The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-04-13

has also given a full account OF What loiiow-
ed on the succeeding day. We have not writ
ION word in relation to the matter, or direct
"a ,vhst should or should not be said. Nor
do we propose now to reopen the matter by
Irritating or unpleasant reference to it. That
Mr.. Latham did very unwise act all seem
to concede. That his act could scarcely fail
to irritate, no thoughtful man could have fail
ed to foresee. That he has been handled, If
not roughly at least severely, by an improv
ised, illegal tribunal, all must ackno wledge,-
in way, too, for which we are disposed to
make no apology, as we are, under all ordina
~ cireumstances-under all probable circum
stances-opposed to everything like mob
3 spirit, and in favor of law and good order
We are glad that no personal injury was snf-
fered by Mr. L., and hnPs-tnat In all future
time he may wisely refrain from acts quite ts
inexcusabe, under the circumstances, as the
act of those who furnished him with an I'M
pleasant escort about the city.
We insist that our people have a right to he
sensitive even to supposed indignity to the
stars aud stripes; and when we have for four
long years been sending our young men by
hundreds of thousands to fight, to bleed, and
to die to vindicate the honor OF that flag and
to punish those who insulted it; when we are
all ready to eulogize Gen. Dix for that mem
orable dispstch-"If any man tears down the
American flag shoot him on the spot"-it is
not wonderful that such an unfortunate act
as that OF Mr.. Latham, on such a day aud at
such time, should have stirred the indigna
nation of our people to its lowest depth.
But our object in this article is to speak of
another point alleged "rule" or "regu-
latlon" of the road, under which no flags of
any sort. except the ordinary road signal',
shall at any time be displayed. We assume
that this talk about such regulation and its
application to the casa in hand, is all fiction
3 "a sheer afterthought to excuse an inexcus-
able act. Our reasons for this assumption we
will give, and in doing 80, we do not propose
to deny that Mr.. Latham my have thought he
would be sheltered by some such rule-real
or alleged-as we here refer to.
Ga Tuesday Mr.. Bailey, the Superinter-
dent of the road-an intelligent English gen.
tlemaD, who makes his headquarters at Mon
treal--calle upon us, and we had with him
half hours free, familiar conversation upon
this very matter. Mr.. B. spoke of the "regu-
lations,' and said in effect that the company
could not censure the act without condem-
ming their own rules but before the CONVEX
sation closed he frankly stated that In Canada
1t was very common thing, on the G. T., to
carry fags-English, French and American,
on gala days, and that sometimes the engines
and trains would be completely decorated
with them. He further said that the "rules"
prescribed the position on the trains where
the train signals should be set, and that tie
flag taken down by Mr.. Latham was not in
the Mace of tram sguaI UvusU fsoU scssss
to accident by being nlisaken for such a signal.
Mr. Bailey further said, that the flag in
question was put in its place by Mr.. Gould,
the senior conductor on the road; that Mr..
Gould was careful, prudent, faithful officer,
who knew his duty and how to consult the
safety of the trains; that he had had more ex-
pe-ience in running trains than Mr.. Latham,
and that the other trains on that day, both
freight and passenger, were decked with flags,
which remained undisturbed.
The only signals used on the train are
three in number and perfectly plain ,-one
white, another green and another red,-and it
would seem as though any man who can mis-
take an American flag for one of these is not
at to be employed on a railroad.
Some three or four. years since Mr.. Latham
removed similar flag from train Of which
he was conductors flag put up by the En-
gineer,-for which act he was discharged by
the Superintendent and while Mr.. Latham at
tempts to shield himself from the odiun of
that act BY pleading the regulations" we un-
derstand from authority that cannot be ques-
toued, that there ,oas no such rule of the
road in existence. Probably the rules have
not been changed since; or II they have been,
IL may have been in Difference to The numerous
secessionists who make Canada their base.
The removal of the flag on Monday was
not, therefore, prompted by any scrupulous re
spect for the @ruler" of the road. 1t is an in.
suit to the intelligence of our people to put
forth any such plea. There were flags dis
played on the trains at the same time which
Mr.. Latham did not attempt to remove he
was too prudent q man for that. The proba-
intention Of dshonoring the flag, wished to
exercise little brief authority, and give de
fnonstrative evidence in the face of those who
had once deposed and exulted over hizrfor
similar act, that he could ROW remove an
American flag, and refuse it 1t a floating place
upon the car, in spite of them, and do it with
impunity; and il he thought of consequences
n al 10 ho folt
quite certain that, under present management,
no such act would disturb his relations with
the corporation by which he is employed. 1t
was foolish act, for which he has been Sc
verely handled, and while, as we have before
said, we offer no apology for the lawless act, |
we trust Mr.. L. has learned good lesson, and |
that hereafter he will take other and less ex-
ceptionable methods to exhibit his official inn
portance. And we hope, too, that he may
hereafter be allowed to pursue his way unmo-
Tested, and that any further attempt at mob
manifestations may meet the prompt check
which it deserves.
One word and we have done. We would
kindly suggest to the managers of the Grand
Trunk. that great care is needed on their mart
10 retain the good feeling towards their enter
PRISE which we should be sorry to see disturb
90 ~ our city and state. As we told Mr.. Bal.
1ey' Engilshmen may think our people undulv
sensitive, but when they shall have bled as wa
nave ior iour years. to uphold the honor and
dignity OF their flag, and to save their na,;on,s
hie' they may become more appreciative of
this constituencies. Our people have not vet
forgotten the story, never contradicted that
when an expatriated traitor arrived in Mon
treal from Halifax, he was sent by specia,
train and pri0ate car to Windsor,-an act on
the part OF Mr.. Bridges which could be inter
preted only as an insult to our country, on
whose friendly soR was one important tarmi- |