The Portland daily press., 1870-11-24

IlN0t
THE ALLEehAN1ts DIVIDE born PARTIES
ON FINANCIAL QUESTIONS.
The Democracy of the West are suEdered |
from their brethren upon these same meas |
ures. Indeed, with few exceptions, upon |
try are substantially divided by line running |
North and South along the backbone of the |
Alleehanies. Those on the EasterIy SIDE,
where capital abounds, believe that it should
be exempt from taxation; those on the west
erly side, the debtor portion of the nation,
believe that capital should bear equal If not
a greater share of the public burdens.
TIE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHANGES FRONT
ON THE ACQUISITION OF TERRITORY.
Upon another set of great public measures
a still more curious division and exchange of
party ideas takes place. Heretofore it has
been the boast O.. the Democratic party that
they desired to extend the boundaries of the
country, or, in the catchword of the day " the
area of freedom" by acquisition of territory.
Now we see a Republican administration
with wise prescience of the interest OF the
nation, seeking to annex San Domingo, sus-
tanned by majority of Repuollcan house,
and the whole Democratic vote soldiy against
receiving into the Union the best and most
desirable acquisition that hos offered an ex-
tension of our empire
The speaker regrets the rejection of the
San Domingo treaty, and says that we
lose that valuable acquisition through Demo-
cratic votes. Oh the question Of American
commerce there are the following strange
declarations. 1t is curious to find New
England Representative commencing meas
ures that would close the few of our ship
yards where vessels are still built:
OUR COMMERCE.
We also see like division in each party up
on the question of the establishment of
American commerce, crippled and almost de-
stroyed by the hostile acts of Great Britain
during the rebellion, most wildly illustI ated
at the breaking out of the war between PruS-
STA and France when the President as an adj
ministration measure, by formal message
recommended that our merchants have liberty
| to purchase the iron steamships of the bellig-
erents which might be otherwise locked up by
| blockade in their ports to be navigated under
| our flag thus give employment to our sailors
| and to cheaper the transportation OF our ex-
| ports.
| TARIFF MEN AND FREE TRADERS UNITED
AGAINST OUR BUYING SHIPS.
We then saw the singular spectacle in Con-
gress of leading Democrats, one, an old WING
abolitOnst, representing the Democracy OF
New York city, striking hands with the Re-
MIA, as well in the Senate as in the House, to
talk against time SO that the waning hours of
the session might expire, to prevent the pas
sage of Republican administration measure
to relieve American commerce.
But the following is more rational:
BOTH UNITE AGAINST OUR sHIPBUILDERs.
| Nor was this the only instance of the divis-
| ion OF the members of both parties on kin
| dred subject. A bill prepared by select COM
| mittee of the Republican House of Represeta-
| tves on the decline of American commerce,
| endorsed by a Republican President of the
| United States in special message, devised to
| afford relief to American shipbuilders, failed
| of consideration in a He use OF Representatives
| with nominal Republican majority OF more
| than wo.thirds, by the votes of a minority of
| the Republicans going with the not undivided
| handful of Democrats
| THE DUTY OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO ADJ
JUST FOREIGN QUESTIONS.
| We have also seen that the Republican par
| ty has adjusted all the questions raised by the
war, so far as they affect the internal polity of
| the government, and so far as itself is concern
| ed. There now remains to it only to adjust
| the great international and foreign questions
that were evolved by our late terrible civil con-
| test. And as we have reconstructed the
| States lately destroyed by the rebellion, SO we
| should reconstruct our commerce likewise de-
| stroyed in the same war. As we have adjust
| ed the claims of our citizens tor damages done
| we have thought them just and equitable and
not tainted with rebellion, so we should now
| adjust the claims of our citizens and the claims
| of our nation upon those natious who took adj
| vantage of our crippled condition to show a
hostile spirit followed by unfriendly acts. :
THE COURSE OF ENGLAND DURING THE WAR
WAS MORE OBJECTIONABLE THAN THAT
OF FRANCE.
