The Portland daily press., 1869-06-29
END of,be Epoch.

End ofshe Epoch
The noticeable feature in the platform
adopted by the recent Republican convention
at Bangor is that it is not political. 1t does
not contain proposition, that any reasonable
Democrat is disposed to controvert. Even the
declaration in favor of a prohibitory ligIor
law noue of the sensible Democrats care to
gainsay, partly, because, whatever their opin-
ions might be, were it a new measure proposed
for adoption, they consider the whole policy
settled by a repeatedly expressed public opin-
ion, and partly because nearly as many Dem
ocrats as Republicans, think the legal condem-
nation of the practice of indiscriminate sale Of
intoxicating beverages should stand upon the
statute book, though having less faith than
most Republicans in its efficacy as a tenn
perance measure At any rate all intelligent
Democrats agree with the Republicans that
the temperance question at the present time
furnishes no subject for new political agita-
tion
As we tender no issue to our old political
opponents, we do not feel called upon to at
tack or antagonze them. In the spirit in
which we have amnestied the belIigerent reb-
els, and are waiting the earliest safe period in
the near future to admit them again to full po-
litical fellowship and influence, we do not see
why we should maintain a virtual political
prescription against our neghbors whose fatal
fault and mistake was, that they sympathzed
with the rebels and stalSed their political for
tunes ON their success. 4o
Had the Republicans at Bangor listened to
the suggestions of those, who wished TO throw
away the solid advantages. which the triumph
ant establishment Of their principles in the con-
stitution Of the country had given them, and to
initiate new movement which but a small
fraction of the people would support, the Dem
ocrats, waiting for such folly, would quickly
have Joined issue upon the new question, and
taken the field with a candidate and a plat
form. But since wiser connsels prevailed in
our ranks, the last hope of a successful cam
paign under any Of the old political combina-
tions has expired
The Democrats viii doubtless hold their con-
vention aud pass their resolutions. 1t may be
that they will put a candidate Of their own
party in the field. If SO it will be merely for
forms sake and with a view of keeping up this or
ganization for purposes ulterior.to this year and
this State, and with no expectation or desire of
defeating the re election of Coy. Chamberlain.
1t may be, that they will have the good sense
to submit to the inevitable, and vote directly
to accomplish what we feel sure they have no
serious desire to prevent, by putting our pop
ular and inyincibe candidate in nomination
as their own.
Such an event, the recognition Of new era
cfgood feeling, would be just as likely to hap
penin Maine as anywhere else. Mr.. Blaine
said justly the other day that the Republican
party originated in Maine. Maine, though in
population and wealth one of the decaying
States, and though compelled to witness sadly
each decade the waning of her numerical po-
litioal power in the national councils, still
maintains her right to her present motto Of
Dirigo by he ability and influence of her
great men, aud by her recognized power to
lead other States in the direction she points
out So that if the Republicans of Maine have
laid down platform upon which all men, OBJ
livious of the past, can pledge each other pat
trioiic devotion to the public good, with full
acquiescence in the state of things, which the
war has established, it is an example that is
likely to be followed by other States.
But the action Of the Bangor convention is
not the only Indication, that the old political
epoch is fairly ended, and that the morning of
new one is already well advanced The
Democrats themselves are more than willing
to forget 6y-gones and form within the admin
istration lines upon some issues developed by
the inability of its supporters to agree upon a
policy.
The Cincinnati Enquirer says:
''The Democracy want men who will repre-
sent the present and the future-not the dead
past. The party cannot be sacrificed upon the
altar of pride or antiqnated and venerable re-
sentiments Political organizations should
take the same measures to secure success that
anindividual does in ordinary business life.-
1t is an old but true adage that politics some
times makes us associate with strange bed-fel-
lows; but, nevertheless, in the tide of human
vicissitudes, we must accept them.
Commenting on which the New York World
says: fs3ef 7.in gt@ 9
i "It is obvious enough that if the Democratic
party, which is as yet a minority, is ever to
gain control of the government, it must ac-
cept the cooperation of some OF its former OPP
ponents. There were, last year, hundreds Of
thousands of Republicans who were not mere
~ willing but eager to join us, if we would
have SO far humored their prejudices as to bury
one or two dead issues. That opportunity
was flung away and lost not deliberately, but
by the hasty and ill-considered action of the
Democratic National Convention, in its clos
ing hours The protracted struggle to nomi
nate candidate for President left the Con-
vention so wearied out, and SO impatient to
dispeIse, that General Blair was nominated
for Vice President without due consideration,
and the party became committed to an issue
which made defeat inevitable.
All the signs of the times indicate that the
Democratic party, instructed by experience,
will not repeat that unfortunate biunder.-
Nothing Is more certain than that the recon-
estructed South, with the negroes all voting,
will participate in the next Presidential cleo
tion. Whether we like it or not, we cannot
change it,; BY a vain struggle against it we
should merely keep the negro question open
as topic of irritation after it is closed as a
practical issue, and repel from he Democrat
ic party multitudes of citizens who have no
objections to its cardinal principles. 1t lis not
wise to make Northern white men vote wrong,
by an obstinate and abortive attempt to pre-
vent the Southern negroes from voting at all
To accept negro suffrage, and that too in the
uaalterable constitution, is virtually to sur
render TO us the controversy upon which po-
litical parties have contended since 1854
There is at last no mistake about it; the war is
over; Lee has surrendered; our most fervid
campaign orators cannot even for rhetorical
purposes run the war another year.
Gilmore was right to put the Jubilee into
this month and year and to lift up all the mu-
steal voice of the nation to proclaim amid the
ringing of bells and the laundering emphasis
of cannon: "AchieOed is Tho glorious soork.''
1t is no lack of courage or patience fsr the
Demo rats to surrender Never was defeat
ed idea so devotedly clung to and fought for to
the last. They are overcome not by or supe-
rior integrity, SO much as by the tendencies of
the age. A new wave of Democracy sweeping
hAfnre it the last pretensions Of kingly prerog-
alive, and class privilege rose and deluged the
land. They opposed it ana were chips and
chaff on its bllowing surface. They went to
Chicago in 1864 and organized the WEAKNESS,
the misery, the blood d-sickness of the country,
into formidable demonstration against the
continuance of the war; the majority of the
people, exhausted with taxation, pouring out
tears for their slain, crippled with their own
wounds, closed their ranks and said sternly by
their votes: MOI -Four years more Of this hand
to-hdnd aoar aciM this Devil of Rebellion and
Slavery before consent to diUide the land soiM
himl They seized upon fhe treachery of John
son in 1866 and tried to organize the sullen dis
content Of the defeated rebels under his name
into aformidable resistance to the only safe and
practicable plans of peace; but Johnson's name
brought with it no prestige, and the rebel
voices had threatening sound of renewed
civil war, and the people were alarmed, rather
than seduced. Finally at New York last year