The Portland daily press., 1868-06-25
The Democr.,ic Convention.
A ROBERT ELLIOT PLATFORM = THE DEMO
CRAZY OF MAINE FOR REPUTATION.


cratic platform constructed at Augusta. But
Roberts spirit breathes through the whole
work. Incarceration in an American Bas-
t;le," TO wit, Fort Warren, gave the gentleman
ON Freedom ga turn" from which he has not
yet recovered
The idea of revamping the Republican reso-
luton of twelve years ago is one that could
hardly occur to one whose wits have never
been snarpened by the company of Rebel con-
victs. To be sure.one would think that twelve
years ought to measure the difference between
tie stages of progress of the Republican and
Democratic parties. But the time is not long
enough. The Republicans stand morally "in |
the foremost files of time," while the Demo
traits are scrambling along as best they can
somewhere in the middle ages So we reject
this attempt of Roberts to make it appear that
le is onlyitwo years more than decade be-
bind the times, as a characteristic Copper
head fraud
The first resolution is the piece de resistance
OF the platform and it may be wor h while to
consideri it little. The Fremont resolution
Of IS was directed against the gigantic iniqui-
ties perpetrated IN the Territory of Kansas
through the agency of Franklin Pierce's adj
,ninistraton. The people were forced to sub
init to the humiliation of seeing their elections
carried and their local government controlled
by armed mobs of Border Ruffians" from
Missouri. The genuine resolution of the Re-
publican Convention reads as follows: -ar 4
Resolued, That while the Consultation of the
Uni+ed States was ordained and established
by the people in order to form a more perfect
Union, establish justice, insure domestic tran,
guilty, provide for the common defence, and
secure the blessings of liberty, and contains
smpe provisions for the protection of the life,
liberty, and property of every citizen, the
dearest constitutional rights of the people of
ansas have been fraudulently and violently
taken from them-their territory has been in
"dded by an armed force-spurious and pre-
Tended legislative, judicial, aud executive Of
Ulcers have been set over them. by whose
nsurped authority, sustained by the military
power OF the Government, tyrannical and I'M
con titutional laws have been enacted and en-
forced-the rights OF the people to keep and
bear arms have been nfringed-test oaths of
an extraordinary and entangling nature have |
been imposed as a condition of exercising the |
right of suffrage and holding office-the right |
OF an accused person to speedy and public |
trial by an impartial jury has been denied |
the right of the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers. and effects against un- |
reasonable searches and seizures has been yio-
lated-they have been deprived of life, liberty,
and property without due process of law--that |
freedom of speech and of the press has been lost |
the right to choose their Represe natives has |
been made of no effect-murders, robberes,
and arsons have been instigated and encour- /
aged, and the offenders have been allowed to |
go unpublished that all these things have |
been done with the knowledge, sanction and |
procurement of the present administration,
and that Tor this high crime against the Con- /
stitution, the Union, and humanity we arraign |
the administration, the President, his advisers, |
agents, supporters, apologsts, and accessories,
either before or after the facts, before the |
country and before the world, and that it is |
our fixed purpose to bring tine actual perpe-
traitors of these a rocious outrages and their |
accompHces, to sure and condgn punish |
ment hereafter. -... FL, .... = ..''.- |
By means of clumsy verbal changes Robert
endeavors TO make this language applicable to
the state of things in the South, not observing
the following among the other difficulties in
his way:
l. The resolution of '56 was directed against |
mob law, and was in the interest of human
freedom; that of '6S denounces legitimate au-
shorty, exercised in behalf of the perpetuity
of the Union, of the safety of the people and OF
Justice, and is in the interest of human bond |
age as distinctly as the Democratic resolutions
of '56.
q That of '56 attacked laws, public officers |
and criminals that were responsible for the |
nsurpations, the denals of rig hit and the blood
Fhed that are the subjects of complaints; that |
Of SO attacks laws, public officers and patriots
schose primary and sole purpose, first, last and
all the time has been to Danish forever from the
Republic the possibility of the preparation of
those wrongs.
8. That of '56 meant freedom and equality
that of 68 means medieval class distinctions
and the ownership of the laboring man by the
capitalist.
Out upon thee, Robert, for a political char
1atan! Sweet are the uses of adversely" but
did they teach thee no better than this at Fort
Warren?
The next resolution of the Augusta platform
is clearly Roberts. 1t comes with such exceed ;
ing good grace from him. -...,5 ..l..- L
Resolved, That in view of the existing state
OF public affairs "the time has come for all who
love their country to band together against
the Jacobins" who now control Congress and
who threaten to subvert and destroy all that
IS valuable III the institutions bequeathed to |
us by our patriotic fathers, and for the protec-
ton and defence of our own day hare inlperI- |
led their tiUes and shed their blood.
The above is from the Argus and is therefore
undoubtedly authentic. IT there is any want
OF elegance and perspicuity in the diction 1t
must be attributed no doubt to the want of |
Judge Rice's supervision in drawing it up, but
the idea struggles through it all. The "Jaco-
bins" (Republicans) are striving to subvert
the institutions for the protection of which we
tDemocrats) have imperiled our lives and
shed our blood Helas! but this is COOL We,
Marcellus Emery, publishing Rebel newspa-
per in Bangor, Robert Eliot. shut up for trea-
sonable conspiracies with other traitors in Fort
Warren, and E. f. Pillsbury making anti
draft speeches in Kingfeldl Be wary, Robert /
of copying more from Chief Justice Chase, for
he has given you a halter with which you have
very obligingly hanged yourself and your as
sociates.
The next five resolutions refer more or less
coherently to financial matters. 1t is the fifth
to which we shall now refer, wishing to call
the particular attention of the people of
Maine and of the whole country, especially of
the poor men and of the taxpayers who
are therein plainly represented as robbers and
scoundrels, to the fact that the Democracy of
this State have pronounced clearly and EN-
phaticay without Qualification or reservation.
for REPUTATION. Here is the text on which
We found the assertion:
1t will confer unjust advantages upon mon
ey lenders, and impose oppressive burdens
upon the people to pay any bonds of the |
United States in gold, except such as are by |
their terms made so payable and all such
bonds as are made payable in CURRENCY
should he paid fast as it is possible to do
SO without initiating the currency beyond
safe and just point.
Here's for you, then, Messieurs Democrats
on that resolution. You must haul down that
piratical flag, the Republicans with their
platform of civil and political equality
and the honest payment of debts will hold
the State till the crack Of doom. The citi
zens of Maine are honorable men as gem
eral rule, and have certain old fashioned but
well settled prejudices against robbery.
And, by the way, Mr.. Elliot, do you happen |
to remember those two Democratic members |
of the Legislature last winter who wanted |
their pay in gold? Isn't the currency OF the |
"plow-holders" good enough for them? What |
is the moral status of men who want to take |
gold out of the pockets of those to whom it |
is due and vote it into their own2
The Democrats attempted to ignore the |
suffrage question altogether, but the white |
mans government theory would come out in |
an incidental fling at the right to vote con-
ferred upon hordes of ignorant negroes.
This action leaves the Augusta sages subject |
to the unpleasant imputation OF having |
neither the moral courage to declare them |
oil IN no