The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-08-20
The Turn of the Tide.

The most casual observer of the political
kaleidoscope has not failed to notice the re-
markable change of sentiment of the general
public of this State within the past two or
three weeks. The Democrats, el4ted beyond
all bounds by the accession of number of
men who had before acted with the Repub-
lican party, exploded in regular paroxysms
of delight, trumpeted forth immense gains"
and for brief period actually fancied them
selves on the high road to victory. The
Republicans, seeing the assertions, were
uneasy in the uncertainty how far the defec-
ton might spread, and what force the mad
ness of the hour might have. The sol:citude
thus excited proves to have been a very
wholesome tonic. The imminence of so great
disaster as the return of the Democracy to
power reused the combativeness of all true
men and has led to a popular uprising I'M
exampled since the election of 1856, when
the State was revolutionized. The flow to-
wards the Democracy ceased and in the ebb
of this Greeley "tidal wave' many of the
better class of the disaffected are returning
to their allegiance to the party of the country,
startled by the discovery whittier they were
tending. The only changes of political faith
now in this State are from the Liberals
back to their old party, and from the Democ-
racy to Republicanism. The doom of failure
is set upon this Greeley movement and its
abettors present the spectacle of as utterly
bafied spoils-seeking conspirators as ever the
world saw.
The men who deserted went all at once
There is absolutely no continuity in the move
ment. They were almost exclusively the
class of men who were ready to go anywhere
for the chance of spoils and in this State are
less in number than the list of ''bolters' and
"irregulars" which we have at every election.
For these leaders we cannot really have any
thing but pity. Their punishment is suti-
Gent even for their offence. What could be
severer castigation to these hungry place
seekers than to find themselves figuring in
movement whose dimensions are already
circumscribed to those of miserable, ineffec-
tive bolt. Why, these "Liberar' conventions
held in company with the Democratic con-
ventions have not nearly The dignity nor i'm
Iortance of even the johnson Republican
conventions of 1866. Already dependency
has taken the place of hopeful elation in the
breasts of the Adullamites and the sickest set
of men in America are those among them
who have vision clear enough to see and
brains to comprehend the handwriting on the
wall.
On the other hand the Republicans have
become earnest, confident and aggressive.
The whole State is alive with professions,
speeches, enormous mass meetings, torches,
song. and enthusiasm. One of our most ex-
perienced stump speakers says that there
have been no such crowds and no such inter
est manifested in the State since the great
campaign of 1856. Every Republican is
buoyant and full of life and hope Never has
a campaign been so cheerful and lively at this
distance from election. The tide is swelling
and will reach high water mark on election
day. We shall go to the polls on the flood;
our enemies on the ebb.
There is one point in this whole business
ON which we may heartily felicitate ourselves,
which is, that the most prominent of these
Adventures have burned their bridges behind
them and cannot get back to us. They have
gone to their own place and there must stay.
We must have care, brethren, that they
don't work themselves back by some indrec-
ton and return to plague us. The few hon
est men who have entered upon this business
in all sincerity of heart, believing the protes-
tations of extra, superlative virtue and purity
SO loudly made by these precious ''reformers,''
will return as fast as they detect the gross
cheat which is attempted. Them we well
come. They have begun to come and will all
be in the fold before election. But these
ringleaders-and we all know who they are
must be kept out at all hazards. They have
made their bed and there let them repose.
We cannot forbear to state in closing. a re-
mark of the best man in Maine who has had
to do with this shabby business and who is
heartily Disguised with his confreres. He
says: "What lot of disreputable adventt,r-
ers are coming over 1t almost makes me
sick. But then there is this consolation.
The country will get good either way. If we
the Greeleyites-win, of course we think it
VIII De for the national good, and if we don't !
we snail make the Republican party very re- !
spectacle by drawing out the most of the |
rascals." VI '--o