The Portland daily press., 1869-03-20

On the I'D of February there was a remark
able meeting in the town of Unity, New
H ampshire. Seventeen cold line Democrats
assembled to celebrate the birthday of the
Fathec of his Country. And very old Demo-
Gratis they were-not one of them less than
sixty five, the Oldest eighty, and the whole lot
averaging seventy-three. These worthy ola
gentleman in the couse of their festivities drank
the following toasts, among others, IN a Deve-
rage more popular and in more general use IN
their day than now:
The Constitution of the United States, as
established and administered by Washington
the grandest fabric OF human government ever
erected bv mortal man. Palsied be the hand
that would mar its structure or undermine its
foundation.
So far, so good, but the next one was this:
The Negr0,-Gods poorest child on earth
Totally destitute of the instinct and mental ca
pacity essential to self-government.
Aad the one that followed was still more
intsnsly Democratic:
The great questions settled by the war. Pre-
clsely what is settled by severe dog fight
The smartest dog.
Having the greatest possible respect for old
age in general, we are particularly pleased with
these New Hampshire veterans. Why shouldn't
they adhere to the traditions of their youth
and early manhood? There is something even
touching in the tenderness with which old age
sometimes clings to early impressions and ear
ly prejudces. Conservatism is very frequently
an accompaniment of old age though there
are striking exceptions. There is, for instance,
residing in the Eastern part of Maine, gen.
tleman who must have attained the age of
Aiet& f~n r.
this city, where his father was for many years
one of the leading men of Portland, and his
name is still familiar to our older citizens. This
gentleman is a striking and brilliant exception
10 the general rule we have mentioned. There
is not worthy popular impulse of to-day that
does not instantly enlist his sympathies There
is no good cause, made prominent by the pro-
gress Of our later civilization, that does not
command the services of his voice and pen-
There is no reform in which he does not labor
with something more than the enthusiasm of
youth. He is not content even with drifting
along with the tide of events, but he gives the
inspiration of his influence and his words to
the aeceleration OF the march of progress. But
the case is exceptional and no wonder is ex-
cited when men who have attained the age Of
those who met at Unity cling to what was
deemed just and good in their earlier years.
But what shall we say OF the young men
the men of our day-who are conservative at
the start?-men who begin life with habits Of
thought that charitable sympathy only can
make blamelsss in old age?
The conservatism OF Democracy has become
so stupid and senseless thing that it is a
source CT constant wonder that any young man
of mental capacity can longer ally himself with
the reactionists. To think of the amount OF
stupidity involved in trying to defeat impartial
suffrage in the United States, after the war
and after the election of Grant, Does any
man in his senses imagine that that thing can
be done? Yet Delaware, Kentucky and G cor
gia have just rejected the 18th constitutional
amendment, and the Democratic party is COM
mitted to the policy of opposing it. Nor have
they relinquished the idea of somehow getting
the people to believe that they want to repudi-
ate the National debt. After this the story of
Canute, trying to stop the rise OF the tide,
ceases to be impossible.