The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-04-29
Quite Another Surprise,

party he has been surprise and dis
appointment. Last week he gave the
country another surprise, which was
also disappointment, but while aston
ishment was general and profound,
grief, this time, shifted its habitation.
The hearts of the reformers were trans
fixed by the shafts from the executive
bow, and in the bourbon breast Joy and
hope replaced anguish and despair. The
cause of this sudden revulsion of feel
ing was three appointments to impor-
tant federal offices. Politically, the men
chosen were as bad as bad could be.
They are Eben f. Pillsbury, late of
Maine, to be collector of internal reve-
nue. for the third Massachusetts, dis
trict, Charles II. Chase and Alexander
Troup for the districts of Maine and
Connecticut, respectively. Few read
ers will require enlightening as to the
political reputation of Mr.. Pillsbury.
Mr.. Chase is inferior to Mr.. Pills
bury in bad eminence only by as much
as the subordinate and servile tool is
lower than the guilty principal. Mr..
Troup's appointment might not of itself
alone have received national recogni-
ton by reason of its unftness, but
linked with that of Messrs. Pillsbury
and Chase, it obtains a deserving share
of public odium. Eben +. Pillsbury is
generally recognized as a pure type of
that traitorOus faction of northern demo-
Gratis that, during the war of the re-
bellion, received the significant and fit
ting name of copperheads. He was a
leader among those who did what they
could to impede the prosecution of the
war. They embarrassed the president
in the discharge of tasks of herculean
magnitude and infinite perpleXity; they
sowed broadcast the seeds of distrust
and discomfort, embarrassed civil and
military officials, delayed enlistments
and fomented riots. Union men, will
ing to forgive southern rebels who en-
gagged in open and declared warfare
against the government, have ever had
only feeling of unrelenting aversion
for the northern copperhead who winked
at treason, rejoiced over confederate
victories and was sorrowful when the
Union armies triumphed. just such a
man was this Pillsbury. For the sake
of the advancement of the" era of good
feeling" men might have smothered
their resentment at his appointment,
but no plea for burying " the bitter
memories of the war; can silence OBJ
iections to the contriver of great po-
litical crime. In 1879 Maine held an
election for governor. There was NO
choice by the people. The legisla-
ture, on whom the choice devolved
was republican by decisive majority
"A conspiracy was Matched to destroy
this majority and thus secure the cleo
ton of democratic governor. On va
rious tiimsy pretexts enough republican
members-elect were to be denied adj
mission to their seats to give the conspir.
ators majority. E. f. Pillsbury was
the leading and satanic spirit in thai
scheme. Maine was convulsed and the
Nation looked on with intense solici.
tude. A bloody collision was prevented
only by the GOODNESS, discretion and
patriotism of Names encouragement
Chamberlain, who firmly held the CAPT
toll of the state against the conspirators
The judiciary, appealed to, gave the
plotters not the shadow of legal stand
ing. The nefarious scheme ultimately
and very disgracefully collapsed, and
Pillsbury " left his country for his
country's good" The exile sought un.
welcome harbOr in Massachusetts. This
alien and disgraced man the president
has selected, instead of some one
of the many worthy and capable
men of his own party, citizens OF
Massachusetts, by more honorable
title than Pillsbury, to succeed Charles
w. Slack as collector of internal
revenue for the Boston district. II
is urged in defence of the president
that he has been imposed upon, that
the hand of Secretary Manning is in
this work. The palliation is worse and
more discouraging than the offence
Far better to let it stand as the execu
tive's deliberate act. Chase, appointed
to a similar Office in Maine, was the
ardent and subservient henchman OF
Pillsbury in the plot and subsequent
measures to steal the government OF
the Pine Tree state. These appoint
ments admit of no reasonable excuse
From any point of view they are ire
deemably bad, by reason of the profit
gate political character of the ap
pointees. The country will await with
anxiety the development of the full sig
nifcance of these ppointments-if any
special significance is to be attached to
them.
The general excellence of the presi
dents appointments and his declared
purpose respecting the offices have wor