The Portland daily press., 1877-03-08
Every Nomination
Objected to.
NONE OF THEM CON-
FIRMED.


nations were sent to the Senate to-day:
William M. Evarts of New York, for Secre-
tary of State.
John Sherman of Ohio, for Secretary of the
Treasury.
George w. McCrary of Iowa, for Secretary
of War.
Richard W. Thompson of Indiana, for Secre-
tary of the Navy.
Charles Devens of Massachusetts, for Attor-
ney General.
David NJ Key of Tennessee, for Postmaster
General.
Carl Schurz of Missouri, for Secretary of the
Interior.
Well informed friends of the President assert
that the nomination of Senator Key to the
Cabinet was the initial step in the development
of his policy of seeking to disarm Southern
distruSt and promote peace in that section on
the basis of Justice and protection to all. Key
led a Confederate regiment during the late
war and was the Democratic senator appointed
to fill Andrew Johnson's vacancy, but at the
late session of Congress he was the first to
make a speech from the Democratic side look
ing to Southern pacitication through concilia-
publican administration. That he and the
President would be able to harmonic was
made sufficiently clear to the latter by the SEN
timents of private letter addressed by Key to
a personal friend on the 10th of February last,
in which he said:
81 am ready to do all can to restore conf
dence and good government to the people of
the South. This can only be done by hearty
determination of sections for which l have la
bored. If, without requiring of me the sacri-
fice of any personal or political independence,
you find that my name can be used for the
good of the South in your best judgment, you
are at liberty to use it. If l were to become q
member of the administration should not feel
at liberty to place myself in opposition to its
general policy, but should feel bound to build
it up and strengthen it in the hee rts of the
people, and if the time arrived when l could
As matters are in the South could be more
useful to our people by an independent posi-
ton, and if, as hope and believe, the admin
istration will develope broad and liberal poll
cy toward the people of the South, would
not hesitate to incorporate my fortunes and sell
with it,
This letter was laid before Mr.. Hayes, who
found it entirely in accordance with his own
sentiments, and hence the formal tender of an
appointment to Mr.. Key, after an interview
between those gentlemen last evening, which
established the identity of their respective
views on the Southern question. Mr.. Key, in
response to protests from old party associates
against his acceptance, upon the ground that
the Presidents purpose is to divide the South
ern democracy, and reconstruct the Republican
party in the South on more popular basis, de-
olares that it is his desire to the color line in
peace and commercial prosperity are of more
present Importance to the South than party
success.
Mr.. Keys appointment has been earnestly
antagonized by some prominent Republicans,
in the fear that it would commit the admins
tration to the abandonment of existing Repub-
llcan organizations, especially in Sou tn Caro-
lima and Louisiana, and the surrender of their
adherents to the tender mercy of their foes. 1t
is claimed for the President, that his frmness
in resisting this appeal was based upon the fact
that the general line of policy in regard to the
South which he had determined to test, looks to
no such consequence as dese1ton of friends.
His desire is to secure an honorable and AMIGA
BILE compromise of the existing Southern diff
cultes, by consent of the wise and honest men
of both parties in the South, on terms that
shall be just and creditable to all alike. AS q
beginning, he was resolutely determined to
tender an olive branch to the South, by taking
into his Cabinet some one intelligent Southern
Democrat, who had fought on the Confederate
side, but is now thoroughly true as we'll as
able
To this end he was disposed to take Gen. Joe
Johnston as thoroughly representative South
erner, but Mr.: Key was found less Objectionable
to the Republicans and so was finally chosen.
The significance of the appointment is in its no
tice to the South that the new administration
has no purpose which cannot be freely disclos-
ed to and discussed with an honorable repre-
sentative of their own section and who is in
full sympathy with the best elements in the
Southern opposition party. This, it is claimed,
clears the way for what is to follow.
Vice-President Wheeler is to be no CIPHER in
the government. He will be invited to partici.
pate in the administration as freely as if he was
a member of the Cabinet. 1t is hoped that
after the Senate adjourns he will be at the
head of committee to be appointed by the
President to visit the South. carefully study the
situation in Louisiana and South Carolina and
ascertain on what honorable terms all the
troubles there can be acceptably placated by the
as the President can rightfully extend.
The Presidents friends say that If this policy
fails it will be the fault of the Southern people
themselves and will be so regarded. They say
also that if it succeeds it will break down the
color line in politics by detaching the old
ing them into an administration party of
whites to whom the blacks will naturally adj
here.
The above is given as the general plan, the
details of which must depend upon the results
of careful cabinet consultation and liberal in
terchange of views with patriotic and clear
headed men whose character and position enti-
tie them to be heard.
Every Nominee Objected to in the Senate.
A Lively Fight i'm Prospect.
WASHINGTON, March 7.-When the Senate
went into executive session to-day, there was
quite lively scene in the chamber. Under the
rule Of the Senate, single objection to the
it to the appropriate committee, and when the
very first one, that of Evarts, was announced,
Blaine moved its reference to the Committee on
Foreign Relations; then there arose an earnest
discussion, in which some Republicans exhib-
tied much indignation at some of the nomina-
guessed in that all must be referred, and that
none of them should be confirmed to-day.
MI. Conkling demanded the reference of the
nomination of Schurz to the finance committee
and quite number of Senators demanded the
reference fMr. Keys nomination. In fact
there was more or less objection to every one of
them and there is a probability of an excited
debate over them when they come before the
Senate again. Perhaps ten or twenty Senators
made objections to one or another of the nom.
nations, and a number of them spoke at the
same moment.
The Democratic Policy.
After the adjournment the Democratic Sen.
ators met in caucus and fully discussed the
policy to be pursued on the cabinet nominal
tons. From the general tenor of the debate
it is believed the Southern Democratic Senators
will use their power in executive session to in.
duce the administration to refuse any recogni-
ton of Packard in Louisiana or Chamberlain
in South Carolina. 1t is said by them that if
they can be assured the administration will
stand fairly on the policy of non-intervention
ton of the affairs of those states, they will sup
port il by voting to confirm these nominations.
Otherwise they maintain that to accomplish
this through the divisions insthe Republican
ranks will be to win the victory for
which they so long commended. No formal ac-
ton was taken by the caucus, as the commit
tees OF the Senate will not perhaps be appoint
cd before Friday, and as single objection will
prevent the consideration OF any nomination on
the same day, it is reported from a committee.
can be finally disposed of this
cameron Objects TO Sherman.
1t is believed that the nominations will be
confirmed unless the Democrats act in body
against them. 1t always has been the custom
70 act upon the nomination of a member of
he Senate without the previous formality of
reference, but in the case OF Senator Sherman
today the custom was violated it is said at the
suggestion OF Cameron of Pennsylvania, who
demanded that his nomination be referred to
lhe committee on finance. Although the per-
5onnei OF the cabinet has been known
several days the official PRONUNCIATION took
=! most OF tne people by surprise, for the reason
that previous newspaper statements had made
erroneous assignments of Messrs. McCrary,
Thompson and Devens. The subiect ia freely
discussed tonight by all parties. Int there are
few expressions OF enth usiastic approval of the
Thompson Accepts.
A telegram was received tonight from Rich
.rd w. Thompson, of Indiana, accepting the
appointment of Secretary of the Navy.