The Portland daily press., 1866-01-02
The Leopard Changing His SHOTS.


For four years, or al through the late war,
the Democratic papers, politicians and party
took the ground that the President derived no
new power from the war, that nearly all his
acts were those of usurpation, that he had no
power to coerce State, and they are even
now soldering over Mr.. Duchanan's late apol-
ogy for the rebellion, though he took decided
ground, and in that book seeks to defend it,
that the President had no power to invoke
force to put down forcible resistance of the
Constitution and laws of the land Even the
Democratic Convention that met in Augusta
il. 1861 the very day that the news came of
the death of the gallant Lyon ir Missouri, and
with the news fresh before them, passed
resolution which read as follows:
Resolued, That we are unequivocally opposed to
the present war, anu in favor of efforts TO secure I'M
mediate peace. e'
An effort was made to amend this resolu-
ton, by inserting after the word war" the
words-"ercept so far as may be necessary to
"enforce the constitution and la,cs ofthe land,
sand to suppress rebellion" but this amend
ment was voted down by decided majority.
This was Maine Democracy-the Democracy
supported by the Argus, in 1861. War then was
usurpation, though employed by the President
to save the nation from overthrow. Whether
the Democracy of this State improved in its
tone, and became any more loyal during the
lifetime Of the late President, or before the
war closed, we need not say. Its acts are
part of the political history of the State, and
cannot be rubbed out. a-
The Chicago Convention which nominated
Gen. Mcclellan, took substantially the same
ground the Maine Convention had TAKEN
Mr.. Vallandigham was on the committee on
Resolutions, and subsequently asserted that
he gave tone to the whole series. In those
resolutions the war for four years was de-
clared failure" and the President was
charged with assuming "a war power higher
than the constitution" the constitution was
declared to have been "disregarded in every
part" the rights of the States to have been
impaired, and the administration was accus-
ed OF "usurpation of extraordinary and dan
gerous powers, not granted in the constitu-
tion," and much more of the same kind.
At that time not rebel State Government
had been successfully set aside except in Ten
nessee, by the appointment of Andrew .John.
con 90 prov,s;onai covornor 81 -
''- Noi' anu III LOUISE
ana, where Gen. Shepley exercised similar
functions.
Sucb xvere tho oo,,.sa ,,;,.,,-.
| cy of the Democratic party all throuob tho
war--up to its final close by the surrender of
Lee and johnson. al.l.
But presto. To-day we find them timing
their voices to new kev-note. Senator cub,
rie of Kentucky, has made a sneeeb and tbe
Democratic papers are in ecstac;es ovo- - :.
Referring to President Johnson,s wbo,esa,a
| overthrow of rebel State governments ond 60
ting up of Provisional Governments in tbe;r
stead, Mr.. Guthrie saws: a-a aa2. II. =.
| Iknou - hoe hoo, s,;a a., a., - 80 .
| had no authority to do these thinoe' + read
| the Constitution and laws of this country
dlnerenty. he IS to take care that the laws
s,,rraot;o', d Sna nc n u 70 suppress IN