The chief offender against our natonaldig
nifty and honor in this regard is the govern
ment of Great Britain True, imperial France
was quite as early in the recognition of the
| beligerept rights of the rebels, quite as I'M
friendly in its spirt-in it's attack upon the
neighboring republic of Mexico; but in the lat
ter it failed to 40 us any injury, and the for
mer was followed by no act of which we could
justly complain. No rebel cruiser was fitted
out or entertained and refitted in any French
| port. No pirate was let loose by Napoleon to
| prey upon our commerce.
| ENGLAND POUNDS THE DOMINION OF CANADA
TO CRIPPLE US.
Nor can we look upon the consolidation of
her provinces upon the north of US int new
nation called a Dominion, from which I'M
| checked raids were made upon our defenceless
borders, (while the war raging,) as other
| than hostile movement designed to cripple
| us in case the South should be successful, by
| creating an unfrendly nation on the North of
| us to be in accord with a hostile nation on the
South. By the valor of our soldiers and the
PatlIoliom vi Jul pcOplts Tie pTOVlu0uC6
of God, the British government was disap-
pointed in its dearest wishes and failed of its
most cherished desires.
NOTHING DONE FOR SIX YEARS.
And yet we are far into the sixth year since
the war was ended without being nearer,-not
to say to a reparation for these wrongs-even
to practical consideration of the questions
involved than we were at the day of the sur
render of Lee.
DUTY OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO SETTLE
FOR THESE WRONGS.
| The Republican party is the dominant party
| of the country, and must remain SO for the
| next three years at least Upon it and upon
| its administration devolve the duty and the
| burden OF bringing to a conclusion all these
| questions and obtaining the needed PREPARATION,
| Naturalization, and apology for our wrongs.
Delays aid not their solution but rather add
to their complications. Time can never
obterate the deep sense of injury this nation
| entertains of the action of Great Britain dur
ing our war. Years only intensity its bitter
ness. The gaping wounds in our national hon.
or never will close up by lapse of years. They
must always remain green, open, sore, until
healed by the potent save OF ample PREPARATION
and naturalization.
WRONG AND CowARDLY TO WAIT TILL ENGLAND
IS IN WAR TO LET PIRATES LOOSE ON HER
COMMERCE.
True it is urged by some, not too far-sighted
or discriminating people. principally newspa.
per writers, that we should delay settlement of
our claims until England gets into war, and
then let loose other Aabamas or Shenandoahs,
and other Flordas from our ports, n the interest
OF the belligerent nation with which she would
be at war, TO prey upon her commerce. espec-
tally to make the pretext of war between her
self and either of her dependencies, to have
our own citizens fit out our ships as cruisers
under some apocbryphal flag and thus to avenge
our wrongs. The craftsmanship of those who
advocate such course would seem to be this:
we complain of her wrongs, and we propose to
make those right by doing other like wrongs to
be inflicted in safety when our enemy is Grip
pied. Is this craftsmanship? Is it magnani-
nous? Is such redress bold, is it manly? Nay,
is it not sneakingly cowardy?
LET US DEMAND OUR RIGHTS AND MAINTAIN
THAT DEMAND.
Let us rather stand up in the manly strength
of our nationhood, and fearlessly, boldly claim
winch belong to us, insist upon their being re-
specteu, and that all questions between us and
Great Britain be adjusted at once and forever.
SO as to take away all cause of unfriendlipess
between Two powerful nations of the earth
Let us say to Great Britain: "Thus much we
are wronged; thus much we require to satisfy
the nations honor and the nations loss, and
for that wrong and that loss, thus much we
must have, because it is our right aud because
we are able to maintain'our right" Judge We
the Alabama claims.
OUR CLAIM IS THAT SHE HARMED Us BY HER
HOSTILITY.
I only see that her government was hostile,
and her hostility was harmful to the United
States and was SO intended. We claim repair
alton for that harm done by this hostility. The
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