Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1874-04-09
OUR CAUSE IN CONGRESS.
A Calm Review of the Situation.
Especial Dispatch to the Ners and COwier.l

The case OF South carolina taxpayers
was considered to-day by the judiciary
committee of the House, who appointed
a subcommittee, consisting of Tremaine,
of New York, Eldridge, of Wisconsin,
and White, of Alabama, to hear the
petitioners and their opponents. The
hearing will take place on Monday. The
taxpayers delegation have appointed
Messrs Porter. Kershaw, Elliott, Lath-
ers and T. z. Simons a subcommittee
to conduct their case. The rest of the
delegation will return homeward to-mor-
row. The point now aimed at by the
taxpayers is to induce the judiciary COM
mittee to recommend the appointment
of an investigating committee, so that
Congress may become officially cognizant
of the condition of South Carolina. This
is considered an indispensable prelimina-
ry to Congressional action.
The delegation from the Taxpayers
Convention and the Charleston Chamber
cf Commerce, upon reviewing calmly the
occurrences ofthe past week, are both
hopeful and encoura ged. They are as
sured on every side that their visit has
been already Of great benefit to the State
and the indications are that the final
result, in view of the difficulties and en-
barrassments of their position will be
satisfactory to their constituents.
Vice President Wilson received the
delegates with much warmth, and APP
peared to take the greatest interest in
their case. He made very favorable
impression upon his visitors. Among
other notables called upon were the
secretary of war, Mr.. Belknap; the sec
retary. of the navy, Robson; the secre-
tary Of the treasury, Mr.. Richardson.
and other members Of the Cabinet; Sen-
ators Morton, Carpenter, Boutwell,, Pratt
Logan, Fenton and Bayard, Speaker
Blaine and Representatives Dawes, Bee
and host of others. In every instance,
without any exception, the delegates
were welcomed with the respect due to
them as individuals, and with the syn
pathy and consideration to which the
real representatives Of so large a consti-
tuency of wronged and suffering Ameri-
can citizens are entitled. Nowhere has
their simple but appalling statement of
our condition met with the slightes t
question. Among others with whom
they conversed were the entire Congress
sional delegation from South Carolina,
senator's and representatives, each OF
whom expressed himself unreservedly in
favor Of the ends which the taxpayers
are seekieg.
1t will doubtless surprise most Of your
readers to hear that among the pleasant
est Of the many interviews which the
delegates have had here with public men
were those with Gen. VIM. Tecumseh
Sherman and Gen. Benjamin Butler.
Sherman was in particularly good humor
when visited, and INDUCED freely in jokes
and "reminiscences of Sullvan's Island in
the olden time. There were several Of
the delegates with whomhe had former
ly been acquainted: and as he stood
pleasantly chatting with them it was
hard to realize that The Hero of Colum-
bia was before US. Ben Butler WAS very
cordial, said that he knew things were
very bad in South Carolina, and promis-
ed that when the Memorial comes before
the judiciary committee of the House it
"should have fair showing" (This
may mean a great deal, or it may mean
nothing at all.) He said that whenever
he tried to do anything for the South
some busybody in that part of the coun-
try would forthwith mail him u scrap of
newspaper telling what somebody or
other at the South had said about him
He was beginning to think that 1t arould
be a good thing for the country # three
or fom Of the Republican editors Of the
South wcre hanged. He actually could
not cross the floor of the House of Rep
resentatiyes to talk to Young, of Georgia
without people rcmarking that Butler
is getting too intimate the id rebels,
WASHINGTON, April G.
She delegation representing the tax
payers Of South Carolina had a hearing
this morning before the subcommittee
on the Judiciary of the House Of Rep
rescntativcs. Whittcmorc's counter
committcereprcscnting the State officials
were present. Col. Lathers and Gen.
N,rshIw addressed the subcommittee,
and Mr. Tremainc, the charman, eX-
pressed q deSire to discover so'ar ia-ti'-
cato for any intcfposlt!on 10y Congress
in the domestic affairs of a Sovereign
State. Mr. Porter, chairman Of the
delegation pointed ont the circumstance
that the present anomalous government
in South Carolina is the creature Of
Congress, and that, since its establish
ment and the recognition of South Car
olina as State in the Union, Congress
had legislated for the protection Of per
sons when. II WAC alleoed the State