The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-01-28
IN Interesting Letter.

At the time Of publishing the Governors
Message we were too i'll to more than notice its
general defects, without particulariIing. Since
then we have received several letters in relation
thereto, and from among the number we select
the following for publication. Being marked
"private" We withhold name and date, merely
stating that the name Of the writer is known in
every hamlet in this State as a gentleman high
in the councils Of the Republican party, and
whom the State has loaded with repeated and
deserving honors:
-, Jan. 81, 1870.
Mn. BurIER,- Dear Sir: The JOURNAL
containing your critique on Gov. Chamberlain's
Message came duly to hand. l am glad you
had the courage to speak plainly.
The eulogy on Fessenden. singing out the
only public act Of his life offensive to the great
body Of his supporters, as the one for which he
was 10 be commended, was not just TO Fessen-
den, or respectful to the party which elected
Chamberlain. The Democrats OF course are
pleased with il, which probably was all he asked
for. The silence which the Governor observes
in rotation to Stanton, who We all know was des-
perstely hated by the opposition and rebels OF
every hue, was equally singular. IL would have
been offensive to such for honorable mention OF
his name TO have been made
The onslaught on the 400 "siuistsr motive"
chaps was painfully weak, but only shew the
depth Of wounded vanity. How much does any
one OF those gentlemen care for any thing he
may say. The privilege Of voting for whom
they please l. vested right which no man may
lawfully challenge, and when people make up
their minds TO vote against candidate. It Is
very little they care how be feels or what he
says about II.
Ii has been said that our commercial interests
are suffering badly; at all events great deal Of
effort Is making 20 induce some congressional
action. Would any one gather an idea upon
the matter from the message Of the Governor,
that ANYTHING was out Of Joint, or needed to be
done 10 revive this furnishing INTEREST," l have
discovered nothing therein which leads to such
a conclusion. have q dim recollection Of the
! time when ship-building was the leading inter
est OF Maine; its decay is a subject Of sorrow-
full reflection. A word from the Governor could
not have been out Of place. and would have
been in better place than his TRADE against the
400 sinister men who voted for Hichborn.
A letter Just received from Augusta remarks,
~ understand the Governor ssys he has not
read the article in the Biddeford JOURNAL, and
docs not wish to SEQ anything published in that
paper" Yours truly, -
In bringing again the subject Of the Message
to notice we have no desire "to pursue" the
Governor. since VIC do not bear him, and never
have borne him. the least personal III will. But
the Republicans viii learn ere long that they
cannot allow any man. however good may be his
intentions. to long be accounted their leader
who never opes his mouth but out there flies q
blunder; who never moves his forces except To
move them away from the enemy and upon his
reinfcrcemeots; whose political convictions,
when his standard Is not raised, the people
doubt, and when Il Is raised end that all ID
fruits are ashes on their lips, like Dead Sea
apples; who vain-glOriOusly imagines that h'
gives the ''countcrsign" to men who were vet
Grams before he joined the army, and whom h'
accuses Of ..shrieking" for II who give 1t t.
others whose success in running the pary''
majority in four years from 1882 down Il
1852, while the party holds and has held 1T
own in the towns and counties, cannot DO dis
puted.
We do not say these things tauntinsly or II
anger. But we want to be understood wha
the people understand, that no ono man Is bit
enough to ''run the machine "on his owl
hook; !" that no one man is the State that wher
man accepts nomin ton from body o
men with positive views and those views eI
pressed, we demand that he shall reflect thos'
sentiments. or get out Of the way; that in tn
political party to which We belong the "militar,
salute has not been introduced and nevel
win be introduced; that We did not