The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-11-18
Confessions Of an Impenitent.


Confessions Of an Impenitent.
The PRESS felicitatss itself that, if it has
not the virtues and graces of true-blue Re-
publican journalism in the same Astounding
has at least appreciation. 1t seems to the
ordinary prosaic mind that it must be irk-
some for poet-laureate to feel obliged to
produce an elegy on the decease of royal
lap-dog or an epithalamium when the i'm
perial canaries are mated. To be court
journalist, noting with pious care the num-
Der of times His Majesty was graciously
pleased to wink during morning walk-or
gold-stick-in-waiting ambling backward with
nose to the ground before noble imbe-
cile or bedizened profigate, would not Or
dinarily be accounted the fu!fillment of
very lofty ambition. But it is thought nee
essary to have all these offices performed
with decent solemnity, and one cannot help
admiring the singleness of purpose and self
devotion Of the people who discharge them.
And like considerations entitle the court
journalists, chamberlains and ushers of po-
litical parties, whose business it is to main
tain at all times and under all circumstances
the most intense personal loyalty to their re-
spective organizations and to all persons
officially representing it, to due appreciation
and respect. We may wonder how their
functions can please them but we do not
withhold our admiration and esteem. To
defend all party measures, eulogize truly
loyal humbugs, make mouths at all oppo-
nents indiscriminately, admire and praise
every plank in a party platform, and abdi-
cate the right Of private judgment in all
things touching party policy and principles
such are the duties OF the American repre-
sentative of the court journalist. Here Is
the Bangor Wing now, most admirable
paper and most enjoyable, not only dis
charging its duties in the Gultless manner of
an old retainer, but also voluntarily assum-
ing the additional office of minding the steps
ofits neighbors and seeing that they wander
not into by and forbidden paths. 1t tells us
who are the candidates of the extreme
Right, apd requires our support. OF late we
have been often cited before this functionary
on charge of heresy and OAR categorical as
sent has been demanded to a proposition
whose propriety was as self evident as one Of
Tupper's proverbs, the solemn affirmation Of
which has always BEEN regarded as the
hight of absurdity. Declining to be bullied
into declaration that the moon is not
made of green cheese, we are repeatedly
summoned to give our "views." With a
boldness born of conscious innocence, we step
cheerfully into the confessional.
We believe that the PRESS is tolerably
loyal and that its record will show it, We
assure the Wing that we are ''down on"
slavery dreadfully. Never have printed fiat
tering notices of jeff Davis. Disapproved Of
the firing on Sumter. Do not believe this is
d!stinctively white mans government.
Abused Andrew johnson and always spoke
of him as candy" and "his accidency" when
we had mind to be pleasant. Went in for
the reconstruction measures. Supported
Lincoln and Grant and exhibited to our
readers day by day, In the best terms we
could, the wicked principles and abandoned
career of their opponents. Never have said
cit is time for change' to the Democracy,
and have always frowned on all movements
for starting third party. And the PRESS is
a good resumption-ofspeciepay paper
as neutrality-suspicious. papers 60,
and it means to resist the Southern Dem
ocratic third-term movement till all splits.
So far we are all right, and deserve the
Whig's gracious recognition. But we have
no faith in political infallibiity. We believe
in the holy Republican party but not in all its
saints. We believe, sincerely and fully, that
the Republican party embodies within itself
vast majority of the intelligence and virtue
of the country, end that its continuance and
success are the "fower and premise" of the
nation. From the very intensity of our fealty
to the party we are the more eagerly solicit
tous that the spoilsmen, whom success at
tracts to its ranks, be not permitted to dis
credit and rhisrepreseDt it by assuming con-
spicuous positions: and the many good Re-
publicans ought to combine in the stern and
vigorous repression of the few bad We want
it to appear the good and true thing it is.
We have always thought that we did it the
best service when we frankly criticised its
shortcomings, exposed the vices of its I'M
princpled followers, dissented from the I'M
wise management of its affairs by selfish
leaders and, in short, told the truth. We
have thought it much safer, as measure of
policy even, to have the party faults SUBJ
mitted to the kindly correction of its friends
than to have them Cal efully concealed till the
enemy ferreted them out and proclaimed
them to the world as from trump of doom.
We cannot receive on Bonded knees, with
dropping eyes, as some of our neighbors did,
such mirth inspiring productions as the ante
election address ofthe Congressional campaign
committee, just because it bears the official
seal of the party. We do not feel bound, as
the organs do, to defend all the acts of Kel-
logg and other disreputable southern COVER
nors merely because they miscall themselves
Republicans. And it long ago became one of
the necessities of our existence topass the ac-
tions and character of Gen. Butler, late OF
the Essex district, periodically under review
though he is Republican congressman; and
recent developments indicate that the course
OF all the decent Republican journals in the
land in exposing the dangerous tendency of