The Portland daily press., 1868-05-25

The Springfield Republican, in querulous
article with the contemptuous title "Hamlin
of Maine" gives expression to the feeling OF
chagrin and disappointment at the defeat of
Senator Wilson at Chicago, from which the
friends of that gentleman seem to suffer quite
acutely. 1t calls names in the naughtiest N CIV
York style. The Maine delegation is held
solely accountable for the misfortune of the
Massachusetts candidate. Maine is guilty of
creating contemplate diversion"-it played
the part of the "dog in the manger"-the
Hamlin movement was greedy and offensive
in conduct and design" Hamlins friends
were guilty of gross indecorum in pushing his
claims, thereby endansering the REASONABLE
prospects" of Senator Wilson.
TINS puerle outbreak of passion is almost
the only expression of dissatisfaction with the
proceedings and final action of the Chicago
Convention that we have seen in any Re pub
lican paper 1t comes, too, from a sheet whose
adherence to the Republican party has never
been firm or constant enough to entitle it to
sit in Judgment upon its action or to authorize
it to become an arbiter in party disputes The
quality of its Radicalsm is well measured by
the number and length of its editorials re-
printed in Democratic journals as "admis-
sions' damaging to the Republican party.
The Maine men did admirably at Chicago.
They displayed so much vigor and sagacity as
to wiring reluctant praises from the lips of
the friends of other candidates. In this re-
spect they presented so favorable a C )ntrast to
the managers in behalf of Wilson, as to make
the latter the objects of disparaging comment
Up to the moment of balloting the cores
pondents of nearly every paper in the country
spoke in the most encouraging manner of Mr..
HamliRs prospects. The files of the "Repub-
leans" exchanges will show that the dispatches
to the Massachusetts papers afford ample tes-
timony on this point. If Wilson had a "rea-
sonable prospect" of success, the Maine men
may be excused for believing that Hamlin was
morally certain of the nomination There was
not mere factous opposition to an alliance
with the Massachusetts and other New Enc
land delegates, founded upon a jealousy of
wilson, for there was never a moment from
first to last when Hamlin was not nearer sue
cess than Wilson. We say this without for a
moment forgetting that Wilson received much
the largest vote, for he could not have antiei-
pated very large accessions to that vote in any
event, while Mr.. Hamlin, with New England
united in his support, would have carried the
West against Celfax himself. 1t is Maine. and
not Massachusetts, that has occasion to COM
plain. But the opportunity will not be i'm
proved. The people of this State realize the
fact that much less disastrous consequences to
the country are likely TO follow from the
defeat of Hamln at Chicago in 1868 that fol-
lowed the same event at Baltimore in 1864
Massachusetts, is responsible in each case. but
at Baltimore she gave the country Andrew
johnson, for whom Schuyler Colflx at Chica-
go may well be regarded as a compensation as
complete as anything can be, except formal
reparation of the wrong committed by the old
Commonwealth in 1864