The Portland daily press., 1866-11-23
The Era Of Good Feeling.
PORTLAND,

The Era Of Good Feeling.
We have heard ad nauseam OF the holiness
of the Democratic party, and certainly we had
canse in the recent canvass to admire its
courageous consistency-perhaps outrageous
consistency would be more exact-though at
the expense of its discretion. Ii anything
were wanting to prove the completeness OF the
rout which this forlorn remnant OF a once
powerfukparty has just experienced, the pan
ic which prevails in its disordered ranks, the
headlong retreat from its chosen positions, the
wild abandonment of its standards, sufficient
Iy mark the. nature of the event. The Port
land Advertiser pronounced the defeat final
and fatal" and gave up its daily edition at
once. The Chicago Times proposes to "cut
loose from the hybrid johnson concern" and
advocate impartial suffrage The Washing
ton Star advises the Southern States to ratify
the pending amendment to the Constitution,
before worse conditions are rendered The
Boston Post is for impartial suffrage, and the
Buffalo Advertiser is fol- the amendment.
The Portland Argus is on the fencetwth both
legs Oh the side OF impartial suffrage. Presi-
dent johnson himself, if we may credit his
official organ, is preparing to abandon the
johnson party and Guido Sumner, Wilson,
Banks, ct ais. for negro rights and impartial
justice
This is encouraging The political millen-
mum has undoubtedly arrived. The Demo-
crat and the Negro will lie down together and
there will be only one party throughout the
land The Southern States are to confer the
elective franchise impartially upon all their
citizens and everybody is as happy, and the
country is as safe as Mr.. Seward himself could
possibly desire. There are some creatures 50
constituted as to like being beaten and kicked
Spaniels, for instance, and dough-faces. The
excessive admiration OF Northern Democrats
for the cotton aristocracy in the good, old
times, was VIGOROUSLY due to the high
and mighty way in which the Southern
gentry used to carry themselves towards
their humble followers. To be cursed by
Toombs, snubbed by Davis, Or hustled by Wig
fall was glory and honor enough for the
Coxes, and Vallandighams, and Woods. The
drubbing which has just been administered to
the same people at the polls has had its nat
ural effect. They are seized with sudden
and praiseworthy admiration of the Republi
can policy, and as that policy is fold, EN-.
bracing the constitutional amendment aad
impartial suffrage, we find the Democratic
party declaring a part for one and part fol-
the other of these great measures, with nota.
bic impartiaiity.
Captious people look with some suspicion
upon the movement, and even pretend to see
danger In it. They note sharply that the talk
about impartial suffrage is not only coupled
with condition, which under the specious
name Of universal amnesty seems likely to
send perjured traitors to Washington to make
laws for us, hut is to be Lett entirely TO the ac-
ton efthe States, according to the programme
OF these vyacious new converts. No! say
these incorrigible Ra4 icals, if we are to have
impartial suffrage, let us have it in the shape
OF constitutional amendment which cannot
be repealed next year. Let us be sure of it
Let us be sure too, OF the amendments which
blot out the rebel debt and insure the pay
ment OF our own. Let the men who led the
Southern people such a dance of death,
il they really want peace and harmony,
retire from public lie nor seek to affiict us
with their presence in our national councils
Let the citizenship ofevery native or natural
lied American be declared and defined in our
Great Charter. We voted for the amendment,
and we cannot surrender its principles now.
Was ever such obstinacy? These Radicals,
who voted for the amendment under the i'm
preston that it was just and generous, are
actually disposed to insist upon it after carry
ing only sixteen States out of eighteen which
have voted. They are willing however to
make some concession. They will accept the
Democratic suggestion about impartial suf
frage, and insist upon that too President
johnson has issued bulletin announcing his
strong desire for impartial suffrage in the Dis
tlict of Columbia. We hope Congress will
crafty him promptly. II is wise to make
some trifing concession of this sort for the
sake of harmony and cordial understanding
between the two branches of the government.
Mr.. johnson understands now, we believe,
that Congress is part of the government