The Portland daily press., 1867-12-16
WASHINGTON.

THE wHIsKEY CONVENTION
WASHINGTON. Dee. L.
The special committee appointed by the con.
Ventlon OF manufactures and dealers IN spirits
are still here, and were yesterday at the Treas.
ury Department and Internal Revenue Blu.
reau, attending to the interests committed to
their care.
CHURCH DESTROYED by FIRE.
The Calvary Baptist Church, at the corner
o1 II and 9Th streets, was destroyed by fire be-
Tween and o'clock. The firs was caused by
me explosion Of fue. The loss is stated at
$4,000, and the insurance at $550O0. The
church was built about two years age.
New YORK, Dec. ID.
A Wa hiDgton special says the papers rela.
tive to the removal of Secretary Stanton will
be sent to Congress on Monday Among them
IS the following dispatch from Gen. Baird at
new Orleans to Stanton. This is the dispatch
winch Stanton says he sent to ths President
between the 1lth and 18th of August, 1866, but
wnicn the PRESIDENT says he did not receive
I'll III twenty days after its reception at the War
Department.:
NEW ORLEANS, July %.
Hon. E. III. Stanton, Secretary of War:
4, a convention has been called with the sane
Iion OF Governor Wells, 20 meat here ON Mon
1ay. The Lieut.. Governo" and city authorities
tnink it unlawful and propose to break it up
ny arresting the delegates. ] have given no
orders on the subject but have warned the
parties that could not countpnance or permit
srch acton without instructions t., that effect
rom the President. Please instruct me at
once by telegraph.
(Signed) A. BAIRD, Bvt Mai. Gen.
INTERESTING POLITICAL GOSSIP Mr. sTEyENs's q
VIEWS ON CoNFIsCATIoN GEN. BUTLER TO
BECOME THE LEADER OF THE CoLoRED RACE.
Eth, The Heraid's Washin gton specials have the
tollowlng: a deputation of loyal leaguers.
composed of members from Virginia and North
and South Carolina, TO the number of eleven.
% more than one-half of whom were colored,
called on Thaddeus Stevens to-day and had
lcng conversation with him. Mr.. Stevens
said in reference to Impeachment that the
time had gone by for its enforcement. Twelve
months ago the measure should have been nat
IN force and the President removed. A great
mistake had been made in the whole matter
owing to the general ignorance of the term of
impeachment. As interpreted by American
law 1t meant prevention of wrong doing by
tne lemoval of the cause. 1t was based on po-
nticai grounds not criminal, and meditated no
punishment. Talking on reconstruction he
SAID he was about to introduce bill into Com
gress to provide that a majority Of the regis
Tered votes are not necessary to ratifv the new
Consttutlons;- to authorize new provisional
government Tor each State, giving them power
20 make requistions for troops when needed;
nnaliy 1t shall provide that the two-fifths of
the colored people who had no Congressional
representation formerly shall be entitled to
eject congressman at large from the different
States. His views on cOniscation were rem
dered in allegory, as if a man came in his
house and stole a portion of his property he
should tine him to the amount Of what was
stolen. The rebels cost this Governments a
considerable amount besides stealing property
not their own, and he should be satisfied to see
them make due restitution. He inquired par
ticularly of the coiored delegates the number
OF persons in their respective sections who
owned large estates and their present material
prosperity. He had no hesitation in reasser5-
ing tnat they were acting outside of the Con-
sti5utlon IN many respects.
OF Senator Wilson, and others of that class,
ne said they were a tender hearted set of fel-
lows, who were trying to lay up few shekels
in heaven. an
After leaving Mr.. Stevens, the deputation
proceeded, by appointment, to hold an inter-
view with Gen. Butler. Heing asked what
class OF persons ne Thought should he debarred
the privilege of voting, the General replied
that the rule should be, that every man who
held place of trust the government and gave
his assent or assistance to take State out of
the Union, should be disfranchised because he
/. betrayed his trust Disfranchisement was a
means OF preventing the recurrence of rebel.
lion. Gen. Butler said the Southern Conven-
tons should enact a law prohibiting any of the
disfranchised from holding Office IN railway or
other chartered companies as their influence
was more detrimental in such positions than if
they held State Offices a6
A colored member of the deputation of
North Carolina complained that the Associ-
ated Press in the South had been for a long
derlng the black and white loyal people and
also complained that the United States sol
diers in North Carolina were concentrated by
order OF Gen. Grant in four places on the rail-
road lines where they were ,east needed for
the protection of the colored people. ~
Gen. Butler suggested no solution of these
troubles
Col. Moss, of Missouri, thought the best So
luton would be to put all the State offices in
the hands of loyal men, u
Gen. Butler replied that he should introduce
such bill into Congress and endeavor to put
it through. The Senate, he said, was slightly
conservative, but while it cannot be got to
move forward much it cannot be got to take a
step backwards. There was no danger he
thought OF there being an; reaction on the
question of Manhood Suffrage. He believed
there was great misconeeption in the North
about the number of the colored people in the
South, and in place OF four he was satisfied
there were seven millions there.
Before leaving. the North and South Carroll
ma members extended an invitation 10 the Cen
eral to come and visit their conventions after
he gets through with the one now in session
at Richmond, whittier he intends to start some
day next week. .t.s..+ +.-t.-.s., tt''t-...s
A few nights ago at colored meeting in
Richmond, Butler was declared the choice for
President, and Ben Wade for Vice President.
The General intends to make an extensive tour
of the South, and put down system of politi.
cal wires that may disconcert the hest laid
schemes in regard to the Presidency on this
side OF the Potomac. Gen. Butler cOntem-
plates mission in the South that will sta rtle
good many members of his party. He inns,
in fact, at becoming the leader OF the en- tire
colored race.
THE wH1sKEY DEALERS CONVENTION a
The Posts Washington special says the
whiskey dealers did not do much more than
establish bribery fund Of nearly 100000.
GEOaGTA.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL coNvENr1oN-A DELE
GATE RESIGNS
NEW YORK, Dec. a.
An Atlanta special states that Mr.. Blount in
convention charged 1t with connlving wit
fraud. He said he would not serve with sucl
body and resigned his seat. A test show
the extremists have majority OF twenty.
THE STAY Law. Et
5ae.s. M ATLANTA, Dec. a.
In apparent defiance to the relief ordinanc
adopted on Thursday last by the Convention
the Sheriff levied here to-day on store an;
clio 'ed it. Gen. Pope was appealed to and re
piled that he could not intervene. the ord
nance merely saying levies shall BE- suspended
but not preventing their being made. tn
Constitution is sustained by the bar, and un
der it the ordinance defeats its own end.
BREACH OF THE PEACE.
AUGUSTA, Dec a.
The Republican reports collision between
party of negroes and the civil authorities
Eloerton, Eibert county, in which Sheriff Geo
Allen was killed and several 9th + whites an
blacks were wounded. The difficulty original
ed at ball.
PLANTATION DISCIPLINE.
SAVANNAH. Dec. IA.
John E. Hayes, editor of the Republican
was attacked by Chas. H. Hobkins this eve
ming. Hayes was badly but no. dangerous,
hurt by blow on the head from loaded whip
MASSACHUSETTS,.