The Portland daily press., 1874-05-16
THE PR ESS.
SATURDAY MORNING. MAY IS. ls74
Bourbon Straight.

The election of w. w. Eaton as U. o.
Senator from Connecticut affords an APT Illus
tration of the wide difference between Deiii-
ocratic profession, made in hours Vi "u '1iS'
and dependency and democratic peiioi'n ,
ances enacted in moments OF prosperity "uu
o,o,;or There is not man in New England
IN vbose nolitical character and record, there
is more thoroughly typified all that is en-
veuomed and unrepentant OF northern copper
beadism. Eaton's utterances in this respect
have been so shocking to the moral sense of
loyal people that it has been found necessary
to keep him in the background when cleo
tions were TO be contested. His democratic
associates have been full of apologies for and
disclaimers of his political heresies. He OPP
posed successfully the war against rebellion.
the Emancipation proclamation, the arming
of the blacks, the thirteenth, fourteenth and
fifteenth amendments, and every measure
great or small, by which the Union was pre-
served, and the Republic made Tree.
But the instant one of those opportunities
so rara tn democrats in the north-comes,
of proving their faith by their works, the
ancient virus reveals itself in strongly
marked preference of the worst rebel in the
party over all competitors. The thin dis
guises of patriotism, which'were worn at the
hastings, having served their purpose, are
coolly thrown aside with a celebrity which
would do credit to Harlequin. All sense Of
prudence, moderation, respect for public SEN
timent, seem lost in the bewildering exhil-
aration of an ephemeral victory. The same
thing was witnessed on larger scale in 1868.
Encouraged by some unexpected successes
in state contests during the preceding year.
the rampant democracy, rejecting the coun-
sci of the more cautious OF their leaders, re-
fused to acquesce in the little scheme of en-
deavorng to get possession of the govern
ment by the sort of Trojan-horse strategy of
nominating Chase and accepting the Con-
stitutional amendments. They felt strong
enough to hoist their own colors. The re-
suit was the Broadhead letter, Frank Blair
and humiliating defeat. One would have
supposed that such bitter experience,
would have had the effect of consigning every
apostle of treason to perpetual oblivion
1hC any euih, " oSdo Oldho COdutiOu Wdo
virtual confession of the hopelessness Of
the democracy, that they could win popular
favor without a pretence of recanting their
past errors. But the lame and impotent
conclusion of that notifying adventure was
attributable not SO much to general dis
trust of the sincerity Of democratic penitence
as to the invincibility of Grant. If through
any Mysterious dispensation of Providence
the democracy regain power, il will be by per
suading the people that they have ceased tc
be Democrats.
In the light of this apparently selfevident
BILE copperhead as Eaton in the Senate is one
of those blunders, which serves to show how
little the common enemy has profited in
worldly wisdom by the hard lessons of mis-
fortune. From Republican point of view
the selection is eminently satisfactory The
new Senator will defend his repulsive creed
with all the ardor OF man who has long
been impatient of the gives of suppression.
Unless his more polite colleagues can find q
way to muzzle him, he will be apt to buri
out great many Of those offensive opinion;
which have made him far greater terror tc
his friends than to his opponents. If We
must have specimen democrat in public life
who is from New England, but not of it
who incarnates all that is possible of hatred,
of freedom and free titutions-Connecti
cut was the State to send him and Eaton was
the man to 60. We wish the opposition JOY
of this fruit of the '!great reaction" of which
we have heard SO much since few thousand
Republican voters in New Hampshire and
Connecticut absented themselves from the
polls on the day of their State election. II
one such sample does not effectually cure the
American people of the apathy which could
alone bring about restoration of the Bour-
bons, they must have very short memories
and very little patriotism.