The Portland daily press., 1865-10-18
PORTLAND.
Tednasdav Morning, Oct. ID, 1855.
Misf9rssaea seldom oome singly.

very unfortunate in its onsaughts upon hon
orable men. A few days since it opened it's
ground tier upon Adjutant General Hodsdon,
one of Names most industrious and faithful
officers, and charged all sorts Of corruptlor
upon the administration Of his ONCE anu
promised disclosures that would eclipse the
Peck defalcation. A single letter IRON Gen.
Hodsdon sent the poor old craft OH IN a crippled
condition, with flag struck, hun splintered,
and skipper fiat upon his back.
About the same time it opened its batteries
upon Joseph Holt, one of the most incorrupti-
bic of men, who has doomed up againts the
dark background Of the southern sky--@the
noblest Roman of them all" It copied the
spltefel invective Of Montgomery Blair's envi-
Gus soul, and charged him with 'justifying the
rebellion" in its early stages.
But Monday morning its, fire was complete
ly silenced BY shot in quarter fron Wnlcn
it was least expected. Hon. Horatio King, a
lifelong Democrat, who was in Mr.. Buchan-
ans cabinet with Mr. Holt, and who therefore
knows ali about the matter whereof he writes,
annaared ia the argus over his own name as
the yindicator of Mr.. Holt against the charges
of Blair as copied by that veracious sheet
One Of these charges was, that Nov. 80, 1860,
Mr.. Holt wrote sand published letter" justi-
flying the rebellion. On this point Mr.. King
says: au Iqueg .aasasa3 tx. AA1
If am not mistaken, this letter, which was
private, and was published without his knowl-i
edge or consent, appeared in the argus at the
time | know that [ saw it in several demo-
cratic papers, and hoped it might have the de-
sired eifect--that OF assisting to arouse the
moth to sense of our real danger and then,
by bringing about the repeal of the oppressive
personal liberty bills, &C., prevent the dire ca
lamnity of war. IF in this he Is liable to the
charge of sJustifying the rebellion" the entire
democratic party a. 6 equally guiIty,t all en-
tertdiaed and proclaimed the same sentiments
on that subject.
So it seems the Argus to-day denounces as
aJustifcation of rebellion" what it and its
party approved in 1901 Mr.. King suggests
that If Mr.. Holt had written for publication,
he would, no doubt, have ''been more guarded
Gin some of his expressions; but even as it is,
mo one acquainted with Mr.. Holt would for
moment believe that he ever harbored a
thought of Justifying the rebellion to which,
"from the seizure of the first cutsom house. or
"lort, to its collapse, he was one of the ablest
"most efficient and most outspoken oppo-
snents." eSss2
Mr.. Blair must have had comprehensive
views Of the magnitude Of the rebellion, for
Mr. King says, even after his lBlair's) appoint
ment as Postmaster General he recolects hear
ing Mr.. Blair himself say that % 900 well or
gained troops could march triumphantly, in
spite of all opposition, from the Potomac,
through the Southern States, to the Gulf OF
Mexico.
Another charge against Mr.. Holt, seized uI-
on by che ArgaS,, was that, while Secretary of
War he refused ito permit suceor to Fort
SUMTER" and that he was party to an "agree-
ment made with Davis by order of Buchanan,
under the signature of his (Buchanan's) Sec
retaries of War and Navy, that no act of war
would take place on the part of the United
States during his term" On this charge, as
copied from Blair in the argus, Mr. King
says:
"To these charges Mr.. Holt has given his
most emphatic denial, and this should be suffi-
Gent. Whose memory is SO defective as not
to have vivid recollection of Mr.. Hollis
course and action at the time referred to
Opposed to the succor of Fort Su1nterl Whyi
know that his whole heart and soul were
alive to the Importance of sustaining Mai.
Anderson and that he used his utmost endeav-
ors to have the Brooklyn, war vessel, sent to
his relief instead of the Star Of the West, a
merchant steamer; but this had to be given
up because it was said the Brooklyn could not
from drawing so many feet of water, be GOT
ten over the bay at the entrance OF Charles
ton harbor. As it was, the Star of West
would in all probability have succeeded ia
landing al the fort but for the treachery OF
Jacob Thompson in telegraphing while YET
Secretary OF Interior, that she had sailed
from New York. 1 wei remember to. with
what delight, previously, on his return one
day from the cabinet] Mr.. Holt announced at
the Post Office Department thegrahfying intel
IiTence of Maj. Anderson's success in moving
from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter Doe
thii look Ike refusing Ito permit succor to Fort
SumterlD s.; iEg 9'if i)aq5E
After cautioning the argus against falsify-.
ing history and defaming the names of our
great men, which are "the common property
of the Repubic;" after denying that Pref
dent Buchanan was embarrassed by any act
OF the Secretariessabove named, and repeating
the language of Mr.. Holt, that he was perfect
~ tree to perform his duty and whole duty, in
defence OF the forts and other property Of the
United States, and to open fire from these
whenever, in his Judgment, their safety de-
manded it. Mfr. King closes his letter as fol-
lows: 9fN
Looking at the glorious results of the war.
and remembering how wondrously Provi
S hence nas dealt with us in its progress, and
Wv Tos. sSSDnlney tne hiring upon instead of from
fort sumter, served to arouse Instruct and
unite the nation, and to inflame its rartio1
anu patriotic spirit, we stand awe-strucly and
mute, and that man would be bold indead
who, in the presence of all that has occurred
should now venture to maintain that the poll
cy Oh forbearance was not. at the moment, the
true policy.H
This letter, SO nobly and triumphantly de-
Tending Mr.. Holt, from zone of the Oldest
Subscribers" TO the argus, as effectually spiked
the guns Of the ground tier Of that rebel bat
terry as did Gen. Hodsdon's letter in the case
already reered to-, 1t feebly utters the follow
ing Characteristic growl: 3D. 4l =
" vs. once entertained very high opinion
% -ah Llole' put ms strange course in several
1850 "' p,oseTuting officer before military
courts, especially Ia the case az that oolIa,,t
officer and true patriot Gen. Fit Ioh So
mas caused Us to entertain very different es-
innate OF the character and ah;l;t;a ~ az
man. Still we would not be un;ns+ to,,, WIG
him, though we believe he has been S mn;a.4
and cruel towards Others" J0S'
@qa.Eaat officer and true patriot. o.,
Fix John Porterf" This shows the A,o,,s,
idea Of gallantry and patriotism. Fitz John
Porter, West Pointer, was tried by Court
Martial composed of hisp peers, officers of equal
RANKIN the army, and ike himself graduates
Of west Point, and after patient, long-contin-
uea ana fair trial hewas unanimously found
suli'y Of crimes against military law that
FUSED him to be cashiered and dismissed
"Om the service, the on,y division in the
S1Sus Oelng IN relation to the severity OF his