The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-02-18
MONTH or two OF Grant in the White
House would be rather refreshing just now.
IN. Y. Tribune.l
The Great Debate.

We may as we'll call the performance Of
Wednesday 10 the House another "Great De-
bate" Not that it was great in the seLse that
any OF the turbulent disputants mads elaborate
speeches upon some topic Of National interest
and importance, which shall be treasured up as
specimens of Ameiicaa eleqae1ce or illustrs.
tons OF clear and convincing statement and
logical power. But il was great in the sense
that it ought TO be remembered by every
thoughtful citizen. 1t will be unfortunate for
the couniry if the circumstances of it aud the
lesson it conveys ara allowed TO be overlooked
aud forgotten. F.r this is the foil flower of the
Democratic Renaissance. We have had moth
ing to compare with it snca the boisterous times
from 1854 to 1861, when the same Dsmocralic
party was slowly loosing its grasp upon the
Government. The pages of the Congressional
Record upon which Wednesdays debate ap-
pears, bring to mind the old files Of the Globe,
which record in broken lines aud multitudes of
exclamation pointS, and with all the peculiar
features of the printed page which make such
debates vivid and striking to the eye, the Ell
counters between the Democratic statesmen of
that period and their Republican opponents.
There is no need to repeat nov and here tue
epithets exchanged, the coarse aud brutal as
saults, the hiogs and nsinusiions aud taunts,
the ballyiogs and bravado, which fill the pages
of that record. They are shameful aud dis
graceful. The men who we're engaged 10 the
dispute, or some of them, are, no doubt,
ashamed, to-day, Of their part in it, Bat be-
cause it is all shameful and disgracefal is no
reason why it should be covered up or passed
lightly over. The thing is to avoid repetition
OF them; to put the responsibility for this riot
10 the House where it belongs, aud then say
whether, upon the whole, we shall continue to
take the chances for their spasmodc rscur-
renee.
It will not escape notice-iGdeed IL is the
salient feature of the whole affair-that the
men who were most violent 10 their language,
who used the most opprobriou' epithets, and
banded the most offensive personal charges
and accusations, are the same that 10 the peri
cd before the rebellion, when they had full
swing in the Government, lsgislated Ia the
same arrogant and ovarbsssiag spirit, and car
ried on what wers called debates iu the same
general style, bringing TO the floor of Congress
the manners Of the plantation and the yocabu-
larry of the pot house. Nor should it be for
gotten that the subisct under discussion touchei
very nearly the points of ference between
these gentlemen and-let US not pat too foe a
point upon 1.-THE Government that punished
them for con'umacy aud rebelliou For this
whole outbreak grew fcom an 'etfJrt on the
part of certain gentlsmen, who have had good
cause for their opposition, to break do va the
Military Academy st West Point. There are
two or thIee facts 10 this matter that have a
logical and historical sf0uanna. that NAV ha
stated very fly. Let US arrange them.
Dnricg the seven or eight years prior TO 1861,
there were frtqaent scenes of disorder ia Con-
gress caused BY violent Soathsrn Democrats
who GOUl1 no, tolerate the idea of the Govern
meut's passing out of their control. They cul-
minated 10 rebe ellop. Tue reo. lion was
crushed by the 10 tary arm of the Govern
ment, of which West Point Academy was the
main support and resource. Tue States aud
people in rebt Hon were easily and freely for
given. The same States send now to Congress-
men of the same tli party, aud upon an ordi-
parry appropriation for the West Point Acad-
emy, this same old trucnlent spirit appears and
the same scenes are renewed There has been
no ochange in disposition or pun pose; no Ia milla-
ton from defeat-which history will attest has
not been soaght-nor any mitigation of hos
tility on account of magnauimous treatment
which the North had the right to expect
Aad if there b3 these things in the green leaf
what may we not xpect ia the cry? We have
been let into glimpse of the Southern Democ-
racy. No kindness wins then, no magDanimi-
ty tames the 6ereeuess of their desire for abso-
late control. And the question simply is
whether the North-for siuce the Southern
statesmen persistently make and force the issue
we shall not shrink from inviting the North to
meet it squarely-is ready to return to the old
regime, and give these men the power they de-
mand. 1t 1t must be the old ight-because
these men will not have it otherwse-then the
last we can do is to meet it in the old way
and pl ease God, with the old result