The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-10-05
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Saturday Morning, October s, 1867.
POR1LAND.


| story OF a man who when asked what he had
| to say why sentence OF death should not be
passed upon him for numbering both his pa
rents, besought the court to haze mercy upon
| poor orphan. The felOn's "cheek only the
| slang word will meet a case of such sublime
| assnrance-might seem the final thing IN
that direction, and calculated TO deter asplr-
| ants tor fame in that branch of department
| from making further effort But the Demo
| Gratis are more than his peers. Having in
Voived the country in an immense indebted
ness by rebelling against the government,
| they are not asked to give their consent to be
hanged or to be punished in any way. They
are only expected to share with their loyal
| fellow countrymen the bmdens of debt and
bic. Yet they complain most bitterly and
cry for mercy, representing themselves as pau
per citizens of an impoverished and bankrupt
country. A pervadiI G snullle is observable in
all their discourse. They open not their lips
but TO speak OF fve-twenties, seven-iorties,
coupons, greenbacks, taxation, debt and ap-
preaching perdtion. No class of men are
more protuse in lachrymose defamation than
those who never paid anything but poi tax
in their lives, and when they speak OF gov
ernment bonds, know not whether they are a
kind OF sofii ,ial rope, or whether they have
something to do with the Atlantic cable.
Ihe people have forgiven the crimes of
these malcontents, and can bear their whin-
ing with a considerable degree Of Christian
charity. The Radicals have not only saved
the country from utter destruction, but share
the unpleasant effects OF the rebellion with
its authors without murmuring, having full
confidence that the debt will be speedily ex-
tinguished, and that we shall soon be enjoy
ins season of unprecedented repose and
prosperity. The state of things reminds one
Of the Virginia battle fields, where wounded
rebels lay groaning and cursing in their pain
while the multitude loyalists suffered in si-
lence.
But the Conservative lamentations and the
Conservative wrigglings and twistings to get
rid OF debt and taxation are, seriously consid-
cred, something more than tiresome. Thurs
day, cable dispatches announceda a pan
ie in fiye-twenties at Frankfort, and
decline in American securities in Lon
don. Thereupon gold advanced steadily up
ward toward 145. Every observer of current
events must have anticipated this. 1t is di-
rectly chargable upon the same men whose
unpatriotic acts alone brought it about that
we have foreign creditors and deprecated
currency. 1t was too much to expect that the
<Nrt a. olI u,
securities could remain unimpaired in view
of the financial schemes proposed within the
last few months by members and conventions
of the Democratic party, accompanied by an
impression that there is reaction in this
country in favor of that party.
Nopossbe means OF attack upon the ma
tional credit has been neglected From the
outspoken and unbushing advocacy of repu-
diatlon, of which Brick Pomroy is the expo
nent, to the more plausible devices of Pendle
ton for reaching the same base end, no way of
destroying confidence in the financial ability
of the United States has been overlooked
The only wonder is that these things have
been so long in producing their natural effect.
In order thai we not appear to charge this
new treason upon the Democratic party mere
ly by general statements, it is necessary to
enumerate some OF the more prominent finan-
cal hereses for which it is responsible. In
the first place, take the most harmless OF all
their schemes-the proposed taxation gov
ernment bonds. Ihis is indirectly a source
of distrust abroad as well as at home. 1t fas-
tens upon us the fatal stigma of bad fliIh--a
stain that comes most easily, but is as hard as
blood stain to remove. The Cretans are
patriotic and honorable men to-day, but
| cretism is still a synonym for ialSehood be-
| cause their ancestors were liars. "Punic faith"
| is still bitter taunt, though Carthage has
| been historical empire for many centuries.
| 1t would he a sad thing for "American integ
eign creditors cannot hope that government
that is urged to rob its own people, win re-
| spect its promises to aliens.
The most popular form in which repudia-
| ton has been presented for the consideration
| OF the people is the proposed payment of the
| national debt in greenbacks. This touches
alike all creditors ofthe governm ent, at home
| and abroad. 1t is proposition to pay in
in paper what we promised to pay in
gold, with tile certainty that the paper issued
for the purpose of such payment will at once
| become worthless. 1t make indifference that
single Republican is suffering from mild
attack OF this madness. His views are clearly
dstinguishable from those OF Pendleton, in
asmuch as no imitation and consequent furth-
er depreciation OF the currency would take
| place If his plans were carried out. But since
he has adopted opinions which are in a meas
ure subversve of the good faith and good rep
utation of the country, he has been met by
such an outburst of indignation from his own
political associates, that any man who takes
up paper of recent date may see how he is
writhing in the agonies of deprecatory expla-
nation. But what Democrat rebukes Pendle-
ton? Members of that party crowd in thou
sands to hear him where he is speaking in
| Ohio
These two are among the more prominent
of Democratic measures for impairing the ma
tional credit, but there are many others. 1t
will be remembered that President johnson
holds the general government responsible for
the payment of the debts of the Rebel Seates
that Democrats everywhere are opposed to
the pending amendment to the constitution
of the United States, which establishes the
sanctity of the national debt and declares the
Rebel debt illegal and void, and
that Democratic States, like Maryland claim
compensation for emancipated slaves
Add, now, to the accumulated weight of all
these Conservative dogmas, the fact that john
son and his party proclaim the Congress OF
the United States, which has authorized the
issue of all government bonds, and has estab-
lshed by law our present financial system, a
"rump' and an illegal body, the legislation Of
which is binding upon no one-add to this an
erroneous impression that the party enter
tanning these piratical ideas may regain the
ascendency and make their ideas practical
and there ceases to be any wonder that there
is panic in fve twenties in Frankfort, de-
cline in the price of onr bonds in London and
that gold is quoted at 145.
| virginia Politics.
CULrEPER G. H., Va, Sept 80, 1867.
To the Editor Of the Press:
Political affairs in this county are becomin.
l