The Portland daily press., 1872-05-16

MIR. CliffOrd's Speech.


young Democracy. We trust that we shall
excite no jealousies and heart-burnings in
the Conservative ranks by this timely recog-
milton of conspicuous ability and worth. The
preeminence of Mr. Clifford ought to be uni
versally conceded. He has made politics,
constitutional law and the history of parties
the study of his short but active life. The ef-
forts of the older campaign orators of his
party are familiar learning with him. He
knows how to exhort the impenitent Republi-
can. He has word of encouragement for
every doubter, an exhortation for every back
slider, speech for every occasion. Where
ever two or three Democrats are gathered to-
gether, Mr.. Clifford is in the midst of them
with his speech. Indeed Mr.. Clifford is be-
coming the central figure in Maine Demo-
cratic politics. His speech has been printed
in the Boston Post and, if we are not mis-
taken, the New York World once spoke of it
as a creditable production. 1t will be seen,
therefore, that the speech is not undeserving
of the brief suggestions we propose to make
touching its arguments, especially when we
consider the prominence its author is likely
to attain hereafter. As his hearers look up
on his fair, animated and handsome counte-
nance, they see therein the promise of all
sorts of future dignities and honors-Legis-
lator, Gongressmany Senator, Governor and
Judge. They know that the form which
stands so unassumingly before them will one
day be clothed with the majesty of the high
est official positien--that of President itself,
perhaps. And gazing on the same bright
face, they see, as the people of Illinois are
said to have formerly seen in the face of
Stephen A. Douglas, custom-houses, post-of
fees, collectorships, cerkships, army appoint
ments, naval Offices and government con-
tracts, ,sprouting out in unchecked luxuriance,
all to be in good time bestowed on them
and their friends and associates. Such q
man will of course command respect where
ever he opens his lips, be it ever SO often.
1t is worth our while, therefore, to ex-
anime his speech for moment, and find out
if we can, what its intrinsic merits are. 1t
will probably be deIivereda great number of
times during the pending canvass, and we
may as well set Mr.. Clifford right. on a few
points atonce. Taking the report published
in the argus we would respectfully suggest
the elimination of the following sentences:
No honest citizen can say that this (Grant's)
administration has met either the expectations
of its friends-the emergencies of the time-or
operated to allay in the slightest degree, the
fears of its conservative opponents. When it
began its career it found chaotic and disorder
ed South Almost four years of its attempts
at Southern pacification, have rendered the
SOuthprn disorders InO n
yeterate. ... te:l, ,.fs ..iiik 4.
Now as matter of fact, Gen. Grants
friends expected that he would meet the
emergencies of the times, and he has done it
with marvellous and unprecedented success,
by preserving the peace at home, with foreign
nations and with the Indians, by stoutly ad-
herring 10 his oft-repeated pledge to uphold
the rights conferred ON the freedmen by the
constitution and laws of the United States,
by honestly collecting and prudently expend-
ing the revenues, rapidly reducing the public
debt, and by submitting in all respects to the
clearly expressed will of the people. And as
for "allaying the fears of his Conservative
opponents, no patriot will condemn him be-.
cause he has not done SO. So far as we know,
his Conservative opponents feared that he
would look with disfavor on the Ku-Klux
Klan, the whipping and shooting of defence
less negroes, and the practical disregard of the
last three amendments to the Constitution of
the United States-and he has not disap-
pointed them. They feared that he would
rule the American people honestly and wisely
and would bring to a peaceful issue our con-
troversies with foreign nations, thus preelud-'
ing the possibility of Democratic return to
power for many years-and here again they
have no been disappointed If the South is
not yet pacified, it shows how incorrigible the
old Rebel element has become under the
promptings of Northern sympathizers. No
conquered people was ever before treated with
half the generosity that has been shown the
Confederates, and they would long since have
been content with the clemency that not only
spares life and property but promptly restores
to the enjoyment of civil and political rights,
had it not been for the partizan zeal of their
Northern friends. -a -a
And it will not do, Mr.. Clifford, to talk to
any intelligent audience, made up of people
who know the history of the last decade,
about Grants administrations having suffer-
ed American commerce to wither and decay,'
and about its unjust and unequal laws hay
ing absolutely swept American commerce
from the SEAS" What! This from an en-
bryo Senator? Aspire to be President and
not know that American commerce was
''swept from the seas'' by Democratic cruis-
ers? Talk about unjust and unequal laws,
when Democratic opposition has within few
months defeated both Mr.. Lynch and Mr..
Hale in their efforts to give commerce one
more chance for its life? If there is one sub
ject in the world which a sagacious Demo-
cratic orator will perceive that he must from
the nature of the case avoid, it is the subject
of the shipping interest. Shipbuilding is
branch of industry that received its death at
Democratic hands, and Democrats have nev-
er yet consented to any practical effort to re-
vive it.
The one effort made by Democratic Con-
gressmen to revive shipbuilding was that of
Mr.. Cox of New York who killed Hale's bill
providing for a drawback on material, by
moving an amendment which ,could place the
British shipbuitders in direct competition Nth
our Own! ~"
ELSEWHERE will be found call for Con-
vention of the Washingtonian Reform Clubs
in the State, to be held at Augusta, Wednes-
day June 5th, for the purpose of perfecting
State organization and taking such measures
as willcarry the work into every town in Maine,
With central organization that shall secure
united and systematic effort, under the inspi-
ration OF the leaders who have already accom-
plished so marvellous and beneficent results,
the Washingtonian movement is certain to \
produce the most important and glorious
reform that was ever inaugurated. Thousands
of men will be reclaimed from moral degra-
dation and restored to manhood; tens of
thousands of hearts burdened with the sor-
row ana woe that intemperance brings, will
once more be joyous and hopeful; prisons will
become tenantless; work houses useless pau-
per bills will be reduced nine-tenths: hundreds
of thousands of dollars, now worse th.n
wasted, will go to comfort those who are now
the helpless victims of the rum traffic; and
the communities that come within the in
nuence of the reform, be morally elevated.
IHE Tariff bill is proceeding tediously
through the Committee of the Whole in the
House under the skillful leadership of Mr..