The Portland daily press., 1868-08-03

The Democratic door toward which the
friendly Mr.. Ross so winningly lured Thadde-
us Stevens when the latter professed himself
in favor OF ROBBERY is as wide as the way to de-
struction. But poor Mr.. Stevens paused on
the threshold, seeing over the gloomy portal,
IN his minds eye, an inscription similar to
that which Dante saw written on the gates of
Hell.
Promising, as a saving clause, that "there
may be honest Democrats" nay, further, that
there are honest Democrats, let us see who
enter the door in reckless disregard of the in
scription and the consequent purgatorial pains
Let us see who are Horatio's friends. Our
modern Heratio is not like the Horatio of the
old play who was Seen as just a man. as ever
lived and gained special commentator be-
cause he was not passions slave" On the
other hand there is an ndefinable something
in the "Deefield farmers" character that at
tracts to him larger constituency of rogues
than any other one man in the world at the
present time.
Now seriously and candidly, isn't man a
little more likely to " rah for S'mor and Blar,
when he is in drink than when he is sober?
Who ever heard of drunken Republican, for
such unquestionably there be, whose party
fealty is strengthened by the demon OF alcho-
hol? Who. on the other hand, ever heard of a
| Democrat whose devotion to his party is not
| redoubled when he is in his cups? Heaven
| forbid that we should do injustice to any class
| of men by sweeping condemnation, but it is
a matter of as common observation as the ev-
cry day phenomena of nature that wherever
you find a man who favors the unrestricted
sale and use of liquor and exempliies his
theory by his practice, you find a reliable Dem
ocrat. This is a fact so patent that no denial
| evasion, remonstrance ridicule, Indignation OF
argument can for a moment obscure it. OBJ
serve that the proposition is, not all Demo
Gratis are free rum topers, but all free rum
topers are Democrats. Among the most
| prominent and active friends" of Seymour
then, are the members of the free rum brig
| ade.
| Horatio's particular and special friend" is
| G. L. Valandigham, the Ohio martyr. When
Clement L. was cruelty banished by the Lin
coin despotism because he engaged in the
harmless amusement of inspiring an attack
| upon the rear of the Union army and paralyz
| ing, so far as he could, the efforts of the gov
eminent to suppress the rebellion, Mr.. Sey
mour denounced his prosecutors and pro
nounced their acts unconstitutional. Valan
digham thence became his fdus Actates and
| repaid his debt of gratitude by forcing upon
him the nomination at New York, controlling
the action of the Democratic Convention o
1868 as he controlled that at Chicago four
years ago. Follow ing Vallandgham is an
other very large detachment of Seymours
friends" consisting of those who were guilty
of peculiarly inexcusable and barbarous atroc
tiles during the war. VaPs lieutenants are
| Forrest, the Fort Pillow butcher and Semmes
| the pir ,te. All who have distinguished them.
| selves in similar manner are of the Vallan-
| digham, Forrest and Semmes school in poll
| tics.
A reward of a million dollars might safely
be offered for every one of the Northern Cop
| perheads whose hostility to the government
| during the war was so active as to result in
his incarceration in the Northern Bastiles'
who is not now for Seymour.
Another reward for the same amount might
safely be offered for an out and out repudiator
who is not for Seymour. Some phases of f.
nancial heresy have, it is true, obtained sup
port among limited number of Republicans,
but when the reputation disease becomes
chronic it is sure to make Democrat.
and the Imperialists of France and the Abso-
lutists everywhere, we have tolerably full
list of Horatio's friends"