The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-09-23

Very Liberal PrOpheS!.
tits far from our purpose to exult over the
defeat of the Democratic party at the late
election. With the result we are gratiiea
and the opposition have also extracted their
usual consolation. Nevertheless there are
certain matters to which it is important to
call attention. From the day that Mr.. Gree
ley was nominated at Cincinnati, his claquers,
aware of the importance of rallying the doubt
full and wavering to their standards, began to
ill their papers with prophesies Of revolu-
ton, and groundless claims of great changes.
Had any considerable part of these confident
assertions, been true, there would to-day, re-
main scarcely handful of real Republicans
in the country. The party organization
would already have become the barest skele-
ton and the Chappaqua Sage would, in Nov
ember, be borne to the White House by the
united voice of a whole nation.
Whether or not these men believed these
myriad propheses and assertions, is of so
little Importance that we do not care to
consider it. One fact is evident-that so
far as Maine is concerned, every one of these
predictions is the farthest possible from
what resulted September 9th. In August
these men were confident of success, and
spurned with utter contempt our repeated
assertions that there was no break in the
Republican party-that the accession to the
Democracy on account of Mr.. Greeley would
be shown by the election to be of little account
and that the Liberal movement was daily
losing ground as the time of the election ap-
preached. -
Our plain statements of this fact, because
swagger of the Liberals, were constantly rid
iculed as evidences of lack of courage and
signs of panic in our ranks.
Now we desire, for the good it may do in
the future, to call attention to the fact that
we were right and our opponents wrong;
and to show how wrong they were, We will
quote a few predictions out of the scores sent
from this state by the special correspondents
of the New York Tribune, Mr.. Greeley's per-
sonal organ.
The Portland special of August 23d de-
elares: .. .-.-
The country is responding with zeal to the
demand for Liberal speakers, and the remain
ing two weeks of the canvass will show splen-
did results. The Adminstrstionists have
made desperate effort during the last ten
days, flooding the State with speakers, mis-
sionaries, and money, and if the Chinese no.
ton of noise were to win, they have filed the
whole bill. But they do not reap the expect
ed fruits.
August 9th the organ declares that the
= 70 "a f,i
''It has neither made any considerable num-
Der Of votes for Grant nor frightened one Lib
eral from his purpose, as the 9th OF Septen-
Der will show" II the 9th of September
showed one thing more than another, it was
that there were no Liberals to frighten, so
that in this sense the Tribune was accurate
August Goth, the Tribune correspondent
tells what he knows about Liberals in Maine
as follows:
But it is very plain there has been splendid
work wherever the issue has been fairly made
and the Liberal Republican strength is posi-
tive and healthful. Now know not one town
where it has not distinct existence. The
lowest possible figure of the Liberal Repub-
can vote is put at 5000; while, unless the
canvass SO far made is a miracle OF mistake,
it must greatly exceed this. The action of
the Grant men makes it plain either that
they do not measure the forces opposed to
them, or that they rely upon the most shame
less Misrepresentation.
This strength was possibly ''healthful'' but
it had lost its "positiveness" before Septem-
Der 9th by some means.
In the same despatch, the correspondent
turns prophetic and says:
The war-cry of Speaker Blaine that the
canvass showed 5000 majority for Porham
is already modified, and the Custom house
weighers and guagers now admit that they
shall be satisfied with 10000. Not all the
power OF their swsrming officials, aided by
the greatest corruption fund euer brought into
the State, tciu be likely to slceu their majority
to 10000. l have said above that no man
puts the Liberal Republican strength at less
than 5,OOO; and an estimate is promised,
MADE up from careful inquiry, as to how
much the friends Of the cause the land over.
may rely upon. The Liberals cannot make a
close canvass. but they can make better one
than any party that wakes up each morning
and calls In its pckets only to see who has
deserted during the night.
September 9Th, the Tribune pro phet turn,
his attention to the result in the Congression-
al districts. Here is accuracy for you:
tricts are encouraging to the Liberals Pike's
election in the Fifth District seem. assured,
and Lang will cut down Speaker Blaine's
majority in the Third District considerably
il he does not defeat him. Clifford is making
sgood fight in the First District and hi
friends are quite hopeful of his election.
The same correspondent in ''survey o.
the field" Sept. I'd, says:
There are two sets of Liberal calculations
one Is that Perham cannot get more than
5000 majority; the other is that if the favor
able private reports received from marion,
parts Of the State are true, he is mon, beaten
Certainly this Tribune prophet must in tn.
future be classified with those who compo,ed
apocrypha.
September 4th, the Tribune breaks forth in
the following note of victory:
As election day comes on, Liberal pros
poets improve. Reports from various part,
of the State indicate an increase of the ele
ment of strength whichis covered from gen
eral observation on account of the terrorism
which prevails in administration ranks. The
amount ofstealthy boiling is incalculable, snd
the disorder is contagious. Administration
managers are enforcing party discipline with
vlgor; but there is much secret Justification in
thelr ranks, The leaders are not iubilant to-
uay' out irritable and angry.
In another dispatch an im,oin.t;xo corros-
pondent states that it is very doubtful if the
GRANTEES" will have majority in the na,t
Maine House of Representatives. Tb. Co..
that these very GRANTEES" have olsotod 100