East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-11-01
"a Copperhead Lie Re-Naiied."--
Reply Thereto.
"a Z 5 81
Letter from Henry M. Fitz-
hugh of Bay City.
briggs Record Oh the
Bar Improvement.


tsrprise. of East Saginaw, which frs
published Mr.. yDrig5s' letter, and de-
clined. AS the Journal Of this cit,
had copied that letter, thought the
refutation of his charges and insinu
atoms ought to appear in the same
medium. The editor apparently
agreed with me, but aftor promising
to print it in his issue of last week
and then of this week, backed out
squarely,- This has caused the delay
in its publication. aaame,fui
Hf3 ea ~ tai I'M. r.
81 gu'aaa aa1 d fse,s 1850
Mr. EpIToR:r-My attention has
been called to a letter in your paper
of the 10th inst, signed '"Jons Il.
DRIees," under tho elegant heading
of ~ CoppsrAead lie Rs-na,Iea."---Ar
my name is freely used in that COM
munication, and in a way TO subject
mo to misconstruction, take my first
leisure moment to say few words in
reply. The rumor that its author
was secretly hostile to the appropria-
ton for dredging a twelve foot chan
mel through the outer bar of the Sag
inaw River, prevailed in this city last
spring, pending the passage of the
River and Harbor bill in Congress,
but that it was started, or exclusively
circulated by, "Copp@head Jonnies, -
term by which the Hon. Mr.. briggs
is presumed to designate his political
Opponents, lis not true. / heard il
first from a gentleman who will prob
ably vote for Mr. briggs at the next
election, and understood at the time
that it came from Washington from
one who was in n position to know
the facts, though cannot of my own
knowledge affirm this to be the case.
That there was any pdrtt=dn purpose
involved 1 do not believe, but that
there were great many in this COM
munity of all political opinions, who
did not regard our local interests in
Congress in very safe hands is un-
questionable, nor am sure there has
been any marked change of opinion
here in that respect.
Mr.. briggs does not hesitate to use
harsh language, but l submit wheth-
or one who stands mute under the in
dictment presented by the Hon.
James Birney on points involving his
own personal veracity and honor, is
in a position to bring charges of false
hood against others. Until he pleads
to, that Indictment it seems to me
he must remain under prime forteet
dwe" Of very unfavorable public
Judgment.
As regards originating the PROPOSE
ton to dredge the outer bar, Mr..
briggs is quite right ia exf res-ins bis
confidence that i viii not claim 1t. 4
should as soon think Of claiming the
discovery of the Saginaw river. j iirst
crossed that bar thirty years ago, and
its removal was talked of then.
Ten years since the Typographical
Bureau of the War Department pre-
sented report, accompanied by q
plan, for. the improvement of the
mouth of this river. 1t would. there
fore, be preposterous for me, as well
as our present member Of Congress,
to claim the authorship of PROPOSE
ton which has been before the public
for third of century. / had, new
ertheless some agency in procuring the
appropriation in its present shape at
the last session Of Congress, which j
will now proceed to explain.
Ii is pretty well known that, des-
pairing of aid from the General Gov
some Of the principle bust
ness men and PROPERTY owners of Bay
County in the Spring 1865 organized
a company (of which ! was Presidency
under the State law, to improve the
mouth of this river. What we pro-
posed TO do in nowise interfered with
the present channel at any part We
purchased land at the mouth of the
river which controlled the position,
and intended to make u canal thereon
which should be open to all who chose
to pay for its use-the present chan
mel, Of course, remaining open and
free to those who might prefer it.
AS the project involved heavy out
lay, it was proper to ascertain if we
could, whether or not the General
would do the work. In
either case we would be satisfied. If
the Government should do it we
would have what all preferred
free navigation; if not, we meant to
do it ourselves, and charge a r6asona-
BILE toll for the use OF our improve
ment. The best way to test the dis
position of Congress, / thought, was
10 ask its assent to our plan. If this
was given we might be pretty sure
that we would have no competition
from that quarter on the other hand
did not see how such assent could,
with propriety, be refused, unless Con-
yress meant, itself, to undertake the
,
Job at once.
1t was rather to attain some assur-
ance on this point, if possible, that
visited Washington last winter, than
% press our own particular scheme. =
When Mr.. briggs states that he wen,
before the Committee on Commerce of
he House with maps and charts to
aid Mr.. Fitzhugh," and ''urged that
committee to recommend favorable !
egislation," / think ne is mistaken
lie did, as he says, get some charts Of
he mouth of the river from the En-
.ineer's Bureau, in accordance with
ny request for certain papers, but /
10 not remember to have had any in
erview with him prior to the assem-
ling Of the last Congress in reference
o our plan, and as / meant to visit
Washington, and did so, early in the
session, on that business, / am also
cry confident I did not write In him