The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-03-02
WARD CAUCUsEs.


Also, for the purpose Of selecting Delegates
from each Ward, to meet In convention to nominate
candidate to be supported or Mayor ut tn, ensuing
Per order of City Committee.
s Feb 26-td. .oL ia1bis9q4 o. Ho'aH sdf .-'
r SAL 10 aI3
rqsh q The Question Of the Future.
Whatever may have been the intention of
President johnson in his recent speech, it is
evident that certain prominent men will at
temptto use it for the Inauguration of new
party; or rather, they win attempt to revive
the old pro-slavery democratic party, under
new name. Giuiy gilassia lar ylL5l39.i
That such design has been formed, and
. that certain politicians have for some time
been maturing their plans for 1t, are facts
that are well known. Whether the President
has been party to the scheme has been a
matter of conjecture If he has, we should
should suppose that his speech, and that of
Mr.. Seward at New York, were in part per-
formance Of a secret programme previously
arranged, if the development of the plot were
not so obviously premature. IF the wires
could have been manipulated u, secret another
year, tits possible that sufliciept number of
Northern men could have been reached to
weaken, and perhaps seriously endanger the
success of the Republican party. But to un-
cover the conspiracy at this stageof Il, makes
its defeat certain and easy. The party that
carried 1.-THE country triumphantly through the
four years of war was never stronger than it
is to-day; never more united; never more de-
gtermined that the rebels, to conquer whom
q has cost so much of treasure and of blood,
shall not again have. the control of the gov
ernment they attempted to destroy. The idea
of dividing the loyal masses of the North
on this question is so futile that it is difficult
. to believe that such a man as Mr.. Seward
would entertain it. Southern politicians,
whether they have arisen from the slavehold-
ing class or from the "poor whites, !" may not
yet understand the North, Though one would
think they might have learned some lessons
during the past five years. But that any in
telHgent Northern man could expect to sue
coed by going to the country on this issue, at
this, time, can hardly be credited. sm H
n For the issue presented in, the Presidents
harangue is simply this,--Shail Southern reb-
els, avhona zoe haze been fighting for four yea, s,
,oc be aaconditi itioaGity restored to poseer .
Shall they who have dons vrrsytnmg they
could TO 0rerthrosO the, government, now be
permitted to control it? Shall they who have
murdered our sons and our brothers, by scores
Of thousands, after having forfeited, By their
treason, not only all political rights, but all
right even to RDe in the country, be permitted,
with their hatred toward US intensified by
their defeat, to return to their old places OF
power, to accomplish there, with the aid OF
Northern copperheads, what they failed to do
/ by the sword? This question, stated in diff
ferent forms, is the real one that is before
Congress and the country. And, strange as it
| may seem, President johnson seems to favor
such restoration for them. This is claimed to
be "his policy of reconstruction" and If he
and his coadjutors attempt to form party, it
will be upon this platform. 1t needs no
prophet to foretell for it a miserable failure
Not en- this rock can the Republican party be
split. ,sinI : ssiil,ssa sfj T. ,,l oe
There are minor questions, incidental to
this, on which there is some difference of
opinion among loyal men. Such is the ques-
tion of suffrage for the negro. While ma
jority of the North, we believe, are in favor Of
giving the ballot to the eolored race, not only
in justice to them, but as means of weaken
ing the power. of the rebels, there Is not that
unanimity on this question at the North
among men of undoubted patriotism, that we
might desire. And il these new political con-
spiritors had been shrewd enough to keep
still and bide their. time, they might possibly
have been able to push this suffrage question
into the foreground, and thus divide and dis
tract the North. ss8Tq9g % sf1lssiisiLras .fol
L But the same madness that precipitated the
rebellion in 1860. springing from the same
source, now precipitates the question of "res-
toration." This is the burden of the Presi-
dents veto message, and of his recent speech.
This is the cry of every unrepentant rebel in
the South, and Of all their abettors and sym
pathizers in the North. Generals and Colo
nels in the army of the rebellion are now Gov
emors, Legislators, and Judges in States which
they have reorganized. Men whose hands are
red with the blood of their murdered country
men are knocking for admission to the halls Of
Congress. Such are the men who are the
noisiest advocates Of President Johnson's
policy" who clamor the loudest for ,.ncondi-
tiondlrestoration. On this issue the loyal North
win stand in solid column, despite the se-
ductions Of patronage, or the menaces Of pow
cr. The thousands Of brave men who up
held the honor OF our flag on so many bloody
fields win not now consent to surrender il
into the hands of traitors. And the other
thousands, not less patriotic, who encouraged
and sustained them through the conflict, will
now stand with them at the ballot box; and
the people will redeem the broken promise Of
the President, by teaching the enemies Of