The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-12-05
FitzsimmOns Of Georgia.

The debate in the Senate Saturday on the
confirmation of Fitzsimmons as Marshal of
Georgia, seems to have been very animated.
The scene is described as one of the most ex-
citing which ever took place in executive
session. Fitzsimmons was championed by
Senator Gordon Of Georgia, and the oppos-
ton to his confirmation was led by Senators
Conkling and Edmunds. Both these emil
nent Republicans stoutly condemned the
policy pursued in regard to Southern appoint
ments, and so convincing were their argu-
ments that they carried their party associates
with them save only Stanley Matthews and
the carpet baggers Patterson and Conover.
The circumstances attending the appoint
ment were brought out very fully in the
course of the debate, and certainly seem to
justify the almost unanimous opposition of
the Republican Senators. 1t appears that
Senator Gordon at first recommended W. A.
Huff of Macon for the position. Huff,
though Democrat, has expressed himself
very strongly against the ill-treatment of the
freedmen. Gordon did not know this. When
informed of it by Alexander Fl. Stephens he
at once withdrew his support, and
gave his favor to Stephens's man,
Fitzsimmons, who was appointed by the Pres
ident. Thereupon Huff wrote to Goldon.
The letter and Gordon's reply were read in
the course of the debate. In his letter Huff
frankly tells the Georgia Senator that he has
been discarded because he, though Demo-
crat, was acceptable to Georgia Republicans.
His Republican friends had supported the
nomination because, as they say in their let
ters of recommendation, the appointment
"would materially strengthen Republicanism
in Georgia, harmonize conflicting party diff
ferences and bring much added strength from
sources hitherto dormant or in active opposi-
tion." This passage Huff quotes and adds:
''The truth is, General Gordon, it was at one
time very delicate thing to ask for Demo-
cratic support in the procurement of Office
under this Administration. Yet today there
is a perfect avalanche of Democratic Office
seekers hanging around the White House and
asking for division of Republican spoils."
He then pays his respects to his principal op-
ponent, Alexander II. Stephens, felicitously
describing him as ga public character whose
political eccentricities distinguished him from
all others of his class; who has belonged to
all parties and endorsed all men; man
who has historic taste and has
loved all countries and all gov
ernments except the Southern confed-
eracy and yet held the second Office under
that" To this letter Senator Gordon makes
remarkable reply. Referring to the Repub-
lcan recommendations he says they furnish
reasons sufficient for Withdrawing his sup
port, and be concludes in these words: ~
had endorsed you under the firm belief that
you were Democrat and would seek the
Office as a Democrat. The apparent lncon-
sistency therefore, of being endorsed In Geor-
ga as Democrat and urged in Washington
for appointment as not Democrat, left me
no alternative but to say to the President
that did not believe your appointment would
be acceptable to The people of Georgia."
Such were the facts brought. out by the de-
bate in executive session. A liberable Demo-
crat who preferred friendship for the freedmen
and who was held in high esteem by the Re
publicans of his state, was not appointed, and
for those very reasons, while man who is
Democrat of extreme partisanship, who does
not believe in the legality of the constitution
al amendments, is appointed,-apparently for
these reasons and because he is nephew of
Wade Hampton. Certainly the President
ought to see that his system of making
Southern appointments on the r. commenda-
tions of Democratic Congressman is bad
one, and that it should be discarded. He
would do wisely to revoke the appointment
at ence, in Difference to the loyal sentiment
of the country.