The Portland daily press., 1868-03-02


which involved the reputation of the national
debt Mr.. Washburn then referred to the sit
uation at Washington, and congratulated his
hearers upon the glorious manner In which
Grant and his military associates had thwart-
ed the Vaccinations of the President. who
had aspired to gain control of the army in Or
der to carry out his own plans in defiance of
the wishes of the people. He had heen left to
go on until he had found himself in,peached,
and his slate broken into splinters. Those
splinters were now flying in the air. thicker
than ever Persian arrows flew, piercing every
Copperhead shield and breastplate, and car
rying dsmay among the Democratic horde
that had invaded New Hampshire. The
President had dug pit for Grant into which
in the order of their responsibility, supported
him: first, the Rebels of tie war, whose acts
and frank declarations made it impossible for
any one to be deceived in respect to them;
second. the Rebel sympathzers; third, those
men who now desire to give up all the fruits
of the victory and surrender Internationally
to the South The speaker had commissioned
believed that the great majority of them, as
well as of the soldiers they had commanded,
would vote as they fought. If a small major
ity refused to do so, they were welcome to fol-
low their own devices. We should fight
it out on this line, and could do with
out them Grant was only inspired 10
greater efforts by the difficulties in which
ba hoo Nd
the same determined spirit would charac-
terize the Republican purity in winning civil
victories These victories would, during the
present year, result in the capture Of more
prisoners than Grant took at Vicksburg or in
his subsequent campaigns. Referring to local
affairs, Gov. Washburn repudiated with much
emphasis the allegations of extravaganza which
have been SO freely INDUCED against the city
government. The expenditure of money las
been only such as was rendered necessary by
the exceptional circumstances in which the
city was placed after the great confagration.
He expressed his establishment and indigra-
ton that SO much consequence should be at
tached to matters of secondary Importance,
when so much is at stake upon National
issues, illustrating the position of the opposi-
ton party in this respect by several amusing
anecdotes. 1t was like the position of the
same party when the question of the further
extension of slavery was before the people; it
then endeavored to divert the attention of the
country to sooodpecker la,csi In conclusion
the speaker expressed great confidence in the
favorable result of the pending municipal cleo
ton, and the removal of Capt Mcclellan from
his present sphere to that of localchief-magis-
trate. With graceful compliment 10 his pat
riotic course and distinguished services dur
in the war, and to his foresight in securing the
passage by the last legislature of resolution
demanding the establishment of impartial SUIT
TRACE laws by Congress, the chlirman intro
duced
rr GEN. sxEPLEy,
who was received with several rounds of APP
plause. He BEGAN his remarks by referring to
the unprecedented interest evinced by the peo-
pie in the municipal election. There were sew
eral reasons for this. There was determine.
ton to secure a city government whose fitness
for administering local affairs wisely and pru-
IDENTIFY would be beyond all question. In pur-
suance of this resolution the Republican party
had with singular unanimity selected Captain
Jacob Mcclellan as its candidate for Mayor a
man who possessed peculiar qualifications for
the position He was patriotic, resolute, and a
firm adherent to every good cause. He had
been ever friend to the soldier. No one had
a more sincere regard for economy in public
expenditure, or possessed greater adminis,ra-
tive ability. Two parties were opposed to bis
election; one was the Democratic party under
the lead of gel tleman who had been recent
~ nominated but not confirmed for the Office
of Collector of Customs; the other was par
ty which was as yet undstinguished by name
and which had not yet arrived at the dignity
of a candidate. The speaker denounced with
great severity this second party, commenting
upon the want OF wisdom and patriotism shown
in basing opposition to Mcclellan upon grounds
that were either personal or imaginary, at a
time when so much depended upon harmony
in the party. l. was absurd to talk of vote OF
two, more or less, in some ward, when by
means of such diversions the city of Portland
might be in danger of mourning the imputa-
ton of taking sides with johnson in his def.
ance of the Constitution and laws. General
Shepley also mentioned third party that op-
posed the election of McLellan-thas-- repre-
sented by Montgomery Blair, who was address.
ing the Democrats at Deering Hall. The speak.
er had been spectator in the Maryland Leg.
islature when that body had received the news
OF the rejection of Thomas by the Senate o.
the United States on account of his dsloyalty
The members were considering whom they
could select for the vacant seat that would a.
nearly as possible resemble the man of theil
first choice, and the general impression seem
ed to be that Montgomery Blair fulfilled al
the conditions more nearly than anyone else
The idea of importing this favorite of the
Rebels of the Maryland Legislature, the mem
bers of which have almost to man mllitar,
titles acquired in the Confederate service, t.
instruct citizens of Portland as to theil
political duties, was infamous. B lair haG
been here two years ago, and at that time as
sured his hearers that unless they placed Con
servatives in Office civil war was inevitable
and blood would be flowing in the streets il
less than two years. Gen. Shepley supposed
that Blair came second time to d., up the
snow and ice ON the sidewalks, and look fol
that blood! But we wanted no Maryland
missionary labor here. There was class O.
alarmists who endeavored to intimidate the
people by threatening to plunge the country
into anarchy. Such men forget the teachings
OF history. An attempt of the kind indicated
was made when they assassinated Lincoln
but though Lincoln was killed, Stanton and
Grant lived, and the country was safe If we
could safely pass through trial of that kind
we could endure the removal of Andrew
johnson by due course of law. At least, il
was pretty certain that the experiment would
be tried. The speaker commended that the po-
sition of Congress is precisely that of Lincoln
during the war. When the late President
gave Gen. Shepley his instructions upon his
departure from Washington to assume the
Office of Military Governor of Louisiana. he
remarked that if there were only one-tenth Of
the inhabitants of that State loyal he would
entrust the government to them. The loual
men are the State. That is now the doctrine of
Congress, aud the people of this city are called
upon to decide whether they will sustain it, or
the opposing doctrine, that the rebels are the
State-to decide between johnson and yallau.
digham on the one hand, or Congress aud
Grant on the other.
At the conclusion of Gen. Shepley's re.
marks the Chairman introduced
GEN. NEAL DOW,
who, previous to reading the resolutions that
had been prepared, made a most telling and
eloquent speech. He said that the resolutions
had special reference to union in the party.