The Portland daily press., 1868-01-20
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Monday Morning, January 20, 1868
Porcine Pecuiiari,i,s.

1t would be good disciplinary exercise for
certain politicians that might be named, 10
devote themselves to cursory examination
of the works of Robert Burns, poet and agri-
culturist. They would find therein interpo-
lated between loye-sones trife passionate
and liberal for this church-going generation,
and tales of banshee and goblin, a few lines
devoted to the case of fine lady over whose
fashionable attire an unregen crate and aban-
doned louise was travelling at his own sweet
will, in church time. The dame, on account
OF her Inconsistencies of the ruthless invader,
continued to put on airs which would have
been speedily laid aside had she possessed the
power to "see herself as others saw her.
The fact is the politicians to whom we re-
fer glory in their shame, being unable to dis
tineuish between proceedings that might
ri9htully be regarded as commendabe and
those which, in the opinion of the judicious,
are calculated to eonsign them to, lasting dis
honor. They boast that the Executive, assist
ed by coterie of politicians, the peers of the
famous "Cabal' Of the reign of the Stuarts, in
point of duplicity and dishonesty, has six
times thwarted the designs of the people clear
ly expressed through their representatives.
Six times, they say, you have framed law
that you regarded as sure to establish justice
in the South, and six times has the Presiden-
tial coach and six been driven through it,
with Stanbery on the box, and Binckley and
Judge Black up behind, and even now you
are tinkering your unstable work tor the
seventh time. nas-s
Let it be admitted that Congress is amend
ing its work for the seventh time. There
was only one alternative for this-in,peach-
ment. The Democrats were OF course OPP
posed to that plan, and the majority Of
the Republican party. too, thought it more
expedient fol Congress to be at hand, con-
stantly wardng off the President in his un-
patriotic devices, rather than to remove him
out of the way. The political problem grow
ing out OF this state of things is strictly anal
agous to that which arises in bucoic affairs
when farmer undertakes to drive an obsti-
nate pig-a situation that is proverbially en-
yironed with greater perplexities than any
other which arises in contending with ply
sical difficulties. The ordinary sagacity CT
the race is.o no avail here. The orbit OF a
comet can be calculated; the moods and va
garies of childhood may, in some degree, be
anticipated and provided for; winds, waves,
temperatures, and all things unsettled and
changing, are partially within the scope OF
human foresight. Future contingencies IN
all cases but one may be the subject of in
telligent speculation. But who can tell
which way swine will turn when circum-
stances allow him the exercise of any discre-
tion. This association of Mr.. Johnson's
name and character with so unloyely men,
Der OF the animal kingdom should not be re-
garded as disrespectful, for the strongly
marked individuality of the porker and his
grotesques eccentricities, make him, to the
naturalist, an object of respectful admiration.
And this is how it happens that Congress
is continually "tinkering" its reconstruction
laws. 1t endeavors to give the President
only straight path to travelin, but ever
and anon his porcine exccllency discovers
some by path, some concealed and narrow
alley-way, or some abandoned and overgrown
thoroughfare, up or down which, with many
premonitory squeal and grunt, he endeav-
ors to turn. The only way to avoid the ne
cessity of constantly meeting him at these
places, and turning him back, is by impeach-
ing and politically sticking him. 1t having
been decided that this shall not be done, it
only remains to keep closely on his track.
till the 4th Of March 1869 adds another to
the number Of old public functionaries of
Concord, Lancaster and Buffalo. oh'