Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-26
WASHINGTON.
A "Rebe1'' Acting Vice President
The Country Survives.

A sRebe1'' Acting Vice President
The Country Survives.
WASHINGTON, March 25.-Gen. j. B.
Gordon, Senator from Georgia, was temp
orarily called to the chair this morning by
Vice President Wilson and presided over
the Senate a short time. This is the first
time an ex-Confederate has filed the Vice
Presidents chair. azAl ta
gone TO the Lunatic Asylum.
Gen. Whittlesby, formerly an officer of
the Freedman's Bureau, was this morning
conveyed to the Government Insane Asy-
lum. The General has been suffering for
sometime past with paralysis, and went to
the asylum for treatment unter the advice
of bis physicians and friends.
Greenbacks Stationary.
The outstanding legal tenders to-day
are S35S, ,669,997. IS a1as
How Caldwell D0dged Expulsion.
Special to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
WASHINGTON, March 24--Although ru-
mors have been current for day or two
past that Caldwell intended to resign, The
report was positively contradicted by him;
and thus not only the general public but all
his friends save two or three were taken by
surprise to-day, when be formally resigned
bis seat, and thus by bis own act put an end
to the great Caldwell case. 1t lurns out
that this stratagem was fixed upon
Saturday last, the Govern or of Kansas
having been brought on here to full
fill his part Of the business. The secret
of the proceeding was that Caldwell's
friends, by carefully polling the Senate, had
ascertained that, though two-thirds were
not in favor Of expulsion, clear majority
would so vote. This vote Cald we'll did not
dare to face, and he therefore took sure
mode of evading it. This step is regarded
on all hands as a direct and unequiyocal
confession of bis guilt. 1t certainly puts in
a most embarrassing and awkward plight
such Senators as Logan, Stewart, Carpen-
ter and Conkling, who made themselves
conspicuous by insisting that Caldwell was
pure and much-slandered patriot. These
Senators are now left in the lurch.
They were not let into the secret, and are
as much surprised as anybody st the fight
of the criminal. 1t is believed, however,
that portion of CaldwelPs supporters, such
as Frelinghuysen, Howe and others, are
happy at being relieved from the necessity
of voting TO Acquit. ..-.
The Succession.
Nothing is known touching the successor
to Caldwell. 1t is said that Pomeroy will
not be appointed by the Governor, but his
chance of election by the Legislature is not
q bad one.
steam Postal Compensation.
The Postmaster Gen eral has received a
notification from leading railroads north of
this city to the effect that after the first of
April they viii withdraw the postal cars
from their lines unless the Postmaster
General shall give them certain increase
of compensation. The combination en-
braces all the New England railroads and
all those of Pennsylvania and New York,
except the Erie railroad, which is not In the
arrangement. The [Other] Northern rail-
roads have not joined in the demand. The
railroad combination claim that they can
make more money by an ordinary
freight car carrying the lowest grade OF
freight, in lieu of the postal car at the pre-
sent scale of compensation. The rate of
COMPENSATION allowed has been recently
doubled, and there is 10 doubt that the
Postmaster General will use all his legal
power to give the roads fair compensation.
There is naturally much excitement aud
trepidation in the Postofice Department
growing out of this crisis. Ii the railroads
refuse to run the postal cars the embarrass-
ment and delays to the postal service will be
of the most serious character, especially TO
the country mails West and South. The
opinions tonight are curiously 'incon-
sistent. Some argue that the step of the
railroads will hasten the joyful hour when
the government will seize hold Of them.
Others think that this is part of game
played by Tom Scott to be elected next
President. An official of the Postoffice
Department leaves Tomorrow for New
York to see if some compromise arrange
ment cannot be arrived at.
Senator MOrtOn's Triumph.
The result of Caldwel's case is COM
mented on as triumph of Senator Morton
over the quadrllatsral composed of Conk-
ling, Carpenter, Howe and Stewart, who
have undertaken to dispute his leadership.
Mr.. Conkling has been guilty of several
characteristic tricks lately. One was to
dodge the vote on Collector Casey's nomi-
nation; the second is carefully holding back
his speech in the Senate on the Ca dwell
case, and preventing its going into the Con-
gressional record. His bad faith in these
matters is proverbial in the Senate.