The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-11-11

As between two intelligent cltizehs, u say,
that, because this is Republican ana that
Democrat. it implies that the one is gentle
man and the other blaekguard, seems sufti-
.;ontlv arrooant and uncharitabe. But to
racoonize the great law which carries classes
and orders of men into the Radical party, and
Other classes into the Conservative party, does
not require the philosophic comprehension of
n Buckle or of Herbert Spencer. The ten
denotes are obvious. Not to overlook the con-
spicuous exceptions OF men of high intelligence
and acknowledged probity, who from mental
eccentricity, hereditary prejudice, or personal
interest, adhere tenaciousy to the reachonary
side in politics, and of rakes, drunkards, ana
and defaulters, that have ever diSgraced the
progressive side, the general SOCIAL law seems
to be that degradation, ignorance and vice
grayitate to the Democratic side, and cultiva-
ton. thrift. and virtue find congenial resting
places upon the Republican side
Which are the States that in all the excit-
inc controversies of the last fourteen years
have been most relied upon for large anti-slav
cry majorities in the elections? Massachu-
sets, Vermont, Maine, Michigan, Iowa, Wis
consin. And these are the very States where
schools and colleges are in the most effective
condition, where the most books and newspa-
pers are read; where public discussions upon
slavery, temperance, religion and social reform
have enlarged the popular mind; where indie
pendence and thrift are most diffused; where
women are most honored, and most worthy OF
honor. The quotas of these States formed the
backbone of all the Union armies and gave
them their morale. It is found that men make
good soldiers in the precise degree of their civ
ilization Napoleon beat the Russian and
Austrian armies because the French were
more civilized than the Russians and Austri-
ans, and lost Waterloo because they were less
civilized than the British The Maize, Michi-
gan and Wisconsin troops, men from the high
latitudes, were the reliance OF all their COM
manders. They were gentlemen, whose honor
forbade them to steal, lie, or finch under fire.
They carried spirit into the army which
made discipline easy, devotion to the cause a
religion, and heroism routine.
New York is as civilized as Vermont and
New York itself is as reliable as Vermont
But it is borne down and cheated of its just
influence in the country by hundred thou
sand aliens hutted and Squdtted in the crowded
wards of the metropolis, and holding it and
the State like garrison of soldiers of the
Pope Connecticut is debatable ground for
two reasons. Its whole shore is infested with
Irishmen; and its industry dew oted largely to
petty manufactures, has stimulated the hered-
itary thrift to point incompatible with mag
nanimity and liberal opinions. Ohio, Indiana,
and Illinois, radically anti-slavery in all their
northern and reading counties, have had
low-lying fog of pro slavery barbarism over all
their southern borders, exhaled from the preju-
dices of an emigration almost exclusively from
Virginia and Kentucky, by which the clear
light of their intelligence is every now and
then eclipsed. New Hampshire excites pc
riodical solictude and requires a deal of prop
agandism to keep it right side up, because the
old Hurrah for Jackson, anti-corporation, anti
common schools, anti-Puritanic democracy, so
sedulously taught to the anti-driDking New
England rum-drinking farmers by Isaac Hill
thirty years ago, has not all died or gone to the
poor house. The whole border of Pennsyl
vania is possessed by men who used to hunt
slaves for the pure deviltry of it, whose militia
men fed before Lees army while their fathers
were selling him horses, forage and supplies,
aud every lager-beer-guzzling Dutchman of
them votes der democratic dicket.
Even of Maine the Democratic chiefs have
continued to cherish infatuated hopes in
spite of its solid Republican majorities now for
about fifteen years. What, they exclaim, in
that cold, God-forsaken, poverty stricken,
back wood, cannot Democratic principles
flourish? They do not appreciate the fact that
since 1850 Maine has entered upon a new ETA.
The careful expenditure of steadily Increasing
sums upon public education begins to tell up
on the new generation. The temperance dis
cusson aside from all consideration of the pro-
priety or efficiency of its special methods bas
contributed more than anything else to stimu-
late thought to arouse inquiry and to cultivate
love and aptness for ali kinds of political and
social investigation. Besides this, although
many thoroughly liberal minds reject as harsh,
untrue and impraeticable the rule of a COM
pulsory total abstinence, the effect of the tenn
perance agitation has undoubtedly been as
whole to draw the temperate and abstinent in
to the Republican party, and the self-indul-
gent and 6issipated into the Democratic par
ty.
Another cause of the permanent decline of
the Democratic party in Maine is the fact, that
the alien population are not considerably re-
cruited from abroad as they used to be thirty
years ago. Then the course of immigration
was by merchant ships landing their passen-
gers at Halifax and st. John, who travelled on
foot through the whole length of Maine leav-
ing settlers at each considerable town. Now
emigrants with more means arrive in passen-
ger ships and steamers directly at New York
and Boston. How large portion of the reli-
able Democratic vote in Maine is made up of
illiterate foreigners, going clan-like for name
aud patron, cannot be exactly told. We have
heard the proportion in this city alone estimat-
ed as two-thirds of the whole party. Indeed
without the aid of these natural allies, it is not
probable that Democratic party in this State
during the last ten years would have thought
it worth while to maintain an organization
and contest the elections. This may not be
considered as wholly adverse influence. 1t
may even be favorable one. So considerable
is the prejudice in a New England society
against this class that the fact that they range
themselves in a sohd body upon one side, of it.
self determines almost the entire number of
native-born young men, coming to their ma
jority, to go to the other. Nor does it weaken
WIG ioiOo vi JIG puulC 10 nave our
opponents meet our appeals to reason, not by
counter reasons, but by improving to the ut
most and using most unscrupulousy the ma
chinery for bringing in fresh hordes of in
terlopers to interfere with the decision of
questions of which they have so little knowl-
edge, and in which they have SO little interest.
Perhaps there is no better test of gentility
than the treatment of interiors. The treat
ment of the black men mot an intruder in the
country since we freed him here,) is the index
Of the degree of civilization the American
people have attained. In all the South he
was enslaved, absolutely subjected. In the
border States he was hunted as a slave, and
mobbed and prosecuted as free man. In
part of the Northern States he was rarely per-
secuted sometimes chivalrously defended
against outrage, but vigorously excluded from
the political constituency. Only in two or
three States of highest civilization was he al
lowed to vote
NOW we are all greatly perplexed and disap- |
pointed at the cruel practices, and devilish |
hatreds That have taken the place of actual |
slavery in the Rebel States We had certain |
ly planned and hoped different state Of |
things. And 1t might haze BEEN Had lin
coin lived or johnson not apostatized, or even
if he had been promptly impeached, and the
whole military power of the government used
to start the loyal meu fairly in the possession
OF the political power they were entitled to by