Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-07-29
miscellaneous. e
Letter to General Roberts.
PORTLAND, June %, 1875.

PORTLAND, June -, 1875.
General Charles W. Roberts, Bangor:
GENERAL The Democratic State Con. |
vention, whose proceedings witnessed as
. reporter, selected you for Governor for
the reason that you were h "Pstriot Sol
dier." You were certainly not chosen for
any personal knowledge Of State policies
or for any experience in civil or Icgisla-
tive life. about which your partizan friends
had great dsal to say before your candid
acy was resolved upon. observe that
since your nomination they have been
discreetly silent 10 regard to that point,
and several criticisms which we're quite
| ready for Gen. Connor, In case Mr.. Talbot
should have been his competitor, may nov
| We considered as indefinitely postponed. 1
beNeee your warmest friends do not advo-
cate your election on any ground Of your
personal Etness for the place.
Ostentatiousiy selected because Of your
war record, shall pot be accused of vio-
| lating the suggestions Of delicacy or the
| laws Of porpriety II | sub ect the record to
= searching examination. When the war
broke out In 1861, you belonged to re-
| spectacle &ailitia organization that had
been In existsGee for several years, aud
| you promptly uai.ed With your fellow
members In rendering your services to the
government. The Republicans anxious to
recognize your patriotism a. Democrat,
warmly assist I'd in procuring for you the
| hivh commission ~ IIientensnt (,oion~l In
the regiment Of the gallant and lamented
jameson. On his promotion to the rank
OF Brigadier General, Republican influence
gladly advanced you to the regiment. l
| do not intimate that you ever failed 40 do
| your duty In thar position, or that YOU
we're waning 10 true soldiery qualities. 1t
| is with great satisfaction, on the other
hand, that recognize and record your
personal bravery, and your general popu-
larity with your command. IL was how
ever, the misfortune Of your military ca
reer that you were associated with Fitz
John Porter. that you eagerly attached
/ yourself TO his fortunes and tn at the spec.
| ial Communications which may be quoted
| 4. vour behalf come ,,raaI,, from III =, A.
| vras.d and deyradeJ Gen.. ~, TInL
! Army Corps was comnossJ or ,.fsa
| troon.. y.,ir own S.cnnd NJ, sp'e.
among the test. hut belisva !, ;s ,.X
| eral conclusion AMONG soldiers ,ha ke"-
great mistortuae Of The Corns ~, .na we
fell for . lime unaar III. or,,, nM
! John Porte, who eoded hi. ,,II,, ~ ~
reer bv helm, c.sbi.r.J 81. ca
ment of m,ny yood o,no.as ' JuuSe-
| should h.v. heen shn, aI' ."at ne
! Porter very appronriat.Iv ,nrns w.. '"at
| office-holder In a biybIv i,cr.,i, 's ."
! under tho nreseu, D.mon..,;H pos''oh
! N.w YnrL 'ey'"s III
Yonr rs.;yn,,ion c...,
| for a .p,,r;ot So,di.r ;, w. ""s W. 'inieu
| vice when the helm of.v.r,, u ,.. .'e ser
! ed when .y.rv mar was ,y,,i |ae Ieeo
| and when G.n Uoorsr sai, ~ " say
| officer was indi,n.ns.h,a '"st every
m.nJ. - yon rs.i,nsd - W ms com
on, bn, iI,,le over VIZ" you nAu oeen
fortunes or,be .rrx.nJ ~, ~ 'r en the
self were a, the Io,..s, ooI.. no" u
No natrio,ic man can avsn 's. euo'
l.pse of tn,r,se, go. I .,... ater 'he
chill of horror. the copd;tioo nf ,h", IT,,
cause in 1862: our armv driven fron VI.
ginia. sfter the untoId j;s.s,sr ., ia On
insua; held at bay eyervwher. T., III
Southwest; Kentucky aud Missnnrj n
partial revolt. ,vi,h .,oh ,i.a,,'. :"
reaction among the peonle as to yerv 49,
~ involve the loss of Congress and ,h.
consequent power to raise armie. and ,auv
taxes. Then was our neculjar snd ,n
mentous peril. And il was Inst ,ban c.
eral, that YOU turned your back on ,h.. II
ion cause And you came home wi,hnm,
having YOUR name associated win on. Ia
cisye victory for the Union arms
Asa reader Of history General If vo,
ever vast. any Of your valuhis tim. ~,
that innocent recreation. YOU NAV I.arn
from tha. good old writer Weems that tho
officers who insisted in the Reyoln,ionsrw
Army upon reslgnine their commissions IN
the autumn of l778. and during the ensm.
ing terrible winter AT Valley Forge wer.
never forgiven bv the nafriots Of ~, Ia
And Washington himself of nrov..rh;aiiv
prudent speech. classed tbe,, w,th an To-.
nominious herd whom I will not mentton
lest | might seem 10 apnlv a deroostorv
epithet 10 yourself-and of that Won tnow
| am ,nca6able. Rnt IL /. ney.r,hs,ass
noticeable coincidence. General that ,hss.
dissatisfied and disloval oG,cers rnrnsJ
their backs on tine Revolutionary Army NJ.
ter about the same oerIod OF time that Jis.
distinguished your own service. ,h,,
moreover thew left y. vo, did uh., ,ha
AUericsn and n.,rio, 70" .ua uau' mne' .ne
DARK.
aud in the judgement, Of MANY bone,e.s
But resiening your commissior i,s, "a
Fitz John Porter vas "a sshiared n Gn No,
saw because of i,> was moi the worst feat
ure of YOUR record az n ..Parrot .old;sr" :"
As military man Won s.w only the ini,is,
battles of war. when our troon. thon@h
brave were raw, and when mis}ortuns "a.
sultipg from incomnetent nd sasmsa
ed to be the fate OF our armies Ths "ig-
antic conflict oftrained soldiers. the bloodv
aud frightful battles, the glorious Victories
under exnerience and sLiiIfni aan.raIs IN
in great part ensued sfter vou had lsft The
service. And il is YOUR condnct after vo"
retired that think will never he Soreiven
or forgotten by the trne soldiers Of Maine
Had you returned treassnre the falling
confidence of those at home to uroe the
volunteering of soldiers and the re;nSorca.
mept of our armies. and IN have held .
high front for the cause Of the Union. vour
course might have chsli.noei annrovsi
and even admirafion. Indeed the most
cynical could only have said tha, Won CON.
sciously felt able n serve The ITnion cans.
better AZ the rear tho n ,ho frors and ~o,Id
have credited vou accord;nolv Rnt ca
eral Won did not follow This conrsei Won
ioined the enemies Of the ITnioni You al
lied vourself with Narcellns Emery who
had then returned to hls home. whence he
had been driven a skulLin~ fnpit:ve bv
the hot wrath OF Rsnoor iovsitv Won no.