The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-02-05
POLITICAL.

Gov. Brownlow Of Tennessee will resign his
position as Covers bn the 18th inst, to take
his scat in the United States Senate IS Senator
Pattcrson's successor. The Governor has been
confined to his room most Of the time for the
last eighteen months. De Witt Senter, Speaker
of the Tennessee Senate, will fill out Gov.
Brownlow's unexpircd term. Col. w. B. Stokes
and Andrew johnson are expected to he the ri
val candidates for Governor at the August cleo
ton.
The nation makes rather good point, when
Il says that "the reason why the whisky ring is
so powerful among us Is, that they have applied
brains to the business Of stealing and swind-
ling, and good people have opposed to them
nothing but rhetoric"
Alaska Is good for something. Itproduced
for market last year 225, 900 seal skins worth
from $40 to s25 each. This fact should not
be concealed. In addition to their skins, every
ten seals Is said to be good for barrel Of oil,
and there no doubt that n barrel Of oil is good
for something, because it has been tried.
A Washington special says that the House
won't have anything to do with the annexation
Of any more territory. The San Domingo prop
osition which was 50 efFectually destroyed in the
House, originated with Mr.. Seward. He has
adyices from the island that it is waiting for
some strong power to adopt it, but the House
is 50 sick Of Alaska and Seward's negotiations
for the Danish Islands that it would not listen
to any protectOratc or annexation scheme.
II is stated that Mr.. Evarts tells his friends
that he will not accept the Attorney General
ship under the next administration If 1t is Of
fercd.
There have been according to Washington
dispatch) certain overtures made to our Gov
ernment to have San Domingo annexed to the
United States, and that the Committee on For
eign Affairs met on Saturday, when the matter
was fully discussed, with view of encouraging
any formal proposition. The Committee decid-
ell to report resolution to-day (Nlonday) de-
clarinc in substance that the Government would
cheerfally accept and ratify any negotiations
coming from the proper civil authorities and
people of IIayti and San Domingo, having in
view an intention to become part Of the terri
tory of the United States.
Gen. Meade is reported to be injuring the
cause Of reconstruction in his Department by
turning over to the civil authorities prisoners
who have been tried and sentenced by courts
martial to Imprisonment in Fort Macon and
elsewhere. Some of these prisoners are colored
soldiers, who have committed assault, for
which, under aggravated circumstances, they
were leniently dealt with, and there arc reasons
for believing that, when tried again by the civil
courts and juries, no mercy will be shown then.
The House Reconstruction Committee isexamin-
ing into Gen. Meade's action in this matter.
The Texas convention has refused to enter
upon its journals a protest signed by one third
of its members against the resolutions Of the
majority for the division Of the State. The COM
missioners to Washington from the convention
are all IN favor Of the division. The minority
have been denel hearing.
The project Of raising a new State Of Superb
or finds little opposition in Michigan or Wiscon-
sin, and has some very earnest pOrters.
A legislative committee have reported in the
matter Of the alleged financial irregularities Of
Governor Bullock Of Georgia, that he has acted
with strict integrity. They say that the whole
question rests upon his discretion, and their in
ycstigatiOns in this respect win be continued.
Says Washington letter-writer "Somc time
during last fall, soon after Caleb Gushing re
signed his pOsitsOn as commissioner for the codi-
fcatiOn Of the United stalcs laws, the President
appointed during the recess Of the Senate Mr..
Simeon johnson to Gil the vacancy. Although
he has not yet been confirmed, Mr.. johnson has
drawn since his appointment his salary Of slOd
week and has not yet met the other commits
sioners One Of the commissioners has never
sen him and docs not even know him.
The abundance Of brcyets in the army has
Led 10 a general confusion Of rank and much
disgust among the few old officers who have no
ornamental title above their actual command.
II provokcs inquiry, in Congress and elsewhere,
as to the principles on which such hOnOrs are
distributed.
The Washington Chronicle reviews the speech
Of Hon. John Lynch at great length and con-
cludes by saying that "It cvinces much thought
and comprehensive grasp Of the subject"
The Belfast Journal copies an item in our
Augusta correspondence referring to the part
which Rev. Mr.. Knowlton Of Montville took in
the late Senatorial election, and puts con-
structon upon II which we did not intend
While we dislike to s-e elcrgymen engage in per-
sousi politics. and while they have no right to
claim exemption from political criticism. IL en-
gayc,l In politics. because they are clergymen.
any remark Of ours that could possibly Be COM
.truel into rejection upon the character Of Mr..