The Portland daily press., 1867-11-02


Organization OF Grant Clu5-The Veteran
Horse Thief-Suprsaae Court of Ken,,ebec.
AUGUsTA, Nov. |, 1867.
TO the Editor Of the Press: - "a
Alta Republican meeting held in this city
last evening, Hon. James G. Blaine presiding,
an organization was effected under the name
of the Union Republican Grant Club OF the
city of Augusta, its members believing IN the
expediency of nominating and eiecting @oiys--
ses S. Grant, of Illinois, to the Presidency IN
1858. Welding due submission, however, to the
decision of the National Convention. Its arti-
eles of faith are based upon the principles of
manhood suffrage, the restoration of all the
States on the basis of impartial Justice and
equal rights, the sacre observance of ALMA
tional contracts and scorn of reputation in
every form; rigid economy in all departments
of the government, and revision of our whole
system of revenue taxation; just regard for
the welfare of our soldiers and their orphaned
families; and an equitable taxation of all kinds
of property, carefully observing the Constitu-
ton and the plighted faith; of the nation. 1t
is understood as one of the obligations of menu
bership that the club is to take no action in re-
| gard to the election Of candidates, and that
the right of primary nomination belongs to all
the Union Republicans of the city. Solitary
and alone, of the cities of Maine, we have thus
put the ball in motion, and it is believed that
all will unite to keep it rolling. !" "a
John Hale of Waterford, or more recently of
Thomaston, the veteran horse-thief whose ex-
plots have lately been noticed by the press,
| passed through this city in the regular train
last evening, in custody of officer Nye of Ken
dall's Mills. Quite crowd gathered around
the car window at the depot, eager to get a
look at this reverend vice and gray iniquity. .
One OF our citizens who was "born and brought
up" in the same town with the We nerable John
and is acquainted with the whole Hale family
asked him why he didn't leave the horse bust
/ ness and retire to the comfortable home offer
| ed him by his wealthy sister in Waterford, and
there repent of his predatory sins. His reply
was substantially that of Falstaff to the Prince
"'Tis my vocation; It's no sin for a man to la
Dor at his VOCATION" adding that if he could
only die with stolen horse in bis possession
before he was detected By the owner, he
thought he should be perfectly happy! This
is the most peculiar case of kleptomania we
ever noticed, restricting ITSELF as il does al
| most entirely to weakness for horse flesh
Being now eighty years of age, he will prob.
ably die within the walls OF a State Prison
where he has spent fifty years of his life cad
The October term of our Supreme Cour
which commenced its session on the 18th nit.
Judge Danforth presiding, wills it is hoped
continue until January. There is a concurrent
desire on the part of clients, lawyers and the
court to sweep away all the old cases of Jarn
| dyce VS.. Jarndyce, and so reduce the number
Of actions on. the docket, that all may have JUS
tice without delay, whether they want it OF
not There are about five hundred actions OF
the trial docket, and only six hundred verdict,
4 have been rendered the present term