The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-08-14


There is some fatality about it. Every now
aud then the Democracy, stunned and bleed
inc from some fresh defeat, has said, :" Go to;
let us reconstruct our party, keep our spared
monuments OF antique hunkerism in the back
grouud,' get ian infusion of young blood
into our organization, and, in short, rub out
and begin life over again. Blu. there is Ger
tain inherent constitutional tendency that al
ways prevents these sagacious designs from be-
ing accomplished. "Scratch Russians skin
and you find Cossack underneath" said Ma
po!eon. Scratch new style Democrat and
you are pretty sure to find Copperhead. The
old hunkers always seM attend the conven-
tons; the "young blood" is not to be obtain
ed by mere effort of the will; ancient forms
OF political faith, long outgrown by the peo-
Pile, assert their supremacy over the Democrat
10 mind. The irresistible gravitation of the
party toward the past and its erro, q il soma
thing amazing. All that prevents a ,lec,ara-
ton expressive Of sympathy with the late la
mented race Of anthropopbagi in the next Ma
uonai Convention, is want of familiarity
with The history Of that remarkable and very
ancient race in Democratic circles.
When Rosecrans was nominated for Govern
or of OHIO, 1t was stoutly maintained that at
last Democracy had fairly started on new
track. Since the last Presidential campaign
Roseerans has not been regarded as man
who in all respects deserves the sympathy of
the people, it Is true, but il must be confessed
that his history has some things in it that make
his nomination political paradox. But the
fates did not permit the Democracy to reap any
advantage from this action, taken in moment
Of unwonted inspiration. Rssecrans declined.
A new nomination must be made. aud the
committee upon whom it was incumbent TO
make the new nomination promptly reversed
the only precedent for taking voluntary step
forward to be found in the history Of the Dem
ocratic party Pendleton is the man OF their
cboice-PeDdleton who was candidate for Vice
President in 1854, because he didn't like, the
war, and who was the favorite Candidate with
Western men in the National Democratic
Convention of last year, because his name was
q synonym for population.
There is little story connected with Pendle-
toms nomination that is worthy Of atta ution
only because it shows how men will try to ex.
plain on rational and natural grounds the
work of supernatural agencies The story, in
brief, is this: Pendleton wants to be President
in 1873; Hoffman Of New York is dieting for
the same place. The friends Of the latter gem
uema1 formed an alliance with the supporters
Of Judge Ranney of Ohio, who wishes to be
Vice President Their plan was to nominate
Rannsy for Governor, and so give him prestige
and weaken Pendleton in his own State. But
Pendleton saw through the scheme, and
though he did not dare to have himself nom
mated in the Democratic State Convention as
he easily might have been, he brought forward
and successfully supported Rosecrans Upon
the withdrawal of the latter he had no alterna.
tive but to direct the Democratic Executive
Committee to nominate him. So the great
combination of Hoffman and Ranney was
brought to grief, and Pendletenism OF repndia.
ton is again the Democratic watchword Of
s Ohio and Of the country