The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-10-12
which side are the soldiers on

which side are the soldiers one
The National Intelligencer challenges an
answer to this question by publishing a cata-
logue of distinguished officers, "who suppol
the restoration policy of the President" AL
the head of the list is the name of General
Grant who said not long ago, 'No man living
is authorized to speak for me in political mat
ters." Next comes Gen. Sherman, who SAYS
he never voted but once, and that was for Blu
chanan, and that he has since become salts
he'd that anybody who was fool enough to do
that hadn't sense enough to exercise the cleo
tive franchise, and has DISTINGUISHED himself.
There is Sheridan who supports the Presidents
policy very oddly, by writing down the Presi-
dents friends in New Orleans murderers and
assassins. There is Sickles, who refused to sign
the call for the Presidents convention at
Cleveland. And by the way, alter the Cleve-
land failure, one would have thought reput-
able papers, such as the Intelligencer used to
be, would have had very lit Q to say about the
soldiers who favor Mr.. Johnson's theories
The Cleveland Convention was designed t.
accomplish two things: to entitle its members
to Executive gratitude, and to give color to
the pretence that the soldiers as class, were
disposed to accept President Johnson's auto
cratic notions respecting the form of govern
ment under which we live. The primary OBJ
ject was attained; the second was put out of
sight BY the appearance of the soldiers them
selves in great numbers at Pittsburg 1t has
been urged by Copperheads who had nothing
better to say, that the Pittsburg convention
was only an imitation, and so it was, as The
Union army was an imitation of the rebel
force. "In the same way" says the Detroit
Post, seen. Grant was plagiarism on Gen.
Lee, Sherman copy of Hood, the monitors
model after the iron plated scows OF the
Confederate navy" The truth is, it was a
counter demonstration, and a magnificent
one. The whole number of delegates present
at Cleveland, as reported from the official rolls
by "Dixon" of the Boston Advertiser, was
531. The Argus understands thai some thou
sands were present, but the guess ofan anony-
nous informant can hardly stand against the
evidence of the rolls themselves. At Pitts
burg there were ten or fifteen thousand of the
boys in blue. The Portland Advertiser how
ever called the convention "a small affair."
The World gives up the point of numbers,
and naturally falls into its old habit of abus-
ing tho soLliers who met at Pittsburg. Ac-
cordins to the World, there was ''hardly one
fighting s older in the Pittsburg lot-plunder-
ers some, blunderers others, hungry politicians
ALL it was "a collection Of cerulean charla-
tans and indigo mpostors-so-called soldiers
who saw and snuhed the battle from aiar, and
generally from the doors and windows of some
suffers shop" This is all perfectly natural.
A correspondent of the Argus last spring. we
remember, spoke of the soldiers who attend
ed the Bangor convention as "suppliants with
out manness, beggars without gratitude" A
Southern paper ofthe same stripe lately spoke
of Gen. Sheridan as SHE disgrace of an hon
est father" and another styles Gen Carl
Schurz a ''squash-headed, fop-eared, beer
swilling, garlic-eating, negro loving German
convict" Gen. Grant and Gen Sheridan
have received similar marks of distinguished
consideration, as was to be expected. for did
not the August convention at Philadelphia re-
solve to recognize the services of the Union
soldiers?
Here is little passage from the Rev. Mr..
Nasby's account OF his experiences at Cleve-
Land, which answers well enough 10 convey
the prevailing opinion respecting majority
OF the delegates assembled there:
One enthusiastic individual, who he'd bin
Quartermaster years and he'd bin allowed tn
resign 'jest after the battle, mother" witch, hav-
ing his papurs all destroyed, made settlin with
the Government an easy MATTER wuz SO feros-
hus that felt called upon to chek him. Gen
tly, my friend" sed I; gently! / hev bin thru
this thing Il hav my commishun. 1t broke
out ON me jest ez it haz on yu, but yu wont git
your Assessorship mint sooner fur it," a
1t amt Assessorship, I want says he; 81
hev devoted myself to the task nv bindin up
the wounds Nv my beloved country"
Did you stop anybody very much from in
hictin them said wounds?" murmured T.
An eft accept the Post Orfiss in my natiy
village, which hev bin solisited so strongly to
take that hav finally yielded, do it only that
l may devote my few remaining energies hol-
ly to the graf cause NV restorin the SO Stats to
there normal posishens ontu the flag with So
stars onto it, in spite NV the Jewdis Iskariots
iss .- am WHOM wat Is the 0alVor'and whar
Perseving that the unfortunate man he'd got
1ntu the mlddel Nv quotashen from speech
NV our noble and patriotik President and know.
Ing Ills lAtClck w uZu QOu1Y 6nuH to Gpt if off
jist az it waz originally delivered, 1 TUX him by
the throte and shut off the fluid of his eio-
kence.
BE quiet yu idiot" remarked 1 soothingly
to him, you'll git yur appointment, becoz fur
the furst time in the history Nv this or any
other Republic, there's market for jest SIGH
men ez 700, but all this blather won't fetch it in
a mint sooner" s,
"Good Lord!' thot /, ez turned away, "wot
President A. j. is to heT to buy up sich cat
q fuaGs he not a or,.,
lral cussedness turns any stummuck!"
Yet Gen. Custar, who was the heart and
soul and ringlets and other feminine elements
OF the convention, has recently confessed that
he could net stand the nomination of down.
right Copperheads for Congress. He would
not advise his former comrades to vote against
such fellows, but for himself he was fee TO
say he couldn't vote fer them!
In Pennsylvania there is large body Of
soldiers who adhere to the fortunes of the
democracy; we mean the deserters. The
democrats have been urging them to come TO
'ue pohs' and arguing the case with their u.s.
u''i ingenious lunacy. The Republicans have
w ~ etuahy determined to keep them away.
ne.e nas never been the slightest doubt as
10 winch side they would be found On Our
friends IN this State had the same tro,l,Io II,
Naples, ana elsewhere. Gen. Forres, .1o 90,
thor of the Fort Pillow massacre u,os 49, ~,
author of a note addressed to the ho.-,
Cleveland. No such note was received :.
Pittsburg. The main body Of the Northern
army unquestionably is not yet ready to Aft
late with such villains as Forrest, OF to trust
their fair professions unmatched by suitable
works Of repentance.