The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-08-23
A Plea for 7 III.

VINO does not delight to see the deluded
forsake his delusion and the wicked turn his
back upon his wickedness? He who does
not take pleasure in such changes must be
very, very bad one. Mr.. Jefferson Davis
who now resides in Memphis, Tenn, has the
reputation Of being pretty bad fellow. He
started new government made up of a num-
ber of Democratic states and thereby in
augurated fierce and bloody war, into
which he infused, so far as he was able, the
fiercest hate and vindictiveness. He left
nothing undone which he coull do to sever
the nation and make two governments where
there should be but one. He strove 10 es-
tabsh a system which wculd dwarf our great
West and fetter its great outlet, the Missis-
sippi river. Four four years, in all lines OF
wickedness, for the exhibition Of the mos'
fendish traits of human nature, he was con
spicu )us. Withal he was cowardy and
selfish. Well, he has evidently changed. He
would delight to meet the meu he once de
sired to kill and starve in prisons, and tel
them what he knows about the cultivation
of watermelons and such. The country he
once desired to divide, he now pines to unite.
In fact. SO intense seems his desire to bring
the people of the Mississippi valley into close
relations that we think if he had the power.
he would contract the area of the country
twenty-five per cent Once J. D. took de-
light in filing The Mississippi with torredoes,
in tearing up railroads and burning American
ships. Now he, yearns to oveiburden the
noble river with ships, and to such an extent
fill the country with railroads as to make it
extremely hazardous for man of the most
temperate habits to travel about the country
But we grieve to see that the people of
Illinois perpetuate their old prejudice against
Mr.. Davis-ihat crowd of men known as
''the soldiers of the late war; refuse to for
get the past and are not responding with
extreme alacrity to Mr., Davis proposition to
teach them turnip culture. They don't take
any stock in J. D. If he would PROSTATE
himself in the dust, as it were, and confess
his sins and renounce his crimes, they would
think about recognizing the aforesaid j. D..
but he don't do this. lie isn't one of that
Kind.
But let us proceed. Mr.. ]. D. had great
many partisans in the North during the sea-
son in which he was making bitter war upon
us. They called him president Davis,
They frequently said very pleasant things
about him, and always wei saying very un-
pleasant things about those who opposed him.
Wei, all these fellows have changed with
Mr.. Davis. When Mr.. Davis was pushing
his war against the Union with the utmost
vigor, his partisans nominated a candidate
for Congress il the Bangor district, august
Is, 1S64) They adopted The following reso.
luton:
ReSolged, That the Democracy of this Dis
trict DENoUNCE TIE HERESY Of CoNSTITU-
TIoNAL PROSECUTION OF AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL
WAR; THAT WE DENY BOTH THE RIGHT AND
THE POSSIBILITY OF THE COERCION OF SOW
EREIGN STATES; that we MAINTAIN that the
system under which We live is based upon he
idea of self-government of the states.
The gentleman then nominated received
the following endorsement from the Davis
organ in Bangor :-'He (the candida;e) is an
original peace man, from the beginning de
nouncing this war as the greatest crime since
Calrary."
for Congress and the same editor who en-
dorsed him as a sympathizer with Mr.. Davis,
is the chief of the party leaders. Gen.
Roberts, the Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor the same fall-1S64-run for Repre-
sentative to the Legislature on the above
platform. Indeed, he left the army becarse
he did not believe in ''the heresy OF a con-
s'itutional prosecution of an unconstitutional
war; These men have so chan ged that they
profess to accept all the results of that war,
don't believe that this is exclusively white
mans government, make very charming talk
about those 'glittering generalities" in Mr.
I. Jeffeison's declaration and specially com.
mend their candidate for Governor because
he is "patriot soldier" The only doubt as
to the meaning of the term ''patriot soldier"
was caused by Mr.. Emery's declaration that
Gen. Roberts chad been true to Democracy
under every exigency."
But aside from this remark of Mr.. Emery
there was nothug TO indicate that the whole
Democratic party Of Maine had not fully
accepted the principles for which the Repub
licans had so long contended Like their old
cheftain, J. D., however, they said not a
word about their sins in opposing the truth
they now announce. They were right then !;
they are right now. They haven't changed,
| but the times have. Public opinion has
changed, and the Democratic leaders like
j. d. have at length discovered the fact.
We have only to remark that so long as
all these gentlemen, Mr.. Davis anl his
Northern partisans, have changed their
minds respecting the Union, the war and its
results, it isn't quite fair TO make the
former the scspegoat and at the same time
| invite Messrs. Emery, Pillsburv and Roberts
| to take front seats. We submit that it isn't
fair play. It's bard on the old man.
TIE Araus publishes the assertion of tn e
| New York World that fifteen Democratic
states are pledged to hard-money, but omits
| to add that the World reckons Massachusetts
and New Hampshire among its fifteen DEM
| ocratic states.
| If the Adrertiser will but take second
| thought, it will remember that Senator Mer-
rimon of North Carolina was the author o
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