Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-22
BLAINEs GEORGIA FRIENDS.
The Facts Lying Behind the Attempt tc
Remove General LOngstreet.


Remove General LOngstreet.
Atanta Special Neao York Times.
The true inwardness of the fight against
General Longstreet has just been made
known. General Longstreet wrote let
ter to the Department of Justice about
the close of the first fiscal wear after he
had been. in service as United States
Marshal, requesting that experts familiar
with the business of the MarshaPs office
be sent here to examine into the accounts
OF his deputies and to furnish information
or instruction to deputies as to what
charges were legitimate and correct. Not
long after the Department of Justice sent
Messrs. Ralph Ballin, Joel W. Bowman
and E. B. Weigand to inyesti-
gate Marshal Longstreets office. They
did investigate, but it was in secret or eX
parte, and not as was desired, nor did
they give any information or instruction.
1t was their presence here and the inYes-
tigatiOn which instigated the rumOrs cir
culated from Washington through the
cOnnivance of those here who sought to
have General Longstreet removed to make
room for one of their own number Agents
were also sent out to investigate the office
OF the Collector of Internal Revenue for
the Eleventh District of Georgia. Mr..
Walter ID. johnson. The fight was then
combined against both LOngstreet and
cOhhoOHs III lOOhluS at the DOllUlcal COM
pleXl0n OF these movements it was OBJ
served that they were in the interest of
Blaine. 1t is intended to give him the
delegation from this State to the next Ma
tiOnal Republican Convention. There are
already in high position several strong
friends OF Blaine, chief among them being
Col. Buck, Clerk of the United States
Court.
The Blaine men who are on the outside
fO mt in,
Marshal Smyth, ex-ColIector Andrew
Clarke, and Colonel John E. Bryant. 1t
is said they have decided ON who shall
succeed johnson, the most probable man
being General j. r. Lewis, but they can
not decide among themselves which shall
succeed General Longstreet. They first
aim to get him out. Back of all this
comes in another avenging Nemesis.
Pledger is not satisfied with being Sur
veyOr of Customs, but the Postmastership
OF Atlanta would satisfy him. Several
c0lOred men have been appointed Post
masters in Georgia, and Pledger holds
higher position in the Republican or
ganizatiOn than any of them. The crowd
cannot do much in their way without
Pledger, and he must have his wishes re-
spected. The present Postmaster, ex-
Gov. Conley, they say, has been Post
master long enough, but he also was re-
Gently placed in position in the Republi-
can organization, and they cannot kick
him out summarily; but he acted with the
Longstreet or custom house wing of the
two factions when the party split here at
the convention last summer. COnley was
made Chairman of the committee, and now
he has to work with him, even if it is against
his former ally, Gen. Longstreet.
'Ihere is no Republican party in this
State" says Gen. Longstreet. ~ don't
recognize their organization, and don't
care anything about them" The Post An
peal says: "We then have the Republican
party, as organized in Georgia, consisting
OF several gentlemen principally from
the State of Maine, all carpet-bag-
gers, so called, and few coIored pol
iticians. Their chief object seems to
be to get office and to work for Blaine
for President. In the fight pending be-
tween them Gen. Longstreet seems to be
like Thistle's gun-'if it backs at all. it's
alters little forred.' Gen. Longstreet
seems to be ahead in this contest. and has
backed forreds,' for it is quite probable
that any suggestion he makes in the prem
ises will be complied with, and, instead of
being removed, others may in the end be
superseded. The removal of Gen. Long
street is entirely improbable"