The Portland daily press., 1865-10-23
Not so very Inexplicsble, after All.

John Van Buren,, that model of political
consistency and harlequin of the Tammany
circus, recently made speech in New York,
from which we extract the following: ttsi
Now wonder, that some of these clerical
Republicans, who are always looking for the
finger cfProvidence, do not see what a pecul-
lar dispensation this is, that no Democrat ev-
er died IN the Office, and no Federalist ever
lived IN 1t. Extraordinary as has been the
watchful care of Providence over the United
States, from the first germ of the Revolution
to the last sign Of the Rebellion, in no other
way has that Providence been more conspicu-
GUS than in the care and persistency with
which the people have been saved from the
progress of Federalist dominion. Kan
In regard to President JOHNSON himself, it
is often said that he may die. My answer to
that is, "f he is Democrat he won't die.'-
No Democrat ever died in the Presidential Of
flee. General HAIR
RIsoN, General TAYLOR, and Mr.. L NCoLE
have been elected each one Of them died
in the Presidential office, and the Vice Presi-
dent who succeeded administered the Office
upon Democratic principles.
s'Prince John" considers this smart. Wav-
ing all notice of his false classi6cations, by
which he converts some of the truest Demo-
Gratis into Federalists and vice Uersd, we wish
only to call attention to his suggestion about
the peculiar dispensation" which took of
three good men, all ofwhom happened to be-
offensive to the strengthening, Union-de-
stroying, freedom-hating Democrats OF the
South. Mr.. Van Buren, talks as though it
was singular and inexplicable, that Democrats
in high office should all live, while those OPP
posed to the Democrats should all die.
Not so very inexplicable, after all. When
Democrats have been elected to Office the op-
posite party have bowed submissively to the
popular verdict, acting upon Mr.. Jeferson's
idea of absolute acquiescence in the will of the
majority" Not SO when they have succeeded.
Then an insubordinate spirit has been devel-
oped, and death has closed the career Of the
men whom the majority's will had elevated to
office. s
There are thousands and tens of thousands
to-day, who believe, and not without fair
show of reason, that Harrison and Taylor were
murdered-poisoned-b the agency Of South
ern slaveholding conspirators just as much as
Lincoln was by the knife of a rebel; and they
believe, too, that the National Hotel poison
ing in 1857 was brought about by the same
agency, to kill of Buchanan and prepare
Breckenridge to step into the dead mans shoes,
the authors of the plot not knowing how
good a friend the President was to be to them.
We confess we are not of those who sympa-
thise in the explanation here given of the orr
gin of that singular disease, or of the deaths Of
Presidents Harrison and Taylor.
1t is quite plain to our mind that Gen. Har-
rison was killed by his indiscreet though we'll
meaning friends. He was single-hearted, pure,
and unused to the pressure brought to bear
upon new President, and his health and bod
lily powers broke down beneath the anxiety,
annoyance and pressure with which he found
himself surrounded.
Gen. Taylor-we ask those who doubt to
read the account published at the time-died
of the lancet and pill-box of kind physician,
whose anxiety for his illustrious patient led
hirn-or them-to deplete beyond the pow
ers of nature to bear. b wAm
In the case of Lincoln the matter is perfect
~ plain. He fell victim to outright Demo
cratic assassination. Booth was as much an
instrument in the hands of the leading Demo-
Gratis at Richmond, as the fatal pistol was an
instrument in his own hand. He but acted
out the spirit with which Democrats { y had
inspired him. The shot from Boston Corbett's
rifle silenced him; the shot from the freemen's
ballot-boxis fast silencing his principals. (
Mr.. Van Buren's suggestion is really sug-
gestive Perhaps it means that all Presi-
dents, not of the Democratic party, are
to follow those who died in Office No doubt
this result will follow if the Booth Democracy
can find tools to do their internal work.