The Portland daily press., 1872-05-01
The Gordon Gord0ns.
II ,nv wonder that Great Britain DULLES

fne tgOIuUn wv
Ell. .nv wonder that Great Britain bullies
nsp Ia r. strange that some British writers,
Ike CARLYLE, express sovereign contempt for
everything American? Let us not wonder
that England tried to snuff out this Republic
during the Rebellion. There is no ground
for amazement in the efforts of the same
country to escape from the consequences OF
the treaty Of Washington. Not that Ameri-
ca is unworthy of respect and hohorapie
treatment. Not at all. But the average
Englishmen gets his idea of the United States
and the people thereof from class that most
imperfectly represent them. He believes that
the chief ambition, the aspiration, the darl-
ing purpose of every adult American citizen is
to know and worshipa genuine, living Eng
lish Lord! He knows that every poor little
lordling that wanders over the seas and lands
on our shores is fairly mobbed by crowd OF
tuft-hunting democrats" Not long ago the
eccentric heir to the Earldom of Aberdeen
left his home and the honors and titles that
had descended to him, and undertook to earn
an honest living by the sweat of his brow in
this country. He followed the sea, and be-
tween whites lived in various obscure places
Richmond, Maine, among the rest Finally
he was drowned while acting as mate of
schooner bound from Boston to Australia
Then the whole romantic story came out.
The shipmates who had slapped him famil-
iarly on the shoulder, the shipowners and
shipmasters who had used him as they would
any subordinate, the Richmond girl whom he
had "courted," all found to their surprise
that they had associated in different ways
with the heir of one of the Oldest, richest and
proudest families in the British peerage. This
mind, or at least such mind as American
snobdom has. Thenceforth no simpering
youth with mutton-chop whiskers and short
coat has been safe from the suspicion that he
is some inconceivably rich and noble British
Lothian in disguise. A carelessness in the
use of the letter ''h'' is in itself sufficient
to render any well-dressed, pretentious
young man an object of tender interest to the
young ladies of many of our 'tfirst families. -
There is an impression widely prevalent among
the American aristocracy that the country is
full of young English lords wandering about
iacognito and painting to place their coronet
on the brow of some American belle. Ac-
cordingly, a few months ago, when young
Briton who called himself Gordon Gordon, or
George Gordon, or George Henry Gordon, as
pleased him best, came to this country, and
appeared to represent a large amount of valu-
ahlQ fxuaS I'D Of ~ bo
circles of society in which he moved that he
must really be Lord Gordon. So he was
called Lord Gordon while making
triumphal social progress through the princi-
pal cities Of this country. 1t was the peculiar
and especial delight of our free and indepen-
dent patriots, to genufex in his noble pres
ence, and to bask in his patrician smile. 1t
was proud day for Beacon street and Fifth
Avenue, when Lord Gordon blessed them
with his presence. 1t was only after he had
successfully swindled various people, and had
in consequence been committed to prison,
that his followers happened to think that he
had never protested to be peer, and that he
had merely submitted to be called my Lord,
without either protest or assent. He is only
the last of long line of Gordon Gordons,
who have amused themselves with the passion
of us plain republicans for titles No doubt.
he holds the American people in very light
esteem, and imagnes that they would sacri-
flee their national independence to any sove-
reign who would judicieusly distribute few
baronetcies and dukedoms among them
f..-
THE argus of yesterday morning has a
long article in which, among other things,
the Ogdensburg loan is discussed, and an evil
dent attempt is made to draw us into some
sort of controversy on this subject. We shall
never discuss this or any other question in
the spirit which the Argus adopts Debate
on this subject is hardly timely, as it has al
ready been announced that the Directors of
the Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad are en-
gagged in negotiations with contractors, the
result of which will probably present new
phase of the question. When the time ar
rives we shall comment on this matter, as we
do upon every other business question, with
an eye single to PortlaI DIS interests. The
argus is thoroughly Bourbon sheet--obstruc-
tive and ogressive-indfferen or hostile
to all movements for advancing our CONNER
cial and manufacturing interests. The PRESS
and A'yus will naturally disagree. We shall
endeavor to confine our arguments to the
merits of each case and not initiate the bad
example of our neighbor-adisgrace to journ-
alism-by INDUCING in personal vituperation.
WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON has written
an article for the Independent, favoring
Grants denomination and reelection. Mr..
Garrison cannot be accused of being an Office
holder or an office-seeker. Speaking of the
action of the Philadelphia Convention, he
says: sit will be the act of the party, solidly
combined, intelligentiy governed, independ-
emily moved, and infexibly resolved; and to
the ratification of the act by those who are in
office no discredit is to be attached, but rather
commentator"
A.. The standardization organs are trying
to comfort themselves with rumors that Gen.
Grant will not accept the Philadelphia NOM
ination. The eagerness with which they
grasp at reports of this kind is the best possi-
BILE evidence that they regard Grant as the
strongest candidate that can be selected by
the Republican party, and that their only
hope of defeating that party rests on the pos
sibility of the retirement of its chosen leader
rom the field.
The Cincinnati meeting is claimed to be
popular movement. 1t may be in some States
but in Maine it can hardly make that claim.
The last report gives the names of but two
gentlemen there from this State, who went
of their own accord and who, by the pro-
gramme for representation, will have fourteen
votes in the Convention.
The Democratic citizens of st. Louis have
resolved to have that city selected as the
place of holding the National Democratic
Convention, if it is possible to do so. Mis-
souri, is clearly entitled to do this poor honor
as the birthplace of a movement on which all
the hopes of the Democracy are based.
THE ex-rebel Gen. Imboden has written a
letter to lthe Cincinnati leaders saying that
HoraceGreeley is the man that can beatGrant,
and who will fire the Southern heart. white
and colored, with an enthusiasm that will se-
cure the Tribune philosopher every Southern
State. ~
THAT patriot, JEFF. Davis, our exchanges
say, takes lively interest in the Cincinnati
movement and felcitates himself with the
ho,a ,,1,., +l,oco ,,o, oII;a, h. 80.