East Saginaw courier., 1866-08-09

Republican Muddle in tho Sixth
District.

District.
Correspondence Of the Detroit FREQ Press.
FLINT, Aug. 2. 1866.
Matters here in regard to the Con-
gressional District Convention are get
ting somewhat mixed among the i'm
maculate Republicans, as to who shall
have the honor to represent us in the
next Congress. We have three dis
tinguished individuals desiring the
honor. First, the honorable gentle
man that now represents us, Hon.
John +. briggs, of East Saginaw
Second, Hon. James Birney, of Bay
county. Third, the late Provost Mar
shall Of the District, Strickland, Of st.
Johns.
briggs is going in on the strength
of what he has done. Birney on what
his father has done. Strickland on
his nerve. faf vi
briggs claims that he has already
a great national reputation. Birney
claims the same for his father. Strick-
land thinks he can make one if he has
chance.
Between briggs and Birney thero
happens to be most bitter feud; they
are as fond of each other as the devil
is of consecrated elements. briggs is
too much of political figurer for
Birney. Thereason is obvious. briggs
was educated in Tammany Hall; Bir-
ney in theological seminary. Birney
may be good priest, but a poor poll
tician.
The good book says: "Oh! that
mine enemy would write book
Some two years since, Birney, think
ing himself the most abused, and at
the same time the most able man III
the District to represent us in Con-
gress, wrote book detailing all his
grievances and troubles, particularly
those relating to the Hon. John F.
how John had cheated him out of tlie
nomination, and all that. John had
undoubtedly all the time been praying
for this same thing-that is the book.
How remarkably his prayer was an
swered. He must be pious cuss.--
Jim says, if John is nominated, he
will run on stump ticket against
him, and has already sent round his
little circulars to those he thinks are
his friends, asking them for signatures
to that effect.
Every year about apple time you
see Jim about figuring for some poll
teal race, and he generally comes out
of the conventions, and from before
the people, as the man did some years
since, who took large dose of Bran
dreth's pills with as little left. The
doses his political friends administer
to him are terrific. But he recuper-
ates before the next two years wears
round, and is again ready for another
trial. John undoubtedly has the in
side track. He relies on the efforts
he has made for the mining interest
of Lake Superior in his votos on the
tariff; his vote for more pay is apoIc-
gised for, that Representative can
not sustain his reputation without his
family in Washington, as bully
member of the Republican party, for
less than five thousand a year. / very
much doubt if he can. But John,
Jim and Strick, all three, are bound
to be disappointed. The man who will
finally receive the nomination is Col.
William b. McCreery, the present
popular mayor of this city. Modest
and unassuming, not seeking the nom-
ination himself, the young men of the
party mot the wire pullers) are deter
mined to secure it for him. He is
far superior to either of the other men
in education and natural abilities.
Educated for the bar, he was, admit
ted to practice just at the breaking
out of the rebellion; and had he cho
en- to follow it, his success in the law
would have equaled that in the field.
His bravery and gallantry as a COM
manding officer, his imprisonment in
Libby and remarkable escape, are too
familiar to the people of the district
to be repeated. My only hope is he
will not be nominated, for he, or any
other Republican, is bound to be de-
feated; but if his friends desire to sac
rifce him it is no fault Of ours
His friends claim that he is entitled
to it. He has earned it by his services
in the field. They also say the
county is entitled to it, it being tho
largest and strongest Republican coun-
ty in the district. Bay county is De-
mocratic, Saginaw about equally bal
anced, and if there is a Republican
majority to be obtained in the district
it must come out of Genesee.
My only hope is that there will be
such general row grow out of this
muddle as to enable the Democracy
to send man to the next Congress
who will represent the district honest
ly, doing credit to the district and
State, which is more than can be said
for the past few years.