The Portland daily press., 1866-08-25
The Opening Scene in the johnson Farce


The great copper.johnson circus which has
so long been expected, had it's first perform
ance last eyiuing Every effort was made to
secure a large. attendance. Advertisements in
the reconstructed newspapers and handbills
an the streets had for some days announced
the great attractions of the evening, the pres
ence of the chairman of the Philadelphia Con-
sehelon, the splendid music and the great OBJ
Jec' 70 strengthen the hands Of our noble and
pa.riotic resident" More than this, some
Kfihba11 anu sline iiaaainiduals named C. P.
invitations printed on fine, satin note paper to
private persons to attend the meeting with la
dies and listen to the speeches of Messrs. Doo-
little and Parsons and thereby strengthen the
hands of Sc, Sc. The exact connection be-
tween the listening and the strengthening was
not explained. These invitations were distrib-
uted among the elite Of the city, and doubtless
q large gathering of the nobs was expected
to result from this original manoeuvre. At an
early hour the band began to play in front of
the main entrance Of the hall and by half past
seven there must have been at least one hum
dred peopld collected together to listen to the
music of the Portland Band which was very
good. By eight o'clock the narrow quarters
assigned to the Convention were filed and
Deering Hall may be said to be fairly packed.
There were about twenty ladies on the stage
The Republicans-that is those who have uni
formly acted with the Union Republican par
ty-were very scarce upon the stage, though
many had been invited. We do not believe
there were a dozen Republicans in the hall
who sympathized with the meeting, though
large numbers were present from curiosity to
hear and see the speakers who were to defend
the traitor to his principles, Andrew johnson.
Mr.. Charles P. Kimball called the meeting
to order and nominated Geo. F. Emery as
chairman. Mr.. Emery came forward and, as
usual, expressed himself overwhelmed by this
unexpected honor. He made few remarks
in which he apologised for the deluded breth-
rem of the South who believed honestly in the
right of secession. He then called for nomina-
tions for Secretaries to complete the organiza-
ton of the meeting. Messrs G. W. Lawrence,
Capt. E. S. Morris and Col. Hiram Rollins
were nominated and elected Secretaries The
chairman requested the gentlemen elected to
take their places on the platform, but Capt.
Morris was the only one of the three that ap-
peared. s M g.fE
In few honied words the chairman then
introduced Gov. Parsons of Alabama to the
audience, assuring them that he was a true
Union man.
Gov Parsons is quiet, sensible, gentleman
ly appearing man, but evidently lacks force OF
character. He commenced his speech by al
luding to the recent fire in this city, and, re-
marking that we who had suffered this calam-
ity could imagine perhaps what were the suf-
ferings of the southern people, but as he omit
ted to define the analogy between calamities
purely accidental, and those which are the nat
ural result of criminal war, waged against a
| lawful government, this oratorical flourish did
not meet with either the appreciation or the
applause of the audience. Failing in this hit
he entered upon the main subject of his
| speech.
| He alluded to the Constitution and the laws
| As everybody understood this catchword, the
sentence was greeted with storm of applause
| He then undertook to explain the position O
| the South. He said that there was large mi
nority, if not majority, of the southern peo
pie, who were utterly opposed to the doctrine o.
| secession. He did not condescend, however
| to explain why 1T was that this large body o.
voters failed t0.express their sentiments at the
polls, or to organize party in opposition to the
| Confederate Government which should make
its influence felt in some way to the hindrance
| of the designs of the secession leaders. MOI
did he explain why it is, that Notwithstanding
| his large pretended minority of Union men
there cannot be found in the South any suff
cient number of men, who can take the test
oath, to fill the federal offices-trom Senator Oh
Representative in Congress, to assistant assessor
| or village postmaster; nor why our reconstruct
ed brethren of the South and the late copper
heads, (now National Union men) of the
North, insist that the test oath is unconstitu
tional and ought to be repealed.
For want of the light which he should have
thrown upon this subject, his remarks met witt
no responsive applause from the audience. We
expected no different result. The people Of the
North are not sufficiently accustomed to listen
fine spun theories and the wire-drawn arru,
ments by which it is sought to Justify treason
and excuse the pusillanimity Of those Union
men of the South who have lust been called
into public life, and never were heard of until
within the last six months; who staid at theiI
homes during the whole war and never utter
ed one word of remonstrance against the re-
bellfon.
When Mr.. Parsons can satisfactorily explain
| w II m