The Portland daily press., 1872-02-26
PRES S.
MONDAY MORNING. FEB. 90, 1872.

DAVID BARKER's POEM, "Private he
marks to the American Eagle, winch
,,r;ntad ON the fourth page of this paper, mas
never before been published. The author re-
cards it as the best poem ne ever wroIe.
There are great many people VINO VIII con-
tend that nothing can be better than The
Enontv Sleeve" and some Of the other cele-
brated pieces which have given Mr.. Barker a
national reputation. But after reading the
.'Private Remarks to the American Eagle"
there will not be wanting those who will ac-
cept the authors estimate of its relative
merit.
THE discussion of Mr.. Summers preamole
and resolution relative to the sale OF arms 10
French agents has given the Senate OCCASION
to squander another week. 1t was early uis-
closed that there was no ground for even a
shadow of suspicion of any completely on the
part of any officer of the government IN any
irregularity. Indeed this fact is so patent
that Senators who seem to be blind TO the
wants of the country and deaf to the appears
of the people, accept it and have maze no
reference to the exploded charges IN the als-
cussion of the last two. days. Prince Bis
marck has the reputation of being sufficient.
w watchfil of the interests Of the German ma
ton who can be the only parties wronged ir
thismatter. But he is silent land it remains fol
Messrs. Sumner and Schurz to bring up thi;
question and charge the government witt
greater injustice to Germany than that com
II h. riff 70 tbts 6ur
ing the rebellion.
CAN the Legislature find no other way tt
get rid of obnoxious individuals on the schoo
board than abolishing the whole existing sys
TEN ofsupervision, State and county? We have
always been strongly inclined to support Su
perintendent johnson, because he has seem
ed to infuse an unusual degree of energy int
the work of promoting education and to dis
play genuine interest in the performance O.
his duty. 1t has been a pleasant spectacle tt
see one man occupying an official position
who has believed with all his heart that some
thing ought to be done about the appalling
decay of our common school system. But /
on due investigation it is found that he ha:
really been guilty of any malfeasance in of
flee, he will of course have to be given up
But the abolition of the whole system O
supervision seems to us an act of recklessness
akin to that of repeating the whole crimina
code.
The only Senators who voted against the
reference of the general railroad law to the
next Legislature were Chaplin and Pennell Of
this county, Chase OF Washington, Dingley d
Androscoggin and Spaulding of Sagadahoc
In justice to the latter gentleman it should be
observed that he has made better record il
the present Senate than almost any of his as
sociates except Morris and Pencil of this
county. On all questions that have ariseI
these gentlemen have shown an honest indie
pendence that should entitle them to thu
grateful respect of their constituents. Mr.
Morris voted against the general railroad law
but his record is so clear on other questions
that no one will be disposed to question hi,
motives for moment.
ANOTHER mistake in the Revised Statutes
has just been discovered. The old statute O
1857 which charges the cost of criminal pros
ecutions upon the State, and which was
changed several years ago so as TO require the
counties to pay these costs, has been incorpo-
rated into the new code.
A FULL copy of the resolutions of the La
Dor Reform Convention indicate that the
platform is as strongly in favor of protective
tariff-as the most ardent pig-iron Pensyl-
vanian could wish, while in respect to the
greenback heresy it surpasses Pendleton OF
even Ewing.
THERE is another report that the anti-ad
ministration Republicans will postpone the