion.
Does he desire US to copy from those records
and publish the accusations made against
him ACCUSATIONS sustained In that august
judicial tribunal? We caution our friend
that while we have no desire to probe 90 ten.
der q spot in his personal history, and would
not willingly lift the curtain that now covers
his nakedness, we are still weak and fallible
and do not pretend that we have grace sufici-
emit to restrain US under repeased provsca.
tons. But enough Of this. The object oil
this article is to present a looking-gla before
the editor Of the Argus, in which hs may
clearly trace the lineaments of his own coun-
tenance, and be able to see how his new-fsdg-
cd sympathy for the late President, and
his mourning badges, appear in contrast with
his former treatment Of that distinguished
man, whose tragic death the nation still
mourns.
We have before us copy of the argus o
Feb. 20, 1861, in which we find an editoria
headed, in bold full face:
CHE. Lincolss's FyigAt.0
The President elect, learning Of plot Il
assassinate him while on his way to the Fed
eral capital, had been compelled, as q matter
Of safety, to disguise himself in order to es
cape the assassin's knife. Upon this the dr.
gus says:
Mr.. Lincoln Is not a man to have persona
enemies, and probably has not one; 50 thai
no such devil in human form would be seek
ing his destruction out OF revenge, with the
hope to charge il to political animosities ane
thus escape detection. No political enemies
would devise such plot and incur the terri
BILE risks, for the reason that the death Of Mr.
Lincoln would not help them at ALL They
would as lief have him as Mr.. Hamlin fol
President, and the latter logged on to Wash
ingtsn without fear of harm. For these rea-
sons, we did not credit the reports as to the
cause of the sudden fight by night, disguised
in Scotch plaid cap and very long military
cOatl But we are sorry to say that the full
particulars telegraphed to the New York pa
pers, leave little room for doubt that the
President elect took his sudden departure
from fright
SHOW Mr. Lincoln could be Influenced to
take such step we cannot conceive. There
was evidently panic In his suite. One cried,
another made his will and ell acted like fools.
1t lie said THE WICKED FLEE WHEN NO MAN
PURsUErH. We trust it was not guilty con-
sciences that made Mr.. Lincoln and party so
terror-stricken at the idea Of going among the
shareholders of Maryland and of the District.
The Plug uglies he had no reason to fear, for
they are the especial friends of Henry Win
ter Davis, aud they are all, including Davis
expecting Offices under Lincoln. He had
nothing to fear from them, therefore, and a
the result has shown, he had nothnig to fear
from anybody else.
"Upon what hypothesis, military or other
wise, Mr.. Lincoln could consent to avoid
danger by flight, and yet IeGve his wife and
children to incur the risks that allied him with
terror we know not. II IL usual among the
brave, We believe, in cases OF danger, to send
the wonderland children of out of harms way
by special train, and for the men to remain
and receive the threatened attack. Mr.. Lin
coin and suite reversed this rule, it would
seem. They fled and loft the womsn and
children to the enemy. As we read the ac-
counts Of the pitiful termination of Mr.. Lin
coins not particularly fortunate exhibition OF
himself during his progress through the coun.
try, we could bat exclaim In the recent Ian
guage OF cetemporary, "Ohl for one hour Of
AndrewJackson now ="
As our object is not to comment, butsimply
to revive some "reminiscences for the benefit
Of our copperhead neighbor, we shall not take
up the readers attention by extended notes
as we pass along. The foregoing betrays the
spirit or Gninsus Of the editor of the argus
when our lamented President first left his
peaceful home to meet the dangers which en-
vironed his official career. 1t win be noted
that the language employed to deprecate any
supposed purpose to destroy the President
elect is very adroitly chosen. "For these
reasons" says he, we did not credit the re
port; for the reason that, were Mr.. Lincoln
put out Of the way, Mr.. Hamlin would sue
coed and nothing ,could be gained, implying
tnas' had some Democrat been Vice President
elect there would haze been some propriety
ana reason in plunging the assassin's dagger
Into the man who escaped il at that early day
BY assuming disguise and thus cheating the
conspiritors Of their intended victim. We do
not say the editor Of the Argus would have
Mnnrnvad fha aassssina+;on - ~