The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-01-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Senator Logan's speech on the Fl IT, job
Porter case. For four or five hours or
three successive days the earnest Illinoi,
Senator held his audiences until com
PEELED from sheer exhaustion to conclud
of course much of his speech was c
repetition of the oft, related details of til
fight of those three August days at Bul
Run in 1862, but General Logan shove,
that he is familia L as no one else on tn
floor of Congress is with the inner an,
true history of that occasion down to til,
minutes detail of all the movements o
troops connected with it. That Senator
Logan is throughly honest in his con
viction that Porter deserved his punish
most of his hearers that he is right
General Grants change of mind to the
contrary Notwithstanding. The bill
however, will pass the Senate, though
defeat probably awaits it in the House
| A bald-headed gentleman, with grey
! side whiskers, occupied a seat in the
private gallery during Senator Logan's
speech. next to Mrs. Logan. He took a
very lively interest in what was said,
burying his face in his hands several
times and dropping his chin upon his
breast frequently. Word was passed
around that the gentleman was none
other than Fitz-John Porter, and he be-
came the cynosure of many eyes. The
discovery was made latter that it was
a case of mistaken identity. Every
time grey-haired or bald-headed man
with mutton-chop whiskers put in an
appearance. however, during the re-
mainder of the day he was regarded
with curiosity by the crowd. SO far as
Is known, Porter kept away from the
Senate chamber.
Not very much is said about the Star
route trial now in progress. because as
yet there has been no Specially exciting
| episode, and the evidence being taken at
this stage is of routine character.
Nothing can be arrived at as to the prob
able result of the trial except judg-
ment based on general principles and
putting of this and that together. | sat
Tor an hour yesterday studying the pro-
ceedings and the jurors. AS the twelve
men in the jury box, supposed to be
good and true citizens, are to be the final
Judges OF both the law and the facts in
TINS important trial, public interest natu-
rally turns to them. They are, with
Dut Few exceptions, men of very moder-
ate intelligence, and some of them evil
IDENTIFY far below mediocrity. Eight of
the jurors are white and four are eolored,
the colored jurors having been accepted
from the regular panel, while four of the
whites are talesmen summoned tOthe I'M
gracious task by Marshal McNIichael.
The jury. as whole, looks to be quite
below the average, and it lacks what is
usually noticeable in iuries-Several in
telligent and controlling minds. 1t may
seem harsh to PREJUDICE the new Star
route jury, but | must record that to me
they do not appear to be men suited to
the work-men capable of trying such
case, where all the appliances of money.
employed to defeat justice.
To me it seems that under all the cir
cumstances we must look for little less
than a miracle to compass the conviction
of Dorsey and Brady. The Star-route
combination ramifies everywhere in this
| city. 1t has its fingers and toes in the
departments, in the hotels, and its feel
ers extend to BARRIERS. coachmen. SER
wants, bootblacks and every channel
where men of any grade can he made
useful. The colored jurors. all of whom
are in straitened circumstances, and one
OF whom earns a precariOus living by
day labor, will be reached and tempted
in Il hundred ways, and when such men
who have never owned $500 in their
lives. and who have no great amount of
reputation to lose, can be tempted with
tens of thousands, is it reasonable to eX-
pect any conviction? They may prove
stronger than the wealth they never
dreamed of possessing. or they may be
Inundated by the fear of punishment
but it will be a marvel. indeed, if jury
with little intelligence to guide them and
little character to lose, rs II rule, shall be
able to maintain the majesty of justice in
her own sanctuary.
President Arthur is the first President
since Mr.. Buchanan to return to what
has been known for generations as the
President S church-St. Johns Episcopal.
lie walks across Lafayette Park to the
church, and goes in at a side door. while
his fellow parishioners are making all
the hul.abaloo they can at the front en-
trance, with liveried servants, champing
horses, and all the paraphernalia that de-
light children of n younger growth. The
church is always crowded nowadays,
and is the most aristocratic place of wor-
ship in the city. 1t is Il small, quaint and
delightfully."- shabby structure. and has
Aot suspicion of being a fashionable
church on the outside. although NAM
mon is tolerably well represented inside.
1t is painted brown, and the paint has
peeled off. 1t has old-fashoned blinds
that once were green. and the side ell
trance has little platform by way of a
porch, which has been repaired with un-
painted pine, and there are plenty of trees
and shrubs around. 1t looks to be the
tabernacle of unostentatious piety. But
go inside! See all the women cranng
their necks to get a look at the President
see how every member of the congrcga-
ton who owns carriage dashes up to
the door Sunday morning in great style;
see what passport to good society il is
to own pew there. 1t Is one of the fa-
vorite lies of the newly rich of Washing
ton to represent Themselves as having
been pew owners at st. Johns since it
was first built. Thev tell this ridiculous
tale with the straightest faces, and take
quiescence for acquiescence in their lis