The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-10-24
"Waoever Excuses Accuses.o

sand with one accord they began to make
excuses" All the Democratic literature and
oratory of the last ten days has been directed
to one point. The Democratic National Com
mittee has issued to the country seif-excul-
parory address. Seymour has been driven to
the stump with an apoiogstic speech by the
applications of his terrified supporters. The
Democratic Executive Committees of Sout
Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, New York and
Ohio have also issued deprecatory appeals
Wade Hampton has written an apology. The
New York Democratic State Committee has
followed SUIT All the Democratic journals
have adopted the same defensive line of con.
duct.
The uniform purport of all this penite ntial
talk is that the Democratic party does not
mean revolution. The nominate on of Blair
immediately after he had written, and because
he had written that the President elect should
dieperse the carpet-bag State governments "and
should compel the army to undo its usurpa-
Nons in the South, was a mere harmless ca
Price. It Is noticeable feature Of the address
Of the National Committee that it does not
mention Blair at all. The plank in the Dem
struction acts of Congress Revolutionary, un-
constitutional and void" has no serious mean
Ing The Interpretation put upon this plank
universally BY the Southern press and quite
generally by the Northern press is all wrong.
Now this is passing strange, my masters
How does 1t happen that the whole American
people has been on the wrong track since the
fourth of July? Ii there is no foundation for
the charge that the Democracy, as presented
to the country by their works at New York.
mean to reverse by revolutionary violence all
that has been done by Congress for the last
three years, how could the millions be SO de-
ceived7
There Is an old French proverb to the effect
that whoever excuses himself accuses himself
II Ii so in this case. 1t is folly to proclaim
that Radical Misrepresentation has been able
TO produce an unfounded impression that is
quite universal. The Democracy have tried
misrepresentation to their hearts content.
Whom have they convinced that Grant is a
ofnokardY or that be was an unsuccessful
military man? Oh that if elected President he
would proclaim himself dictator? Whom have
have they convinced that the Republican
F~''S A"s'nSAeascu tuo udJlOudl QeOE or thai
Colfax was Know-Nothing? Misrepresen-
taaon is absolutely powerless in a country
like this where intelligence Is universally DIFF
used The peerless character of Grant has
not suffered in the slightest degree from thu
detrac:ion of his foes. The PRINCIPLES of the
Republican party command to-day the respect
@no Veneraton of the lovers of Democratic
government everywhere, notwithstanding the
pitserness and mendacity with which they
nave oeen attacked by opposition journals.
1t OF no avail to make excuses mr. exn1ana-
lions now. A thousand Seymours ON the
stump, regiment of Hamptons writing let
tiers and an address from every Democratic
committee in the country would make no diff.
ference in the result. The people have deci.
ded that Democratic triumph means ,Dar,
and they have declared themselves in favor OF
Grant and peace.