The Portland daily press., 1865-08-14
THE ISSUES OF THE HOUR.

Ef1E ISSUES OF TEE dOUh. .tt
Atno time in the history of our country
have there been more questions, or questions
of more importance, before the public mind,
calling for prompt, decisive, yet judieious prac
teal solution, than at the present hour. For
four years the great concern of the country
has been for its own salvation. All true men
have said, by act if not in word, let US first
settle the question that we have a country, one
and indivisible, and then it viii be time
enough to make issues on questions of com
paratively minor Importance. To give practi-
cal and emphatic solution to this one question,
loyal men have steadfastly and persistenty kept
their eye upon the common enemy and the
common danger; the common enemy in the
South and North-the rebels in arms and
their sympathi2erS not in arms; the southern
wing of the rebel army under Lee, and the
northern wing under Copperhead chiefs-but
all having a common bond of interest;
common sympathy, common hope and a
common object.
But the war has passed away. Lee has sur
rendered gracefully; his northern allies hold
out in their hostility to republican principles
and good government based on equal rights,
disgracefully. We have come to point now
where no great fear need be apprehended;
where only guerrilla warfare at the North, as
well as at the South, requires to be looked
after by sharpshooters and cavalry squads
The time has come now when there can be no
excuse for ignoring or lodging any question of
great practical concern, whether political,
moral, financial, economical or commercial
Any question now, touching the best inter
ests OF the vital prosperity of the pub
lie, coming legitimately within the puryiew
of political action, should be fairly and square
ly met and discussed and treated according to
its merits and its demands.
1t was in this spirit, and impressed with
this idea, that the resolutions of the late
State Convention were prepared by the COM
mittee which reported them to that body. We
make this statement, and do SO with empha-
sis, and with full consciousness of all that it
implies, notwithstanding Copperhead paper,
after publishing the resolutions, heads an ar
ticle in relation to the convention and its
platform with the reckless statement, printed
in full face:
F'N0 Dem md for Retrenchmeat--No De-
ntGnd for Equal TarntiOn-N0 Enforcement
Of President JOhIason's Standardization"
or course this is put forth for party effect;
and as it is the policy, long established,
of papers of the Copperhead persuasion to
keep their readers misinformed on all ques-
tions Of this nature, we do not expect any
truthful word or explanation in our power to
offer, will ever find its way ITO a Copperhead
mind through any organ of that party.
The committee of the recent State Conven-
ton, on resolutions, consisted of sixteen gen
tlemen, one from each county in the State -
and for three hours this committee was to-
gether in digesting the series reported to and
adopted by the convention. nal8 u
During this protracted session they were not
engaged in quarreling over bones of conten-
ton; they were not laboring to reconcile diff
erences on questions either of policy or prin-
ciple; they were not troubled with dissen-
sions or confictings opinions on questions of
vital or other interest
The facts were these: A large number of
resolutions was laid on the table. As soon as
the committee were organized, the chairman
called upon the members to lay before the
committee such resolutions as they were de-
sirous of having acted upon, and the result
was that at least three Iona series of resolves
were forth coming, besides several single reso-
lntions, making perhaps thirty or forty in all
These covered not only the subjects involved
in those finally adopted, but a great variety of
other subjects, financial, political, &c.
What was to be done? To take IN everv
important subject would require series Of
suchinordinate length that few persons would
ever take the trouble to read them. There
mus be limit. What should it be? The
committee, by common consent, adopted this
grouid: that all subjects in relation to which
there's perfect unity of sentiment, and on
whiclmo issue can be raised, might safely be
omittd.
For Example. There was one resolution de-
mandins the most rigid economy in the ad-
minlstraam Of all national and state affairs,
tne reuuct1n OF the army to the smallest lin
It's consisted with public safety. and such a
financial poicy as shall tend to bring a naner
uOnar up 70 the value of gold dollar and the
earliest practicable resumption of specie nav
ments, but tlen it was said that all wero :,
favor of thesepropositions that thew are COM.
mon platitude4; that every Union man stand.
BY them and will insist upon them. and the
opposition can make no issue on these points
because Union men will go as far as they in
that direction. For this reason, and this
alone, the matter was allowed to pass without
cumbering the resolutions with it.
ARCHER example. A resolution was before
the committee touching the subject of nation
al aiidsstate burdens, setting forth that taxes
should Ne made equal, but that to do this the
nauonaf taith must be held invioIate. To this
every honest man agrees. No Union man dis
sea's nom the proposition. The only ques-
! tion u as to the best mode of reaching the
eVll-7telt by all-without infiicting blow up-
on the faith of the nation. No controversy
can beset up on this point. No issue can he