The Portland daily press., 1869-02-01
l did not have tn wait long ere the COM

l did not have to wait long ere the COM
mittee returned, and their spokesman-a
Methodist preacher, and man OF hne ap-
pearance and good address-mUunted the
Courthouse portico to present the following
impartial report: I -
The committee The said) had met Messrs.
johnson and Nelson had been courUeously
received, and very respectfully heard and an
swered. They (Messrs. johnson and Nelsonl
had no wish to intrude their views upon any
people who protested against hearing .n iJod
They did not doubt but that some MIS- sse, .t,o
and violent men might have con 4:o t .ne
meeting, and passed such resos ''II 10 'ne
committee presented, but they could not De
Iiave thar majority of the intelligent and
resnectable neopIe of Sullivan, their old
friends and constituents, had been guilty of
discourtesy. They therefore requested that
vote OF the people assembled should be
taken this morning, in presence of two of
their friends who lad CINE with the COM
mittee 10 see it fairly done, and if it should
appear by fair vote that a clear majority
was opposed to hearing them, they would
not attempt to speak.
now" abruptly added the reverend
SPOKESMAN OF the committee, sit the crowd
WIN squat will proceed to put the vote"
Inc novelty of the proposition really
sIaftied me. "lf the crowd win squat !"
had never heard OF such preliminary to a
vote, but the speaker uttered it as gravely as
he would have said, IF the coneregat on
will be seated" When the crowd of seriovs
looking men in the street sank 10 their
launches L found the effect far less ludic rous
than l imagined. Novel enough it was to
me, but the earnestness of all the actors in
the scene digniied it sufficiently to check the
nfst impulse to mirth which the strange an
nouncement had excited.
The assemblage, having duly squatted, the
reverend committee man proceeded:
"All those in favor OF having Governor
johnson and Mr.. Nelson speak will rise to
their feet"
But two men arose, who, as 1 afterwards
learned. were OF the suite of the Union Or
ators. and had been sent with the committee
10 see the vote taken. One of them. indeed,
was not citizen of the country. The com.
mlttee-man, however, announced that there
were two persons in favor Of hearing the pro-
posed speeches, and continued
All VIII squat again."
The two alternatives subsidized to level
win the rest of the grave and venerable
squatters, who had remained, grimly the
while, doubled upon Their launches.
Those, now" went Oh the serious COM
mittee-man, "who are opposed to hearing
governor johnson and Mr.. Nelson speak will
rise to their ieet.'
simultaneously the large crowd, with the
exception of the two who had previously
voted, sprang to their feet, and rent the air
with stentorian shout. The question was
settled. The vote had been fairly, if strangely
put; the II suit was decisive, and the meeting
dispersed without the formalty of al ai-
Journment. The two friends of the Union
orators went to horse to carry to them their
account OF the proceedings. The Sullvanites
gave little more heed to the matter; they did
not dream that their wishes, so unequivocally
expressed, would be disregarded. Nor were
they. Later in the day Messrs. johnson and
Nelson arrived at tavern on the edge of the
town, where they were visited by some of the
more curiods loiterers in the village, with
whom they exchanged friendly greetings; but
they senslbly RETAINED from any effort to
make political speeches. They good-natured-
y confessed that they were "headed off, 10
Sullivan.