The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-11-27
Tho Leopard Changing His Spots.


The Argus of Saturday morning contained
the following:
The Press has been publishing articles lead
ed like editorial, on the currency question, OF
the most mschievous character; yesterday,
however, it had a leader on Financial affairs, Z.
which was sensible, and was apparently writ
ten expressly to correct the "ulfayorable inl-
pressions" produced by its previous articles
We are gra.iied TO see the Press thus getting
right on this subject; but we submit that il
would have been much wiser to have excluded
those articles, or else to have had the expla-
nation and correction accompanying them.-
So far as our banks here are concerned we are
satisfied that they are pursuing the course
which our most cautious business men COM
mend, in the present anomalous condition OF
affairs, and regard as wise.
1t is amusing to find paper which for four
years has been laboring to throw discredit up
on the government faith, and to decry the
currency relied upon to meet the enormous ex-
penses OF the war; which, has denounced the
irredeemable paper issues and scandalously
charged that government money was ground
out by the cord at Washington; which has at
tempted to throw suspicion upon the govern
mcnt bonds, and darkly limited at reputation,
and which within ten days has seriously argu-
ed that the exclusion of unrepentant rebels
from Congress would render our securities
worthless lit is amusing, we say, to find such
paper now assuming the championship and
defence of the Banks, whose guarantee of
good faith rests on their investments in those
very bonds, and whose bills are made valid
against possible contingencies only by the
good faith of the government. 1t is also
amusing to find the organ of a party which
has long opposed paper currency, and made
opposition to banks one OF its cardinal articles
of faith, now suddenly converted into a friend
Of paper currency, and ready to denounce
those who advocate an early return to specie
values. 1t is further amusing to find a parer
claiming to be the warm and generous sup
porter of President johnson, roundly denounc-
ing the financial policy Of his Treasury Secre-
tary, as it has long and bitterly denounced his
War Secretary. All these things are decidedly
amusing and indicate that the leopard is try
ing, at least, to change his spots. t
The intimation of the Argus that the ed
itor OF the Press has been inconsistent in the
course pursued on the financial questions OF
the day, is as unmanly as it is false. The arti-
Gle on financial affairs" which that paper APP
proves, was written by the editor, and no arti-
Gle or word has appeared in our columns in
consistent with it, chat did not bear some
mark--a star ~ or other signature--to inli-
cate to any one but a dolt, that the editor did
not feel disposed to assume the responsibility
and defence of its statements and arguments
But the argus intimates very distinctly that
the editor of a paper should exclude every
thing that does not accord with his own views,
or else enter his personal protest at the time.
This may be the rule of that paper but not of
ours. We think it is the rule of that paper,
especially on political matters, and this is the
reason, probably, why the correspondence and
editorials in that journal almost always have
the same semi-treasonable ring. We can con-
ceive of nothing political against which the
editor of that paper would feel called upon to
enter his protest, unless it was something that
smacked strongly of Freedom, Of equality, of
true loyalty. or of genuine Democracy.
We, however, do not assume to know every
thing, OF to possess all knowledge. We think
that other gentlemen may know something
not known to us, and therefore we cheerfully
accord to them the privilege OF discussing
questions of such general interest as those of
finance, in their own way, simply claiming the
right to dissent if we choose to do so, and to
attach to their articles such signatures OF
marks as shall show that we do not assume
the responsibility OF their defence. When we
cannot do this; when we cannot allow gen.
tlemen of talent, culture and of broad business
views, to discuss commercial, financial and
other similar topics in our columns, though
they may differ from us. or what is more COM
mon, though we may not feel competent to
answer or even fully comprehend their argu-
ments, then we shall consider our appropriate
mission as public journalist ended, and will
adopt the conclusion that we have received a
"calr" to go into the manufacture and sale of
straight7jackets and iron bedsteads.
We should be sorry to have the Press re-
garded as the organ of the editors personal
opinions. Weprefer that it should reflect the
views of the best minds in our city, on the
questions which legitimately came within its
proper field Of discussion. And that it does
this. and fairly represents our city, or that it
does so as nell as the Argus, to say the least.
the political friends of that paper being them
selves the judges, we think can be easily es-
tablished, and proof of the correctness of this
proposition we offer single fact that occur
red only few days since. &e IS
A merchant of this city--a lifelong Demo-
crat, who now acts with the Dtmocratic party
had occasion to stop at hotel in one of the
principal towns of Lincoln county, and finding
no Portland paper ON file he called the atten-
ton OF the landlord to the facs, and the result
was the landlord requested him on his return
10 the city, to order for him the paper that he
thought would be best for his house. and the
most satisfactory to his guests, The gentle
man mad no restraint put upon him; lie was
at perfect liberty to order such paper as he
thought best, and, Democrat as he is. he caroe
in and gave the order for the Daily Press, and
informed lis OF the circumstances. He did
not do this out OF any sympathy for the noli.
tics of the Press, or through personal favor
but, simply, as we interpret his act bec,use
he regards the Press as the best renrosento-
tive of the city and of its business interests. =
He is a high-minded, honorable man, and
would not allow his political sympathies tc
blind him to the force of obvious facts. W.
mention the incident only because OF the ar
gus intimation that the Press is not as tru
as itself to the interests of the city and State
B8- Somebody in the Chicago Tribua
strongly advocates the removal of the nation
al capital from Washington to Philadelphia.