The Portland daily press., 1868-07-10


his own opinions and to express them when
and where he pleases. And we surely do not
feel disposed to deny the same right to any of
his constituents We cheetnlly published Mr.
Fessenden's speech on The Impeachment ques-
ton and his letter to his Boston friends and
We now give the same publicity to the opinion
of our correspondent upon that letter.
Senator cssentien's Reply 30 the silver
Gceys of Massachusetts.
Mr.. EDIToR,-I perceive you have re-opened
"the impeachment farce" discussion by pub
fishing our distinguished Senator'S letter Of
June 10th to his Boston admirers in the Press
Of July 2nd.
Perhaps You will allow me to say word in
ref renee to it, as L happened TO be one OF
those humble individuals who sent him to
Washington, although am aware it has been
thought that that was honor enough for US
without being 90 impolite as to have any opn-
ions beyond.
In the first place 1 would respectfully ask if
Mr.. Fessenden as lawyer and Senator seri-
ously contends that the vote of the House in
Dec or January, whereby the report Of their
'learne d and able Committee" in favor of i'm
peachmept was rejected, was any bar tc sub
sequent conviction by the Senate on the same
articles when afterward presented by the
House?
Again, what is his authority for insinCating
that all the undue pressure, coercion, intimi-
daton. bribery, corruption, Lying rumors" and
other iniquity came fl rom the Republican con-
stituencies and from the Radical wing of them
at that?
Tc = ,oip ooi fn,
ator, even from Maine, to tell these Boston
gentry that all the 'denunciation,v ,vituperation,
calumny, and threats of personal violence and
lifelong infamy were hurled "at vacilating
Senators only by Radical Republicans?
Has not this same Senator been ready and
willing to solicit and receive three successive
elections to the Senate from the party and the
men whom he now finds it convenient to de-
nounce to the Conservatives of another State
as "unscrupulous, familiar with detraction and
believers in neither public nor private virtue,
or if believers, considering both as out of place
in politics?" .. a..
And has not the political success of Republi
cans in this State for the last seven years been
made to depend upon fealty to this same indie
! pendent Senator and his for unes, fully as
much as to devotion to any particular stripe of
| political belief or measure of political or pub
| lie service?
| We ask again for the authority for 50 bold
and sweeping charge as Mr.. F. puts forth in
his Boston letter; we challenge him to produce
his proof, and in behalf of a vast majority of
those who put him in his seat and made him,
what he is, we pronounce it unjust and unbe
| coming.
Strange as it may seem, the same Senator who
is swift to denounce the motives of those who
differ from him, although in private life, "flat-
| tered-perhaps deluded-himself with the idea
that his more than fourteen years of consecu
tive public office would protect him from sus-
| pitlon of motives criminal or mean.''
'Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed
that he hath grown so great?"
In the purer days of the Republic it
was supposed that the office holder was as
| open at least to aAimadversion as the private
| citizen by whose will and whose money he
lived and moved and had his official being.
There used to be, if we remember Alright,
| something in our Constitution about "publi-
| cations respecting the official conduct of men
in public capacity" being more highly privi-
legged than ordinary communications.
| But Senator Fessenden in these latter days
| has discovered that the motives of those of his
constituents who do not believe in him, or his
| votes OF reasons are corrupt AID vile, and that
| it is his duty to expose their nakedness to his
| Boston eulogists, while he hurls anathemas like
| the Pope OF Rome against those of his former
| friends who are unlucky enough to question
| the holiness of his purposes and motives
n,,fC nJo,, 1of, ,,tI I, f,o
"a change of administration had long been con
templated at Washington, and was during the
trial counted ON as a certainty" That is, be-
ing interpreted, the friends Of Senator Wade er-
pected his eleUation to the Presidency on the con-
yictioR of johnson. We are also informed that
this chad warmed into life a numerous brood
OF expectants and stimulated extensive hopes
of honors and profits" That is in un-senato-
rial plain English, Mr.. Sulnner expected to be
Secretary of State, and the radical opponents of
Mr. Fessenden hoped to regain the poaoer and
patronage they lost whe1 Booth assassiraated
President Lincoln. Also, "the city was filled
with men ready to jump into pa ces to be made
vacant as they hoped and believed for their
benefit" To wit, the conservative friends, pets
and admirers Of Senator Fessenden IN Maine
out and has political opponents eapected to be put
IN in case Of conuiction.
Now we doubt not Senator Fessenden
religiously believed all this and acted accord
ingly like ''any other man."
But what we do not see is why these expec-
tants should have done all the lying, threaten
ing, brow beating, bribing, coaxing and bully
ing. Where, oh where, Senator Fessenden
was the noble army of incumbents who ex-
pected to be turned out? "Gentle Shepherd,
tell me, where!"
Were those disinterested patriots in Maine
and elsewhere, whose name is legion idle, or
may they not have done a fair business at
bribing, threatening, bullying, &C., on their
side?
Again, how do these assertions tally with
the Senator's asseverations that che could gain
nothing and lose much" by voting for acquit-
tai? Has he not by his single vote saved all
his protogees according to his own showing?
Has he not broken up Senator Wade's calcu-
lations for the Vice Presidency for four years
after?
Has he not made the defeat of Grant and the
radicals at least possible?
"1t is easy and pleasant to float with the
current" oracularly writes our Senator
Easy" enough, doubtless, but not quite SO
pleasant" when the boat that "carres Caesar
and his personal fortunes is on the yawning
verge of Niagara. .l.
In such a case, experience shows there are
too few Curtii who are willing to sacrifice their
own petty private interests even to save their
country. 1t 80 ...5. .s rfa.tr
To most men it is "easy and pleasant to
row against the stream to save themselves and
their dependents, and to some it is peculiarly
" easy and pleasant" if in so doing they can
revenge themselves ON their personal or polt-
ical enemies. .CUNBERLAND
Letter from WaterviiIe. ..
COMMENCEMENT AT THE CLASSICAL INSTITUTE
WATERvILLE, July g. 1868.
To the Editor of the Press:
Commencement is over and gone-at least
as far as the Classical Institute is concerned
The old church was crowded on Tuesday af
ternoon with friends curious to witness the
graduation exercises of the first collegiate
class. Eight young ladies, having completed
three years course of study, now gave to a
delighted audience the following literary
feast:
The Unseen. g Lizzie j. Rideout Cumberland.