The Portland daily press., 1872-04-15
T.o yew Work Liberal Meeting.

hundreds of patrons in various ways when,
where and how important it was to be. The
World, Tribune and the Sun-the lion of free
trade Democracy, the apostle of pig iron pro-
lection, and the Ishmaelite of Journalism
had kept the fact and importance OF TINS as
sembly in extended type daily before tneir
readers, In short the meeting was as wen
known to newspaper readers in the country as
the most skiIlful dead-head advertisers could
make it. Indeed, the Cincinnati Convention
as a whole has been the best advertised scheme
of the season. OF course it was a great
meeting. 1t could hardly be otherwise IN
city of a million people. OF course 1t mad
clauuers enough, for without the aid OF Its
Tammany friends, there are enough outs and
soreheads about the New York Custom House
to start the cheering on every opportune or
inopportune occasion. The meeting proceed
ed with all the regularity of tirst-class thea
tre There was the grand flourish of trum-
pets, and all the hustle of mock battle. The
Reformers on the platform, as far as they were
Republicans, embraced Charles A. Dana, who
stands condemned by his own testimony a
perjured slanderer, Marshall o. Roberts, a
Tammany Republican, Moses I'll. Grinnell,
ex-Collector of New York, and sore in conse-
quence of his removal. There was, says the
Herald, very noticeable absence of infiuen-
tial citizens on the platform, which was alto
gether given over to old Custom House men
and old officials now doing nothing and look
ing for something good to turn up in the Gin
cinnati Convention To show the accord of
Tammany in the lioeral movement, Col. Eel
lows, late of the rebel army and now the
Tammany Assistant District Attorney was
conspicuously present.
The speech of Senator Trumbull presents
not new fact or statement He charged to
the Administration the present prOAigate
State Governments of North and South Car
olina, Georgia and Florida. How Gen. Grant,
who has never had the means to interfere
with the abuses of local governments, could
be held responsible for the wrong doing of
States authorized and reconstructed under the
policy advocated as strongly by Mr.. Trumbull
as by any other Congressman, it is difficult to
conceive. For the present policy of recon-
struction Mr.. Trumbull is as much RESPONSE
BILE as any other man. Is itunwise or unjust?
Let him admit his own error. While naming
the States that had recklessly involved the
people in debt, Mr.. Trumbull forgot to men
ton Virginia and Louisiana. Was it because
the former was under Democratic rule and the
latter under Warmoth? Mr.. Trumbull as
sailed the ofice-holders generally because
there are sixty thousand of them, and assert
ed that the expenses of running the Govern
ment might be reduced fifty millions. He did
not tell the country how or where. He prob
ably cannot He dwelt at considerable length
upon the disregard the President and his Cab
met have for the acts of Congress, and cited
the case of Secretary Robeson. He might.
have cited one other-where a Senator charged
and received for few days service fee of
S10,000-a plain violation of the law he him
self helped to enact. He might have added
that the speaker was that Senator, and thus
made himself the criterion to judge the sixty
thousand he had assailed. But the object
at which the shafts of both the speakers were
aimed was President Grant, whom Mr.. Trum-
bull assured his hearers was as politically dead
as was Andrew jackson physcally-a state
ment that was received, says the Herald, by
demonstrations of disgust, equal if not sur
passing the applause. e
Mr.. Schurz speech, which he read from
manuscript was bitterly personal and mali
cious. He assailed the administration and its
head as unpatriotic, corrupt, selfish and oon-
temptible. This may all be true, but Mr.. Carl
Schurz is hardly the proper man to make the
charge. He it was who claimed as the re-
ward of political services, major generals
commission and, to keep that gentleman pa
triotic, it was granted him and during the
war, being unfit for the command, even of a
company, he aired his uniform as member
of military commissions while colonels with
brevet ranks, were commanding brigades and
divisions.
The question of amnesty was a leading
topic of both the Senators speeches, yet both
these gentlemen refused to vote for bill be-
cause their friend and the Presidents enemy,
Mr.. Sumner, had saddled the bill recommend
ed by the President with civil rights BILL
When mir. Greeley appealed on the platform,
Mr.. TrumbuIl unmindful of the abuse of the
Tribune when he voted against the conviction
of Andrew Johnson-hailed the philosopher
of the white hat as the original advocate of
general amnesty. There can be no question
but what the mass of the Republican party
favor system of amnesty all but general, but
it will never be so very general as that of
Horace Greeley who last summer called upon
Jefferson Davis and fawned around him as
though he (Greeley) was as thoroughly re-
pentant rebel as Davis the week previous had
proclaimed himself to be unrepentant.
The platform announced by the meeting was
OF the most general character. Not word
was said about revenue reform since Mr..
Greeley would not like it. Not word was
said about the Ku Klux laws because the
Democratic party which is expected to form
the immense tail to the sore-heads kite
wouldn't approve that. Not word was said
about amnesty for fear that few Republicans
the length of the liberals. Not word was
said in favor of any financial policy, lest bust
ness men should be driven away. s--a
In short the purpose of the wire-pulling
managers was disclosed more by what they
omitted than what they did. They want to
build up a party that shall push them into
power. To do this they are willing to ride
any and every political hobby, going in any
direction. .sHEas .s
Despite the fact that the anti-administration
and Democratic papers have gone frantic over
the New York meeting, we confidently
predict that it will hardly be remembered
week were it not for the World, Tribune
and Sun, trinity that represents all the ele-
ments of the opposition to Gen. Grant. -
SENATOR SCHURz declares in a long article
in his paper-the st. Louis Westliche Post
that Bismarck is by no means the greatest
statesman of the time, and in fact that he is
small beer politician, about on Gen. Grants
level. This must be very painful to the Ger
man Premier, who has been brought under
this distinguished disapprobation by speaking
contemptuously of Mr.. Schurz's effort to ex
cite unpleasant feelings between the United
States and Germany and by calling him
mischief maker. Now that the Missouri
statesman has annihilated the President of
his adopted, and the first statesman of his
native country, he is in condition to indulge
in an Alexandrian flood of tears for want of
mora rulars to daunol;Sb No v,,;o1,+ 70 ba