The Portland daily press., 1865-12-23

little difference what that something Is prosi-
ded it will promote the interest and subserve
the mischievious purposes and restore in some
degree to place and power, the wicked and un-
faithful men who for four years have at best
occupied position of neutrality while their
country has been engaged in a life-and-death
struggle with rebellion; a neutrality very
much like Englands, which has not forbid
them to send out corsairs to harrass and prey
upon the friends of loyalty, of freedom and of
the Union, and to benefit only traitors and
the traitor cause.
The Republican party, we repeat, was organ
lied upon an idea-the idea of the Declaration
of Independcnce-and upon that idea it has
stood, in defence of it it has fought gigantic
warfare, and we greatly mistake its character
ifnow it will prove false to that idea, OF lend a
willing support to any policy or any man tna1
would defraud them of the just fruits oil the
struggle through which they have passed.
IF President johnson stands faithful and
true to the great principles on which ne was
nominated and elected; the principles which
he enunciateI while Military Governor OF
Tennessee. and in the absence OF which cnun-
citation be never would have received the NOM
nation If, we say, he proves faithful and true
to that idea and those principles, he viii find
himself sustained by the Republican party;
they will rally around him, sustain his acts,
uphold his hands, defend his honor, strength
en- his arms, and abandon him necer; but Il, on
the other hand, President johnson, as the
Argus intimates he may, turns away from the
great principles of freedom and true Democra-
CIV, seeks to roll back the car OF progress, to
block the way of justice, to defraud tine coun-
try OF the just fruits of its great struggle with
rebellion, then, powerful as he contessedly is,
and high in position as he is, he viii find HIM
self abandoned, and nothing under heaven
will rescue his name from dishonor. John
Tyler betrayed the trust reposed in him and
turned from the people who had elected him
to those who had opposed him, and his name
to-day, even in the absence Of his subsequent
treason, is regarded with disgust and loathing
by all high-minded and honorable men. Mil
lard Fillmore proved false to the trust reposed
in him, and sought to reverse the whole en-
ginery Of the Government, and his name has
become almost infamous. Andrew johnson
is not the traiter that John Tyler was, nor
4 yet the silnpleten that Willard Fillmore was,
and we have no fear that he wM walk-that
he has any disposition to walk-into similar
trap. a.f So ilasoIli1 ysasloj ssi % 1-s''l
, And now we say to the Argus that it may
spare all its afectionate solicitude for the
Press. The Press sustains President johnson,
and aoiH continue to do SO while he stands by
the great cardinal principles of a genuine De-
mocracy. But the Press viii not uphold cop
perheadism, nor will it do so even in President
. johnson; 50 to make US take decided ground
against him it, only necessary to satisfy us
/ beyond cavil that he has Joined himself to the
copperhead cause. Our motto is Principles
not men, a;.E -esy -s i+es., sz....{ -t.9l