The Portland daily press., 1884-11-25
"The Idol Son of Maine" !"

1.-The Idol Son of Maine."
In the Augusta Democratic procession on
Friday night in a barouche drawn by richly
caparisoned horses, was seated the Hon. Eben
f. Pillsbury, whilom of Maine, now carpet
bagger in Massachusetts Above his head was
displayed transparency bearing this inscrip-
tion:
THE IDOL SON OF MAINE.
Ne looe him for the enemies he has made.
'Mr. Pillsbury," says the Augusta CORES.
pondent of the Argus, "was greeted every
where by cheers and shouts OF good will.
Blaine himself has had no such reception this
year in this city. Mr.. Pilsbury is much be.
loved by Augusta Democrats, and they like to
let him know it." Mr.. Pillsbury it is gem
orally understood, is the fzvorite candidate OF
the Democracy for pension agent at Augusta,a "a
position now held by that gallant soldier Gen.
Selden Connor.
There may be people in Maine who have
never known the record of this "idol son of
Maine" whom the Democrats have selected for
special honor, and there are no doubt great
many more who have known it but have for
gotten how bad it was. We propose to en-
tighten them.
During the war this same Mr.. Pillsbury was
editor of the Franklin Patriot, copies of which
are still in existence so that it is possible to
present the record of this ''idol son of Mainep
as 1t was written by himself
In 1863, just after the Emancipation Procla-
nation was issued, the Franklin Patriot saw
agely attacked Mr.. Lincoln and his whole war
policy in an elaborate article OF more than two
columns. Mr.. Pillsbury charged Mr. Lincoln
with deception and falsehood, and declared that
''the soldiers wossld not haze golausteered had
they knopn that they aoere to be deceiced"
The malignant and disloyal temper of the
whole article can be inferred from the follow
ing extracts which are selected merely as
specimens of the whole. Mr.. Pillsbury wrote
thus:
I'VE never regarded Mr.. Lincoln as man of
more than fouTth-rdte capacity, but ace did hare
JGath IN MS honesty 1t is true we had many mis-
giviDgs, kind of instructive fear that we should be
betrayed in the end but ace had heard much about
his honesty and it seemed SO edible that man
occupying his position would forfeit the respect of
the worlu by viotating his solemn pledges that we
succeeded in 9ispelling doubts and trusted in
his promises, but we We're deceived and we now
think those pledges made for the purpose of de-
ceiuing those who disagreed with the political views
.We know very well that it is pretended the OBJ
the proclamation is issued and the emancipation
policy adopted simply measures to accom-
psh the preservation of the Union, butt is only
pretence sa6terfuge. to cover up The real purpose
and deceiUe the people'
As the spring of 1868 dawned Grant
was preparing for his illustrious cam
paign against Vicksburg, and the Army
OF the Potomac was being rein
forced to meet the previously victorious le-
gions of Lee, in that terrible campaign which
reached its triumphant climax on the bloody
fsld of Gettysburg. Men and money were the
two great needs of the nation. Both must be
had at once, or the Union perish. To secure
men the government was compelled to
resort to the draft, and to have
money the government could do Meth
ing else than issue its own paper in
the form of greenbacks. Here is specimen
of the way Mr.. PIllsbury aided the cause of
the Union. In the Patriot of March 9th, 1868
he published long article denouncing the
draft as an unconstitutional law of abraham
the First" and he ridiculed and deprecated
the greenback currency as shinpldsters. "Here
is single paragraph from Mr. Pillsbury's arti-
Gle:
"The prospect ahead is truty depLorable. Hun
dress OF thousands of the lives of our citizens
must be sacrificed, filling the land with suffering
and woe. With this new draft from the laborers Of
the country it will be impossible to obtain help to
carry on the farming, and other business opera
tons of the people. AL hourlg losind confidence
in the SHIN PLASTER CURRENCY .foisted upon as bq
an snbectte administration, and everything we are
obliged to purchase for our daily wants is advancing
to fabulous pricesA general crash business affairs
and universal financial ruin in the face and
everything is tending directly to state Of AN
ARCHY."
A week after the foregoing, in his issue of
March 18th, Mr.. Pillsbury encouraged the
hosts of Rebellion by publishing copperhead
leading article. of which the following are ex-
tracts
ut is useless to talk longer about preserving the
free government of our fathers for it has already
become mass Of ruin and has cirtuallg ceased to
erlSt. American freedom has been wrecked duIing
the brief period that the Gpostates to liberty Il.
President Lincoln and his advisory have had con-
troll. The great question for the future is
whether there is sufficient freedom, patriotism and
pie Of Liberty, 10 DRIVE our the architects of ruin
and reconstruct free government"
1t will be observed that the rebel army of
General Lee was engaged in the effort to
"drive out" the same "architects of ruin"
that Mr.. Pillsbury was SO anxious
to "drive out."
In a succeeding issue, Mr.. Pillsbury fol-
lowed up his attacks on Mr.. Lincoln in the
tract is given as specimen from the many
that might be selected. Published short
time before the battle of Gettysburg, it shows
how MIR. Pillsbury encouraged the rebel hopes:
"Mr. Lincoln has had the Presidency of the
years. 1t is unnecessary dilate upon the results
OF his administration. 1t has destroyed
vast macs OF property and scattered to the winds
the hopes of the American people. OF how many
States II may be raid with truth that Mr.. Lincoln
found them garden and has left them desert.
And the evil Of today is regarded by those
VINO can foresee and calculate the future alto
gether light and endurable, compared with the dis
asters that are looked for tomorrow"
Mr. Pillsbury made these assaults on Mr.
Lincoln at the very time when the rebels were
pushing us SO hard at Vicksburg and in the on
coming campaign of Gettysburg. About the
same time the government received stagger-
ing blow from the decision of two Democratic
judges in New York, to the effect that the
greenbacks were not "lawful money" Had
this decision stood the Union cause was hope.
lessly lost, for the government would have
been at once deprived Of all pecuniary re-
sources to carry on the war tor single month.
Had this decision stood Grant would have
been compelled to raise the siege of Vcksburg,
and Lee would have marched his victorious
hosts into Philadelphia with no field of Gsttys-
burg to obstruct him. And vet Mr.. Pillsbury
in the Patriot of June 10Th published an article
warmly approving this decision in the follow
ing language:
"The decision in New York. regarding the legal |
tender notes, is one of the highest importance and
carries aceight with it than any previous ones
upon the same point in other States because regu-
ldtes the action Of monetary affairs in the very centre
and f0ant of finance The written opinions of Jus
tices Peckham and Leonard that this paper issued |
is not money any shape, and cannot be made a |
legal tender By any legislation aehatever is of great
significance ana a strong step in the right direc
tion. No matter ohat may be done or accepted on
the plea Of ergency, what temporary action the
State of New York may have taken in the premises.