The Portland daily press., 1875-07-14
The App licant's Character. 81

feats forgotten. If these leaders proposed
to retire from active participation in public
affairs, this would be well and certainly kind
to them. But so long as they are loudly bid
ding and begging to be entrusted with the
control of public affairs, state and national,
and parading their peculiar fitness for the
service, it is the part of prudence to exam
inc their past conduct to see if it contains
the necessary guarantees that they will man.
age public affairs wisely. and patriotically.
The people certainly have right to do what
every prudent employer does, viz, investi-
gate the general character of the persons to
whom he entrusts his business. sNone but
those who have first class recommendations
need apply is the stereotyped phrase of
those who advertise for servants of every
description, be they required to manage a
factory or to perform the ordinary duties of
domestic servant. 1t is not enough that
the applicant is skilful, but the experienced
employer is concerned to learn about the gen
eral character and the general tendencies of
the applicant even when out of occupation.
The people of the United States have right
to review the past and note the relations of
these party leaders to the government both
while they were occupying positions of honor
and trust and while they have been out of
the same. Such a procedure cannot be re-
garded as revival of old issues, or the fight
ing of old fields over again, but simply a
scrutiny into the character of the eager
Democratic applicant for public employment.
We suppose that Democrat never made a
speech without extolling Jefferson and Jack
sou and claiming direct descen. from those
worthy men. This sort of flummery will do
to embellish spiritless stump-speech. 1t is
good thing, too, to talk about the greatness
and goodness Of the old folks when you have
none of your own to call attention to. But
when one is, in practical way, inquirng
into the character of man who applies to
him for employment, as rule, he is not sat
isfed to accept that of the applicants grand
father. There have been cases where the
sons of very excellent men have been con-
victed of atrocious crimes.
The people, therefore, cannot accept the
public services and political records of Jeffer-
son and Jackson as those of the Democratic
leaders of Maine. The greater part of them
were first potent in the party councils in the
time of Pierce and Buchanan. From that
time 10 the present, the country may justly
pass ia review, not only the acts of the Demo-
cratic leaders while in Office, but the general
tendency of their opinions on public ques-
tions and their general record on the great
issues which have been before the country.
These make up party character. By that
character we have a right to judge of their
patriotism, wisdom and fitness to conduct
the affairs of the country.
What has been the record of the applicant
during the period of his personal response
bility? What character does history give
the representative Democratic leader Of
Maine? Let us examine. =.
In 1854, the Democratic leaders of Maine
acquiesced in the abrogation of the Missouri
compromise and in 1856 went into the presi
dental canvass the champions of the doc
trine that slavery could be extended to the
territories. They endorsed Pierce's attempt
to force slavery upon Kansas by the use OF
federal bayonets. A large part of the leaders
promptly endorsed the Buchanan doctrine
that slavery was a national institution. In
1861 these leaders almost to man endorsed
the Buchanan doctrine that the federal gov
ernment has no power to preserve by force
the union of the states. When Democratic
cabinet offices were running the credit of the
nation, robbing IFS vaults of the public
money to carry on war against the Union,
dismantling Northern forts and sending the
material South, scattering the navy to the
four quarters of the globe, these leaders in
Maine uttered no indignant protest at such
unparalleled treason and infamy and
their journals used no large capital let
tiers in which to denounce the perpetrators
and their deeds.
When the war at length broke out and the
question was whether Maine Democratic
leaders should take sides for or against the
Union and the properly constituted authori-
ties, the larger part of them at once took
sides with those misguided leaders in the
South intent on its destruction. Others for a
while supported the Union cause but when
the federal authorities were convinced that
success could only be accomplished by the
destruction of slavery, they Joined the ranks
of those opposed tdthe vigorous prosecution
of the war, and by word and deed, did their
utmost to dishearten the people and shake
their confidence not only in President Lin
coin. and his associates, but in the ultimate abl-
ity of the government to successfully end the
war. In their conventions they pronounced
the war failure and denounced it and the
measures of Congress to raise armies. Some of
them even advocated resistance to the drafts.
In short, they did all that they could to impede
and overthrow the national authority. With
Democratic leaders generally, they encour-
aged the South so that it continued the con-
test a year longer than it would had these
men acted the part cf patriots and sustained
the proper authorities.
When the war was over, they aequiesced in
the result. There was no other course But
when the majority sought to secure some OF
of the results of the costly conflict, these
Maine leaders were found in open hostility.
They fought with great bitterness one presi-
dental campaign upon two issues, viz: that
certain constitutional amendments declaring
that slavery was forever extinct and that all
men are entitled to the ballot, are "insurrec-
tionary, y,uncoustitutional and void" the other
that the national debt should be paid in
greenbacks-virtual reputation. They were
beaten. For two years these leaders continued
their opposition to the constitutional amend.
ments At length in 1871, notorious Ohio
leader conceived that ''new DEPARTURE was
necessary, which was to recognize the valid
ty OF these amendments. The Maine lead
ers, thereupon, at their next convention