The Portland daily press., 1866-08-30
1S56-1S66.


meeting that ever took place in Maine was
the. Democratic gathering of 1856, when the
proslavery patriots of the State met in coun-
cir' to listen to j. P. Benjamin, the Oily Gam
mon, and Howell Cobb the Ajax, of the
Southern Democratic Party. These gentlemen
addressed the people of Portland in Deering
Hall on the 8th of August 1856. Every one
will recollect how Cobb rolled up his sleeves
and thrashed about the stage and showed his
gums and mouthed his words, as he "instruct-
ed" to use the words of the chairman, the
people of Name Gin those great principles
which you and have always cherished."-
Every one, too, can call to mind the chaste,
smooth and persuasive style of oratory.
with which Mr.. Benjamin delighted his audi.
ence and many will recollect the speech which
he made in the evening, which the Argus,
when challenged by the Advertiser, dared not
publish, on account of the unpalatable senti-
ments it contained. The same men who were
on the platform of the same hall, on Friday
and Saturday evenings last, were present at
the meeting of 1866. The same shouts of
applause that greeted Mr.. Doolittle's pettifogg-
ing arguments. and were not entirely withheld
from Montgomery Blair's questionable utter
ances, were poured from the same Threats in
1856 in approving welcome of the sentiments
OF Benjamin and Cobb. The Argus, half era
zy with delight at the splendid success of the
meeting announced the downfall ofhe Republic
can party, with its "Morrillism" and "disrn-
ion" and called upon the people to rally around
the standard of Cobb and Benjamin, just as it
calls now upon the people to rally to the SUD-
port of Doolittle and Blair Buchanan was
the ultimate perfection of statesman and a
patriot, just as "Our Noble President is now
the only possible savior of our nation from de-
struction. The Republican party was then,
as now, accused of attempting to dissolve the
Union, and in the Democratic party. now
transformed into the "National Union Party,
is now, as then, declared to be the only hone
OF salvation for the country.
Cobb and Benjamin, the speakers at that
meeting, were among the most influential
leaders in secession, and Buchanan, the idol
OF the hour, was the most useful tool of seq es-
sfonIsts and the most distinguished traitor in
the North. Cobb is-no one knows ,vbero.
benjamin is in exile, and Buchansn's evil ma
ture thrivcs under the meri.ed contempt of
his countrymen. Of the officers of that meet
ing who are now living, nearly all are in sym.
pathy with the new party, and they may do
well to look back and bender what will no
w
Ihere are, however, two notable exceptions.
Judge Clifford is removed from the arena of
politics, and General Shepley, who called the
meeting to order, has achieved in the ranks of
the great loyal party, that distinction to which
his patriotism, always unquestioned, and his
exalted talents now more widely recognized
than ever, fairly entitle him. The people
were warned in 1856 of the factious and de-
moralizing tendency of the principles and
practice of the Democratic party. Can it be
doubted, when we see the same men at the
head of the new party, cooperating with pre-
cisely the same class of leaders and supported
by the same newspapers, that they have SINH
lar wicked designs, that their talk about
Union is now, as then, mere pretence, sort
OF platform by which they hope to again lift
themselves into power and to secure that as
cendancy which the southern aristocracy SO
long maintained in the national councils
Have they given up one iota of their former
prejudices? Do they not love slavery as well
as ever9 They have, under compulsion, given
up the name, but do they not openly declare
that they will restore underline State laws.
substantially the same system? Do they not
prosecute and murder Union men, and do
they not whip and shoot negroes2 Are they
not as intolerant as ever of sentiments of lib
erty and freedom? Do they not justify the
President in his opposition to the wishes of
the people, as represented in the Congress of
their own election? Have they learned any,
thing more of the principles of freedom and
republican form of government? Have they
abated one jot of their arrogance towards the
people of the North? Montgomery Blair
threatens us with civil war, unless we support
the Presidents policy, just as the whole set of
Southern politicians threatened us with dis
union, if Kansas was not admitted as slave
State. The nature of the beast is not chang
ed. The VOLTS ears still stick out from
under the Sleeps clothing. Let us not be
too much in a hurry to trust these smooth
tongued politicians with the power which
they once perverted to secure the Obstruction
of the nation and the ascendancy of the slave
ocracy.
The chairman of that meeting in his OPEN
ing speech said of the republican party
"when they called their convention for the
nomination of Presidential candidates. thew
proceeded at the outset ON the idea that this
Union is dissolved They only asked the CO.
operation of sixteen States, and now that thew
have put their candidates in nomination, thew
appeal to those sixteen States to elect those
of the other States are your enemies, which is |
q practical dissolution of the Union"
Who does not 1ecolect the currency of this
'allacy? Because reign of terror render
ID it impossible in the South to hold
Republican conventions, the election of |
even constitutionally, the North
I'm States would be a practical dissolution of |
The Union" So now, because the war mas |
prevented the election of members from those |
States to Congress, the Congress now existing |
IS unconstitutional, Rump, changing on the
verge ofthe government" To be sure the Presi-
lent has proclaimed that peace exists, but the
Memphis and New Orleans riots tell a differ
mt story. Peace will not exist until all men
# all shades of color and opinion can meet to-
ether and express their opinions and EXCHANGE
IDEAS in the Southern cities, with as little dan.
er of molestation as the Northern copperheads
md Southern rebels met at Philadelphia and
'ould, and did meet, during the whole war.
n every northern city.
The Argus, in concluding its glowing ac-
cunt OF the meeting of August It'll, 1856,
hus enthusiastically addressed Its party. As
is very pretty piece of rhetoric and our
eighbor's files were destroyed by the fire. we
eproduce the most interesting parts of the
aragraph for his benefit and recommend him
I | .