The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-02-09

Hea tough customer, and had last voted
against the amendment, being one of the A.
teen whose names win figure on the pages Of
this days proceedings with an Immortality
not to be coveted. So he calls again-"three
cheers for the Old Constitution But they
came with hearty will. Glorious days had
been seen under the old Constitution-but
they have passed away. Al new era has be-
gun. The brilliancy of the Constitution as 1t
is 10 be, will eclipse all the splendor of it as It
aoas-and all the Copperheads North and
Sonth will not succeed in furnishing its lustre
by the faintest flicker of an expiring taper.
AS corollary to the veneration for the old
Constitution, Mr.. Hersey called for cheers for
the venerable parchment as amended. And
SO they went on. The sage Representatives
and Senators of the State were lost for the
time in a delirium of joy. The venerable
Blair, when he felt the weeping embrace as
he reached Richmond, was not more fully
carried away with the great event which look
ed to successful result of his mission, than
were these "grave and reverend seigniors," as
they pondered on this great day.
Then came short speeches. Messrs. Weston,
Webb, Blake and Peters of Bangor, Barker,
Williams and others, poured out their full
hearts on the occasion, and the response with
the patriotic men around, were unanimous
and hearty, as the event celebrated was tran
scendently grand.
When voices were hoarse, and eyes unused
to weep, were suffused with the touch that
reaches them from the emotions of the heart,
the "Doxology" was called for, and "Praise
God from whom all blessings fow," never
welled up from the soul of man, with more
zeal and JUNCTION, than it did at this moment.
It was infectious. Some of the fifteen put in,
and were willing to praise God with their
voices If not with their votes.
Thus has Maine helped to consummate the
greatest political and moral event of the age.
The curse that obscured the resplendant sun
of liberty in this land of liberty, Is to be re-
moved. America is to be in deed, what she
has claimed to be in word, for nearly centu-
ry. No longer shall history record this damn
ing sin against us. No longer in Republican
America-the land of refuge-shall it be writ
ten that it held within its bosom four millions
of men and women and children, whose bodies
might be taken to the auction block, like so
many beeves, and sold to any task master
whose purse cauld compass the numbers on
his catalogue.
A free country for all who should flock to
it, but chains and clogs for millions of those
acithin it, God forgive this nation for cher
fishing and crouching to this curse so long.
Now she has risen like giant refreshed, and
is righting this internal and long-perpetuated
wrong. Nothing in our history will ever as
tonish the student, in future ages, like this
astounding fact: that in the 18th century-the
most liberal government in the world-risen
out of suffering and wrong-should have con-
sented to the enslavement OF menl
Thank God it is overl Let the welkin ring
Following in this broad wake, as sure as auro.
ra follows the opening dawn, will come inter.
nal peace and quiet to this great land. It's
foundations, sure and stable as the law Of
right, the country will grow and expand from
sea to sea, with no accursed volcano seething
and tossing beneath its fair surface. But with
liberty and equality-slaoery forever oper-
aohetnaed and bdnished-it will go forth to con-
quer by its light and example, the love of the
good, the imitation of the far-seeing, and the
admiration of all who have faith in man to
govern and advance himself in the scale of be-
ing. PELHAM