The Portland daily press., 1867-05-18
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND
Saturday M rning, May ls, 1867.
PORTLAND.
Democratic Augurs.

1t is Cicero who tells us that the Roman An.
gurs did not dare to look each other in the
face, during their solemn inspection of the en-
trails of deceased chickens, for fear of bursting
+. into untimely explosions of uncomfortable
laughter. The contrast between the weighty
predictions of fate to which the comical old
humbugs gave utterance, and the paltry, not to
say disgusting indications, which they profess
ed TO interpret, was too great for human risbil-
ity' There is something equally droll about
the swelling prophecy, which certain Demo-
crauc functlonaries find themselves moved to
ntter In view of the defeat of Peter Barnum
and the election of Governor English i'm Con-
necticut. We publish in another column n
letter from Mr.. James Gallagher. Chairman Of
the Democratic State Committee of Connecti-
cut, acknowledging the receipt of a congratu-
latory letter from the Democratic State Com
mittee of Maine, conveying the thanks of the
COpperheads of this State to their brethren in
Connecticut tor their late important victory
II the Roman College of Augurs in its palm
lest days could furnish bigger bore than Mr..
Gallagher, all we have to say is that the Col
lege ought to have known enough to have
started comic paper and secured the services
OF the funny old party as a leading contribu-
tor.
MIR. Gallagher begins by saying that the De-
mocracy of Connecticut have demonstrated,
like the men Of the Revolution, that man is
capable of fself-government," which is well for
beginning, though it would have been equally
accurate and quite as striking to have said
that the Democrats OF Connecticut shave DEM
onstrated, like the distinguished Newton, that
the attraction of gravitation varies inversely as
the squares of the distances" Gallagher next
pays his compliments to the "tyrannical party
who have dared to transform free and inde-
pendent States into mere military DISTRICTS
This passage is little obscure; it may mean
the Southern Democrats who by plunging their
States into hopeless rebellion put them in
the way to be reduced to their present position,
or it may mean the Northern Democrats who
voted with Thaddeus Stevens for the military
law, and secured its passage. However Gal
lagher's oracular words may be interpreted, it
is gratifying to have his assurance that this
"tyrannical party" is to be defeated. by Gods
help" he proceeds, I'VE will restore to each and
every State the good old Jeffersonian princi-
pie of equal and enact Justice to all men," That,
we must say, is very handsome of Mr.. Gala
CHER Mr.. Gallagher, and his party, far as
he is entitled to speak for them will maintain
hereafter the principles of the civil rights law
and adopt as a part of their creed the doctrine
of manhood suffrage. Under these circumstan-
ces We really see no need of maintaining the
Republican organization any longer. The De-
mocrats are perfectly willing to adopt our
o,,.ln, x.lro
Gratis have been greatly abused. They have
been accused of snobbish cringing to Southern
masters and of equally snobbish contempt for
the rights of Southern slaves. On the contra
ry these honest people are at heart devoted to
the good. old Jeffersonian principle of equal
| justice to all men," if We may believe Mr.. Gal
lagher, as we don't for moment. ..
In his poetical quotation, Mr.. Gallagher has
evidently suffered at the hands OF the printer.
He tells OF "the spirit that filed the hearts OF
the noble sons of Virginia, the Carolinas, and
My Maryland when they left their plough
shares in the furrow and their corn lying
around loose,
"rhe rights of Massachusetts to main tain"
The word "Massachusetts' neither suits the
sense nor the rhythm of the line. Mr.. Gala
CHER means and must have written,
"The rights of 'nassa' to maintain
The late rebellion was undertaken avowedly
in the interest of Slavery. 1t is poetical IL
cense to speak of the noble sons of Virginia
leaving their ploughs. They left their negroes
in tbs furrow and made war upon us to assure
their perpetual right to the services of such
cattle. As Gallagher intimates, the Democrat
ic party is still animated by the same spirit. 1t
| appears to us that he is mistaken in his con-
clusion, that with such principles and senti-
ments, there can be no such thing as fail" II
we remember rightly the noble sons of Virginia
did fail with just such principles and "senti.