The Portland daily press., 1869-08-16


The Argus Proposes ssCombinasion."
The argus Of Saturday announced in a
roundabout way that the long continued war
fare in this State between Republicanism and
Democracy had resulted in the utter discom-
future and rout Of the latter, and proposed a
speedy termination of the contest and an un-
conditional surrender, Immediately after the
State election, of the Democratic forces Why
it defers the time Tor formal surrender until
after election, sufficiently appears from the
statement that eve should vote as a matter
OF policy with reference to the future" Poor
old Argasi Poor old Democracy How well
you illustrate the truthfuness of the saying,
that s'the ruling passion is strong in DEATH"
Having voted for the last fifteen years from no
other consideration than that of policy land
egregiously mistaken at that), it proposes to
sgnalze Its departure from the stage Of State
politics by a final effort in The same direction.
Not from principle-not from sentiment-not
even from force of habit and association-but
@as matter of policy Nth reference to the
future" 1t is hopeful sign when the argus
and the Democracy which it represents have
their attention called 10 the future, and the
spectacle Of such aged sinners making the
slightest preparation therefor, even though it
be upon the bed of death, will be exceedingly
refreshing to that class of good people who
cherish the charitable belief that
S3 awhile the lamp holds out to burn,
aaFz The yiIest sinner may return"
The free and frank admission of the argus
that the Democracy of Maine will perform
(, for positively the last time," on the 18th of
September next, and then abandon the name
and organization TO dissolution and decay,
( while not unexpected by the favored few, oc-
,asiors CONSERVATION and surprise among the
uninitiated rank and file, who, until this pro-
I. .nunciamento, supposed that the party might
keep on its legs for several years to come. and
fondly hoped that when, like imperial Cesar,
"dead and turned to clay, it still might stop a
hole" sls sar
10 4 We trust that the great mass of the party
will be charitably disposed toward the argus
8 In thus abandoning the ship and sinking the
ests and those of the Argus are identical, and
that the argus man has nothing else to do but
watch the signs of the times and calculate the
eclipses of Democracy. He is a Waterman
upon the walls of their Democratic Zion and
knows 1what is what much better than they
can ever hope 10 do. They will bear witness
to The fact that he never "squarked" beforen nor
displayed the white feather until now, and
that he kept up his courage and inculcaled
Democratic doctrine and democratic discp-
line untilthe very day before he announced
that the Democratic party had "gone up"
Hany of that party are disposed TO be cap
tioas and talk big about being sold out, be-
ttayed, and all that sort Of thing, we call upon
! them to pause and consider. Reflect uponthe
history of your party for the past nine years
Its present condition-its future prospects;
and laying your hand upon your heart, say
what conclusion you would have arrived at,
had the direction of affairs been lett to yox?
Wearied with constant combat in hopeless
cause, discouraged and disheartened b. an al
most uninterrupted succession OF disasters
and defeats, filled with the gloomiest appre-
tensions for the future, the brains of the party
formerly furnished by the South) not avail
able by reason Of being tainted with overt
treason. and "Copperheadism" being irdelibly
written upon the fore front of the party, we
ask you to say would you not have come to
the same conclusion that the argus and its
coadjutors have, and have unanimously voted
to " let her Slide"
Democracy, you see, is not exactly what 1t
used to be. Its recent history is illustrated by
no glorious and patriotic utterances--no great
achievements-no suferings in behalf of free
dom and native land. The very features of
the organization are hideous with the pock-
marks Of treason-it can consequently allure
no young and unstained warriors to its ranks.
Its body is riddled and torn with Union shot
and shell, while its progress is faItering and
uncertain. We think that the conclusion
must be irresistible that the skiing pins" of |
Democracy have done about the wisest thing |
possible in determining to discard the name
and disband the organization. But what does
the argus propose in its place? Happily for |
evarybody's peace OF mind, the programme is |
laid out with great clearness and precision.
The difficulties of the new situation are to
be obviated, and the success of the scattered
fragments Of Maine State Democracy to be
assured, by combination" There's word
for you, the magic influence of which is to
bring things into line and work complete de-
struction to all their foes.
This combination is to evolve a party which
is to be duly dubbed conservative" and
which, with the aid of the Hichborn'party, is
to grind what shall then remain Of the Re
publican party into insignificant atoms. This
"Conservstive" party is to be made up of the |
great Democratic spider and such Republican |
flies as can be induced to walk into it's hos
pitable parlor, and the professed object of the |
movement is to secure the election of Mr.. |
Fessenden or Gov. Chamberlain as United
States Senator for the term commencing in
1871.
The effect upon the argus of even con-
templated abandonment of the Democratic |
name, and an association with a portion of |
the Republicans, is marvellous and cannot fail |
to attract attention. The alusion to Mr.. |
Fessenden as gentleman of superior sbili-
ty, an integrity that is a standing rebuke to
the corrupt, and frmness which threats and |
brcwbeating do not terrify," is probably the
hrst correct Characterization OF that gentle
man which it ever made, and is in marked |
contrast to what it said of him less than
year ago, when, in an editorial commenting |
upon his speech in City Hall, it said that he |
reiterated his wen known views, which are /
OF an extreme radical character" And |
again, During the latter portion of his sneecb
the statesman was lost sight Of, and his state
ment Of the motives of the Democratic partv
were of the clap tap order, which are daily |
peddled out by the small fry of his party"
We take it for granted that the Argus does |
not claim that any change has occurred in
Mr.. Fessenden's views since the first day of
last September, and we would respectfully liz
quire by what strange process it would make
a conservative" Senator out Of a gentleman
whose well known views" are not only radi- |
cal but Of an Extremely radicallcharacter.p
The Argus has wasted many ponderous |
editorials in years gone in trying to prejudice |
the people against Mr.. Fessenden, and to de- |
tract from his merits and well earned fame;
but bafiled and thwarted at every point il |
looks now as though that paper had conceived
thepurpose of injuring his reputation by an |
espousal Of his cause.
furs.