The Portland daily press., 1868-07-13
personal yitup+rauiOn.''

..sg personal yitMptraIion."
No one regards the publication OF ponce re-
ports, that speak of the arraignment OF Brown
and Smith for examination, as furnishing
apy foundation for a charge ofslander or ma
lianant "personal yituperation." We can as
sure our Democratic friends to begin with that
they cannot, by raising such a cry, influence
or compel us to hold our peace in regard 10 the
great public criminals whose wickedness is yet
unrepented of, and whose past life has been
fraught with sorrow and danger TO their suffer
ing country They would no doubt be very
glad if Republican journals would be silent i'll
relation to Seymour's infamous conduct during
the New York riots and his persistent hostility
to the prosecution of the war for the suppress
sion of the rebellion. Because he is a great
criminal, above the commission of such pecca-
dilloes as send his humber neighbors to Jail
for twenty day, shall he therefore escape? No,
we propose to set him in the pillory every day
till the people pronounce upon upon him
capital sentence in November.
The Democrats would rejoice greatly if we
could be kept quiet in regard to Frank Blair's
revolutionary letter, the unpleasant antect-
dents of large number of the Southern dele
gates to the New York Convention, the advo-
cacy of reputation, l. O., robbery, by large
portion of the Democratic party, the perhdy
of the Democratic leaders and their continued
adherence to reactionary aud revolutionary
ideas, but we positively refuse to do so. The
matters at stake are too important. The des-
tiny of the country and of democratic institu-
tons are in the hands of the Republican party.
The immediate welfare of thirty five millions
of people requires the vindication of the meas
ures of that party and fearless exposure of
the corruption, hypocrisy and political rotten
ness of the leaders of the opposition party. We
do not propose TO act on the defensive in the
coming campaign TO be forced into an apol-
oeetic attitude. 1t is favorite strategic move
ment of the allies of his Satanic Majesty to
play the role of injured innocence. The wrong
is always weak, and is forced to resort to sub
terfuges and evasiye tricks in order TO main
tain its existence. They succeed very often,
we admit, in placing their antagonists in a
false position and exactng quasi-apologies.
But for our part, we propose to leave il to "con-
sentative Republicans" to apologize, if they
will, for abolishing slavery, for endeavoring to
secure civil and political rights to all Ameri-
can citizens, and for doing works OF charity
and mercy. We propose on the other hand, to
act an aggressive part and compel our poll tical
opponents to apologize for resisting the over
throw of slavery, the preservation ofthe Union
and the granting of political rights to laboring
men, and for causing the loss of thousands OF
lives and millions of dollars, and bringing up
on the.country the burden of an immense ma
tional debt in doing so. If any individual or
class ofindividuaIs suffers because ofour taking
this course we unable to help it. All they
can require is that we do them no injustice.
with malice toward none and with charity
to all" we shall "strive on to finish the work
we are in"
Thank heaven, there is no censorship of the
press in America. We claim that there is no
public man who is so able or 50 distinguished
as to place his acts above the reach of criti-
cism. To concede this would be to recognize
the existence of an aristocracy. Every man is
entitled TO fair play. He is entitled to have
hearing of his side of the CASE if he is attacked,
but to allow him to establish claim to have all
his utterances and acts unhesitatingly endors-
ed would be to make public journals the mere
recorders of tho edicts of distinguished men,
instead OF being themselves the conservators
of the Republics welfare.
The Financial Effect.
The Democratic platform assuredly presents
attractions almost irresistible to every rascal
in the land, but it is only on the grand old
Emersonian principle that "the Devil is a
fool" II the principles OF that platform
should triumph, the rascals would suffer
equally with their neighbors who are good fell
lews. If they are poor, they nevertheless will
feel the blighting effects of the dishonor of the
nation, for the price of their labor will not APP
preciate in the same degree with the price of
what they consume. If they are rich they
will find that when. next the nation is in
trouble their own Golfers alone must furnish
the sinews OF war, without any relief from the
negotiation of loans, because no capitalist
under heaven will ever voluntarily loan a dol
lar to that government that has once repudi-
ated, partially or wholly, directly or by some
subterfuge, its obligations. The amount of
misery which the reckless demagogueism of a
few politicians would bring upon the country
II they could succeed in obtaining endorse
ment, is simply inconceivable. Secession, be-
fore impracticable would become Immediately
feasible. States might go out of the Union
with perfect impunity, unless the loyal people
were willing to suppress the revolt without
pecuniary compensation for there could be no
money in the treasury except the inadequate
sum raised from taxes.
We are not talking at random in this mat
ter, for the proofs are at hand. On some mat
tiers the London Times is not authority,-the
political situation in this country, for instance
But the same sheet is certainly the best posi-
BILE authority on the condition of the Uuted
States credit on the other side of the Atlantic
Already the cable has announced that the
Times regards the platform laying down
the principle of reputation. Can the people
OF the United States afford to have it under
stood abroad that any portion of them favor
that Only Heaven knows what portion of
the exorbitant interest now paid on govern
ment bonds and of the depreciation in the
value of those bonds is due to the faint upon
American credit from the course pursued by
the State of Mississippi in repudiating her
debt years ago. This sort of thing doesn't
pay. 1t may help few wretches into office
in very uncivilized. ignorant and unchristian
parts OF the country, but that is not an object
so eminently desirable of attainment rs to
make it worth while to render the country
odious to the whole world for the sake of
reaching it.
The cable brings another piece of news;
United States securities fell in value when the
news of the financial principles endorsed at
New York reached London. But we do not
need to go abroad to find evidence of the un-
happy effect of dishonorabe declarations upon
finances. The New York Journal of Com
merce, as "sound" Democratic paper as can
be found in the country. In its financial arti-
Gle referring to the platform it said: "7he
market has been a little sensitive on the subject
of the Democratic platform, and the financial
portions of that Instrument haze had on the
sosote, an u's favorable effect upon the street,
SOME of the Democratic papers declare that
Blair is is representative of the boys in blue,
because of his services in The war 1t will be
remembered that Arnold lid very good service |
IN the first days of the Revolution, but after |
wards attempted to turn over West Point to |
the British. Blair did some fighting during |
the Rebellion but now wishes to deprive the
yictors, not of the spoils, for they desire none,
but of security from future attacks. Benedict
Arnold would have made rather an I'M
promising candidate for the vice-Presidency
after the Revolution"
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