The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-04-10
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Wednesday Morning, April 10. 1857,


The organ of the Portland Democracy has
been running what he deems parallel be-
tween the treatment of the poor, oppressed,
doNn-trodden, king-ridden, loyal and patriot
ic South, and the American Colonies at the
time ofthe Declaration Of Independence. The
Southern States which, we suppose, were fore
ed into rebellion against the Government Of
the United States, as the Colonies were against
the government Of George Ill, haze been
treated by the majority of the Northern peo-
pie, precisely as they were treated while the
Democrats were the Pitts to plead their cause,
and now the American Congress continues its
expressions, heaping upon them all sorts of
insults and indignities, refusing to let them
again become the dictators OF the majority.
and prosecuting them for their loyalty and
devotion to the Union, the Constitution and
Laws, which they so gallantly exhibited for
four long and bloody years.
Our contemporary is well employed-ft-
tingly employed. These men of whose op-
preston he speaks were and are his political
and party brethren, birds of the same feather
and have done no more in the way of rebel
lion than he has seemed willing to excuse
and palliate if not openly justify. Upon
them he depends for the re-establishment of
party power. They have been Democrats of
the most approved modern stripe, allthe time.
Why shouldn't he come to their defence?
1t is true, our fathers rebelled against for
eign government in which they could have no
voice, and against oppressive laws upon which
thes could have no vote; they rebelled only
after long and persistent efforts for redress of
grievances proved fruitless. The Southern
Democracy rebelled against government in
which they had more than an equalvoice with
others; against laws of their own enacting,
voted for by their own representatives and
approved by Presidents of their own selection,
and instead of first asking for redress Of
of grievances they openly declared if allowed
to write out the terms OF remaining in the
Union, on clean sheet of paper, they would
spurn the proposition. t
But no matter for llithis. They were Dem
Ocrats from whom the government had been
wrested by majority, and rather than re-
main under government they could no long
er control tLey were disposed to break it
down, smash the whole machinery, and set up
on their own hook. This was all right, of
course; involved no crime, and therefore in
CURED no penalties; hence the Argus COM
plains of the probation imposed upon them,
the disfranchisement Of the rebel leaders, the
enfranchisement of the loyal masses, and the
security demanded against future rebellion.
And in this the Argus is right. We insist
it is right; for it ought to be consistent and it
is consistent. 1t is light, not because its
cause is just or its premises sound, but be-
cause it should stick to its friends, stand by
those whom its counsels have encouraged to
go astray, and uphold its brethren in their
humiliation and distress.
Extremely fitting and appropriate is such a
work. The argus would come back ON its
friends if it did differently 1t would not be
true to its instincts. 1t would be guilty of
inconsistency. 1t would do worse; it would
do an act which really loyal men would APP
prove, and that would prove it mo longer
fitting Democratic organ.