The Portland daily press., 1868-03-23

When the war closed and the government
had fully yindicated its right and re-establish-
ed its power, it was the common thought
both here and abroad, that the republic Mad
passed through its greatest trial, had endured
its strongest test and was safe from all fur
ther danger. But this was but the beginning
of the great conflict, and it gave us only the
natural, physical means of adjustment. 1t
did not bring true peace. 1t served only as
prelude to higher action. Society has been
disturbed to Its depths, and every element in
our midst foreign to the spirit of free gov
eminent, is now in active life and ready to lie
met and fought with, and now is the true
warfare going on, the true test being ap-
piled to republican principles. At the South,
lawlessness, ignorance and sectionalism still
fan the fires of rebellion. Disloyalty and
craftiness rankle at the very head of govern
ment, and here at the North that party
which has always been in sympathy with the
South, is strong in numbers and perfect in
organization, and so immersed in the lust of
power and maddened by reverses that it has
lost all truth, patriotism and honor, and has
but one desire, one great object and that is to
conquer. Congress, fronting this surging tide
of evil, stands firm and fearless, true to the
country, striving to conform its action to the
spirit of the Constitution, but with work to
do that requires such profound wisdom, such
consummate craftsmanship, that it is net
strange that it did not arise at once to the
highest standpoint, that it resorted to half
measures, and dallied with the expediencies
| of the hour. But at last came forth these
noble words, "And now as last resort, as
the last thing to be done, Congress has de-
termined to dig through all the rubbish,
| dig through the soil and the shifting
| sands and go down to the eternal rock, and
| there upon the basis Of the everlasting prin-
ciples of equal and exact justice to all men,
| we have planted the column of reconstruc-
| tion, and it will arise slowly but surely and
the gates OF hell shall not prevail against it."
And this is the ground upon which we
stand, this is the spirit that animates the Re-
publican party. There is new development
OF our national life; we are coming to reali-
ties at last, beginning to incorporate princi-
pies into our political platforms. Those pow
ers that have been so long at work under
mining the foundations OF the government,
have now aroused the nation to keen sense
of its danger, and the political arena i, be-
coming field of worthy action, and it is a
time when all the sincere, right-thnkine
friends Of the country, lift but one banner,
bear but one insignia. Oneness Of purpose
unity of action are the high demands of the
hour, and all those who are proud to say
that they belong to mo party" and those
who take no interest in public affairs, should
now feelit as much their duty to come forward
to action as when the country called them
to the battlefield. To be sure the fate of the
republic does not really rest upon the next
Presidential election, for it is one of the best
teachings of history. that when a great truth
or principle once comes into action no power
can repress its development, or restrain it in
its onward course. 1t never rests until it en-
sures victory. But if our enemies should
happen to win, we should be put long way
backward in the path of progress and an
other war would undoubtedly be the result
, H.B.G.