The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-06-07
Current Comment.

There may possibly be ga bigger man than
old Grant, remarks the Philadelphia Times,
but evidently they don't think so in England.
1t is not generally known that Mr.. Motley
was the author of the witty remark usually
attributed to DIR. Holmes: "Give me the
luxuries of life and 1 will dispense with its
necessaries."
Gen. Robert Toombs emerges from obscur-
ity once more to say that he is a rebel still,
but that he thoroughly indorses the Presi-
dents policy, since he is the first President
in forty years who has fulfilled the pledges he
made previous to election.
The Democratic journals have appointed
William E. Chandler Minister to Turkey, and
are getting very indignant at their own act.
Perhaps it might be well to wait till President
Hayes takes some action on the matter. He
ought at least to be consulted.
A careful analysis of Democratic platforms
for sixteen years past would be especially
curious because it would show that every dis
tlnctiVe declaration made within that time
has been abandoned, and that every distinc-
tive act of the Republican party which was
regularly denounced is now accepted.
Congressman Sayler of Ohio, who would
to be Speaker, says he proclaimed an undy-
ing love for the silver dollar year ago and he
Is true to his faith now. Perhaps this will
help Mr.. Sayler toward the Speakers chair,
but it will be more likely to move him in an
opposite direction.
Senator Beck of Kentucky shares the COM
mon Western and Southern distrust of the
sagacity of the Northern Democrats. He op-
poses the opening of the Presidential ques-
tion, and observes to the New York leaders
that as they refused to show themselves at
the front when the fight was hot, thus losing
the day, they might as well keep quiet now.
Abbeville county, South Carolina is one of
the richest in the State. The native white
Republicans there are generally of better
| class than those of the other counties outside
of Charleston and Richland. Many of them
| are well off farmers and have hitherto enjoyed
| comparative freedom from bull-dozing. The
county is naturally Republican by 1900 ma
| iority although at the late election the vote
was very close, owing to Democratic terror
ism and repeating. Since Hampton has been
| installed as Governor, all the leading white
Republicans have been notified to leave the
! county on or before December 1, 1877, on
| pain of death.
As to the Ellenton affair the Buffalo Com.
| HtcI CtOt says AhCcC tiIdlo Ccildluly
that the relations of the General Government
with the individual States are exceedingly un-
fortunate. If American citizens, no matter
what their color, had been murdered in Cuba
or any foreign country, as these colored Re-
pubicans were in South Carolina, the full
power of the nation would have been urged
to compel redress. But because the crimes
were committed under the flag of ssover-
| eign State" CT the Union, the Federal Gov
| ernment is powerless to act.
Mrs. Chisolm, in letter giving some of the
details of the Kemper county massacre, says
that the British subject, Mcclellan, who was
killed, had always refused to be naturalized
and become citizen of the United States,
because it was not strong enough to protect
its citizens" Now that Mcclellan is in his
| grave, butchered by the mob at the time of
the general killing, there is grim irony in the
| old Scotchman's objection to becoming cit-
zen of the United States. Living in Mssis-
| sippi he had ample opportunities to see at
| what cheap rate human life is held, and he
had no inclination to become citizen. This
man does not appear to have been especially
| obnoxious to the mob; he was killed because
he would not get away from the Jail door and
| allow Chisolm and his family to be slaught-
| cred. Upon being ordered to stand aside, he
| replied that he had been put there by the
| sheriff to guard the jail, and he would do it
with his life. Then he was shot down like a
dog, and the way cleared for the massacre of
| the family. None of the other gaurds seem to
have made show of defence.--H. Y. Red
| fold