Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-02
CAPITAL GOSSIP.
Reed, of Maine-Fitz John Porter,s
Case-Lincoln and Ochiltree.

WASHINGTON, Dec. Sl.-Representative Tom
Reed, Of Maine, looks like an overgrown
school boy. He has this appearance. although
he has good round belly and bald head
His voice is the typical New England twang.
IL Is more than typical. I don't think any
other nose in all New England is as capable OF
being talked through as is that which belongs
TO Reed. On all Southern questions Reed is
pretty much against our side, but he is never
more than mildly partisan. Reed is a
good fellow. He is able and pos
sessed, too. of large amount of wit.
His pronounced Ose-delivery makes him all
the more unique and appreciable in what he
says. lie told this story to-day: "When / was
IN California, couple of years ago, thought
ii would be good thing to become 4 member
of the bar of the Supreme Court of the State
it might come handy hereafter. So | applied
for admission. | went before Judge Morrill,.
OF the supreme Court, and was examined.
Asked the Judge of me: Mr.. Reed, do YOU
think the legal tender act constitutional
or unconstitutional? l said that
thought II was constitutional. That will
do said the Judge, 'you are admitted to the
bar of this court. 1t is our practice, Mr. Reed.
to always ask an applicant for admission some
question in constitutional law. If he answers
IT oH-hand we admit him. Yesterday Mr..
Phelps appeared before us for admission. l
asked him the same question that TODAY
asked you. He replied that he thought the
lcSdl lcuueT ACT WAS unconstitutional, / au-
mitted him, toop" That, 1 think, is a pretty
good story. If you could hear Reed tell it, yoil
would appreciate it fully. Last Wednesday
the House adjourned TO Saturday, after
had been a prayer, of course, by
the chaplain. Keifer walked past Reeds desk
just after adjournment. Reed hailed him
''See here, keifer, don't you think our chap
lain is giving us too much prayer. Here we
have been in session only thirty minutes and
ne prayed long enough to last through a long
day session with night session piled on top
OF that. Don't you really think, Keifer, that
our chaplain is piling on the theology a little
too thick?"
FITz JOHN PORTER.
You may put it down that the bill for
the relief of FitZ John Porter will not
pass THIS Congress, and very likely no other
Congress. General Grant has recently come
out in letter in which he says that new evi-
dence brought to light convinces him that
Porter was a wronged man and should be re-
heved. The friends of Porter depended much
upon this letter to help him through. But it
will avail nothing.
John A. Logan has as fatty killed the bill as
1t could be possibly killed. Until listened to
his speech was in favor of Porter; when he
got through | was as fully convinced the other
way. NOOne thought it was in Logan. He
made the best speech that has been delivered
for many a day in Congress. He held the
Senate and the galleries in rapt
attention. He spoke loud and
did several little weak attempts at wit, but
MS speech was SplenulQ one. III was as IN
teresting as any finished lecture that was ever
delivered, and yet Logan mangled Lindley
Murray in his usual peculiar way. He said
such things as to Mcpherson: 'sYou can't git
me into no quarrel with Grant;h the ''gentle-
man from New Jersey and Grant says" and
81 didn't make no such assertion"
Having even the minutest detail of the ques-
tion IN the palm of his hand, and having been
soldier himself, he was as thoroughly equip
ped as ever man was who got up
to speak. He dealt in facts. He
c qua not speak what Logan thought, but what
the sworn testimony of witnesses before the
Porter court of inquiry and what the official
reports We're. He wOve it all into such story
of fact that his speech seemed like the telling
of aspirited tale-but without any romance or
stretch of imagination. Several attempts
were made to refute him, but he never waver
ed from sworn statements of officers who were
on the field, and was never once broken in his
interviewer argument. He would not be led
into any attack on Grant. He simply
showed that Grant in his argument
on this question did not deal with facts One
thing Logan brought out which has for long
time been talked of in the army. He said that
on the Porter board of inquiry which acquitted
that officer two of the three members of that
court were Generals Getty and Terry. The
court was more aimed, he said, at attacking
Gen. Pope than to find out facts about Porter
1t was known then that in the near future
there was to be retired General Mcdowell
a Major General. Both Terry and Getty
were Brlgadlers, and were applicants
for the Major Generalship when General
mcdowell would be retired Pope was
the senior Brigadier General and in the way
of ordinary events would be McDowelFs sue
cessor. If it had been shown that Pope and
not Porter had been to blame, then would
Terry and Getty stand chance for the pro-
motion. Pope was attacked by the court of
inquiry. Logan would let the country Judge
what the answer was. | repeat that Logan
was conclusive and unanswerable. POrter's
friends admit. That they practically give
up all hope. Grants conversion to
Porter's side, in order that he might
get Porter's strength to help him to be placed
on the retired list of the army, with a salary
annually of $4,000 or more, avails nothing.
1t was an unholy alliance, and should have
been killed.
LINCOLN AND OCHILTREE.
l asked Tom Ochiltree, the red headed and
picturesque member elect from Texas if he
really was in earnest about wanting to be
second on the next Republican Presidential
ticket. II certainly am,' he replied, ''and
| think will be. The ticket should be Robert
L. Lincoln and Tom Ochltree. That ticket
would sweep the country" POTOMAC.