The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-04-15


There are those who look with approval up
on the attitude Of men who are known as
Conservative Republicans. They are in
some quarters regarded as men who are un-
able, owing to certain judicial mental con-
stitution and disposition to look fairly at
both SIDES OF question, to act with the ex-
trsmists Of either party. There is certain
speciousness in such presentation OF the case,
but when an analysis of the character and con-
duct of prominent men who have been classed
with "the trimmers' is made, it is found that
instead of being moved by motives loftier and
more disinterested than those OF their associ-
ates they have almost uniformly been ambi-
tious, scheming and unprincipled politicians,
who have mistaken the favorable season for
apostaey, as unprincipled men almost always
do. The mere mention of the names Of An
drew johnson, Senators Dool:ttle, Dixon and
Norton, Henry ]. Raymond, Chief-Justice
Randall and Browning, Gen. Blair and null
titude of others of less prominence, is suffici
emit evidence of the insincerity of the men
who since 1865 have endeavored to make
themselves stronger by an alliance with the
Shareholders and secessionists' party The
men we have mentioned are politically de-
funct. They have no lot OF part in public al
fairs. If they ATTEMPT an appeal to the peo-
pie, 40 Dixon did ia Connecticut, they are per-
emptorily and finally rejected and laid on the
shelf. Some of them may claim, like the
late President. to have risen from the dead,
but even as ghosts they are regarded as emit
tied to no credence. Lost spirits, like their
more advanced compeers JEFF Davis, Mason,
Slidell and Breckenridge, they wander aim
lessly and hopelessly about in the immensely
of space, ready for Charon to take them over
the Styx whenever he finds it convenient
John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts is al
most the only apostate whom the people of the
country generally regard as having been actu-
ated by creditable motives in forming an alli
ancs with the enemies Of free institutions. In
his case q certain hereditary trick of obsti-
nasy-a certain wrong medicines inherent in
the Adams blood-is supposed to account for
tine unnatural affiliations Of his later political
life
The truth is that on moral questions there
is no middle ground, and it is moral questions
with which political parties have had to do for
the last decade. Quarreling with the party
that is devoted to the advocacy of the affirma-
tive side of the moral issue, on matters of mere
detail, on grounds of personal prejudice or on
the ground of dissent from the action of cor
rupt and unprincipled individuals who may
temporarily attach themselves to the right
side. does not relieve the apostate from the
odium of his desertion. Whatever the occa
sion of his recreancy, he is bound to prove in
attenuation of conduct that the general direc
tten Of the party he has abandoned is less
praiseworthy than that to which he has fed.
As between the Republican and Democratic
parties the deserter from the former to the lat
Ter Is unable to furnish the requisite proof
The loss of "the trimmers'' is positive ad-
vantage to the party they leave. While Dix
on was Republican Connecticut sometimes
went Democratic; at the last two elections it
has defeated nearly the whole Democratic
ticket. Sprague's sudden insanity was imme-
diately followed by the usual Republican vic
tory at the spring election in Rhode Island
Henderson of Missouri and Fowler of Tennes.
see, beginning with opposing impeachment,
did not stop there, but went over to the enc
my; but both Missouri and Tennessee were
carried by the Republicans at the last election.
Such mon are the Jonahs who relieve their as
aocio fos hu i1.unui no ovarhoord