The New York Herald Newspaper, January 7, 1876, Page 3

- HONOR THE TRUE. Unveiling of a Statue to Henry Grattan in Dublin, A Full Account of the Ceremonial. THE SPEAKERS AND THE PROCESSION. A Sketch of Grattan and a History of the Undertaking. [From the Evening Telegram of yesterday. } Lonpon, Jan. 6, 1876. A colossal bronze statue of Grattan, mounted ona limestone pedestal, was un- veiled, with appropriate ceremonies, at two o'clock to-day, in College Green, in front of the old Parliament House, in Dublin. The site selected was especially felicitous, inas- much as it was the scene of many of his greatest efforts and triumphs. The statue stands about the centre of the Green and faces toward Trinity College. DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS. Speeches were made by Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Isaac Butt, M. P., and others, eulogistic of the character, talents and services of Grattan in the interests of the Irish people. Mr. Sullivan moved a resolution to the effect that the statue be transferred to the custody of the civic authorities, to be held by them in trust for the Irish nation. A MONSTER PROCESSION. At eleven o'clock a monster procession, which was participated in by trades unions, orders and citizens generally, moved on from the Custom House, and assisted in the cere- aonies of unveiling. DECLINE TO PARTICIPATE. The Order of Foresters declined to join in | the procession asa body, giving as a reason that they regarded the demonstration as of a national character, and in reality indorsing the idea of Irish independence. Sir Arthur Guinness, member of Parliament for Dublin city, and Messrs. Plunkett and Gibson, the two members for the University, also de- | clined to participate in the ceremonies. i PREPARATIONS FOR TRE GRAND IRISH NA- TIONAL CEREMONIAL—GRATYAN, THE TRIB- UNE OF THE PEOPLE—-HIS LIFE AND B8ER- VICES—THE STATUES OF ILLUSTEIOUS PA- THIOTS WHICH NOW ADORN THE METROPOLIS OF ERIN. Dusan, Dee. 23, 1875. Dublin will be again en féte on Tweltth Day, Thurs. day, the 6th of Jauuary, This time, however, it 1s no Centeonial celebration, to be marred by the collisions of wrangling factions, or sullied by the selfish strug- gles of pseudo-politicians. And yet, in many respects, ‘the day may be regarded as a national holiday; for it is to be devoted to the memory of one of the best, purest and most high-minded of Irish patriois—Henry Grat- | tan—a man whomal! parties, classes and creeds may honestly unite to honor. He doubtless had bis intir- ities, bub.so jong as History lives she will record that ‘p an age, among @ society, tp an assembly which was steeped to the lips in corruption, Grattan remained un. _ deficd—‘the noblest Roman of them all,” His name has become for bis countrymen the synonyme of the in- corruptible patriot, who can veither be purchased by ‘the bribes of the Minister nor cajoled by the arts of the court, who remains immovable whether exposed to the trowns of power or to the much more trying ordeal of popular clamor and misrepresentation :-— Non eivium ardor prava jubentiuw, ‘Noo vultus instantis tyranui ‘Mente quatit solida, GRATTAN AND IRELAND. Henry Grattan, who had achieved the legislative in- dependence of Ireland, to whom his country bad voted ‘@ substantial reward for his splendid service, and who had been for many years member of Parliament for the city of Dublin, bad been nearly half a century dead, and yet no statue, monument or even attesting stone existed anywhere in the city to re | mind succeeding geverations of what he had _ done, or even of his name. Ireland, a especially Dublin, was long a standing illustration that great men ofven meet with less appreciation at home than abroad. ‘The explanation is not far to seek. Ireland bas never been truly ber own mistress, and her chief city bas never been much better then a garrison town occupied by @ foreign corps. Native genius or worth had clearly no claim for commemoration in such company. Ac- cordingly, while statues and lying inscriptions were to be found to William 111, ber Dutch conqueror, and to the Georges, those models of royal and social vice, one Might wander through the streets in vain in search for any memorm! to an Irishman, however great And yet it was a lucky accident, arising precisely ont of this state of things, which broke the spell, and aroused People to the propriety of redeeming the national character from such apparent ingratitude or forget- Wuiness. PRINCE ALBERT ON IRELAND. When Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, died in 186], a movement was started in England to erect @ great palional Monument to bim, and the Hyde Vark memorial was the result, This was very well in England where he lnved, among whose people he worked and for whom he did many useful services, But Ireland had vothing to say to such proceedings. Phe deod man did uot hate Ireland, simply because he despised it, In letters of his which have since seen the hgbt he speaks of the Irish and the Poles as equally contemptible, equally to be kept in subjection as in- ferior races, unfit to be admitted to an equality with the nobler beings who are their masters. Yet there were a few men ip Ireland, sufficiently callous to national insult a8 to propose to get up an Irish memorial which should record Ireland’s grief for the premature loss of “Albert the 4soud."’ They did more, They persuaded the Dublin Corporation to grant them a site for the proposed mon- wment in College Green, right in front of Trinity Col- Jege and the Bank of Ireland—ihe old Parliament House, There were, however, some men in the corpo. Fation who objected to giving this site—confessedly one of the best in all Dublin—for a monument to aGerman | Prince, who (to speak moderately), had never benefited | ‘the Irish poopie. Such sites ought to be reserved for Irishmen who bad done Ireland service. And so men Degas to reflect on the denuded condition of the Dublin thoroughfares and the absence of memorials of great Inebmen. Out of these reflections aud the discussions to which they gave birth eprang first the notion of erecting @ great national memorial to O'Connell, and ‘then the idea of erectinga statue to Grattan, At the ‘time the Karl of Carlisle was Lord Lieutenant of Ire. | Jand He was a man of taste and culture. He sympa. thized with the plun o! setting up statues to Irish wor- thier; although, doubtless, he did not cordially relish the proposal to begin with such an agitator as O'Con- | nell. Atany rate, he set on foot a more limited and restricted scheme, which suceeeded in placing graceful statues to OLIVER GOLDEMITH AND FDNUKD BURKE, within the area of Trinity College, which claims both ‘those distinguished men as her sont, But Goldsmith | ‘was & poet and litterateur, and Burke was less ao Irish: | man thanap Eng teh statesman and a great philo- | thinker, Viceroys and lords, Englishmen and | philo-Angiian Irishmen might join m memorials to them without Compromising their position. 4 OTATOR TO GRaTTaN rae 5 rN HOES ED Een Se Seer ot, | tional fulerum needed by Grattan. The citizen-soldiers NEW YURK HERALD, pasbword—a ehibboleth by wicn men of genuine Irish views might be diseriminated from the friends of the British connection at any price. The idea of a statue to bim might have long remained barren but for another lucky accident In November, 1867, three men were hanged in Manchester on a charge of mur-— dering & police sergeant named Brett, The facts proved were they had taken partin the rescue of two Feman | leaders, and in the progrets of the riot the sergeant | was accidentally killed. The killing having occurred in the carrying out of the illegal enterprise of a rescue of prisoners, amounted to the legal offence of murder, The government of the day was resolved to make an example which might terrify the Fenians, and eo the men. were left for execution. This proceeding made a profound impression in Ireland. It éxasperated the nationalists of all shades, A monster mourning procession moved through the streets of Dublin, at which speeches were delivered by the late John Martin and others. A. M. Sullivan com- mented on the transaction with great severity in his | newspaper. Martin, Sullivan and others were tried | for sedition, convicted and imprisoned. A suoscrip- tion was initiated and warmly taken up throughout tne country to assist Mr. Sullivan to defray the expenses inenrred in defending himself, Some bundreds of | pounds were collected. But when he came out of | prison Mr, Sullivan declined to accept this assistance, and proposed, if the donors did not object, that the amount subscribed should be made the nucleus of a national subscription to raise a statue to Grattan in College Green, Who could quarrel with such gener- oreity and such a patriotic proposal? The suggestion | was taken up, a small committee formed and Foley, the leading Irish sculptor of the day, was commis- | stoned to make the statue, THE PRINCE ALDERT SITR. The Corporation, upon being applied to, rescinded | their vote assigning College Green to Prince Albert, who was relegated to the lawn of the Dublin Society, an association interested in the rearing of cattle and tm- provement of the breeds—a congenial site for the thrifty owner of the Windsor “Home Farm.” College Green was appropriated to Grathan. It is worth bear- ing in mind that the Home Rule movement ana the first practical steps towards raising @ statue to Grattan, | the father of Irish National Independence, were almost | contemporary. SKETCH OF GRATTAN’S LIFR. Henry Grattan was born in Dublin, July 9, 1746, Ate | father, James, was Recorder of Dublin for many | years, and represented the city in the Irmh Parhament | | from 1761 to 1766, His mother, a clever, spirituelte | woman, was daughter of the Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, and tne common belief has been that the son owed no small part of his genins to this mother. | At the first school to which young Grattan was | sent, he gave a striking indication of his energy of character, His master having fogged him = anderervedly, he felt so indignant at the degradation that he {psisted on being sent to an- other school, where he soon became popular among his schoolfeliows for bis bigt spirit and genial disposition, | In bis eighteenth year he was seized with a severe ill- | ness, which repeatedly returned to bim at the most | critical epochs of his life, reducing him to astate of | the greatest physical devility. Indeed, at all times, his | organization bore stall proportion to bis warm tem- | perament, and his body was but a frail tenement for so aspiring a spirit. In 1768 Grattan entered ‘Trin- ity College, Dablin, where he became acquainted with | } h | Jobn Foster, afterward Speaker of the Irish House of | ! Commons and leader of the Protestant nationalists; | with Robert Day, afterward a prominent judge, and | with “Black Jack Fitzgibbon,” a handsome, sullen youth, afterward Lord Chancellor of Ireland and the | haughty Earl of Clare, The two former continued in | alter life to be his friends; but, like many others, he early parted company with the overbearing, anti-Imsh Fitzgibbon. In college Grattan showed talent and in- dustry, being noted for his study of ancient oratory; and he took high honors in his examinations. In 1767 he went to London and entered the Middle Temple to “eut bis way’ to the Bar, according to a custom which | has ceased only within the last quarter of » century. He was called to the Irish Bar in 1772, but be still con- | tinued to reside chiefly in London, where he had be- | come fascinated witb the fame and eloquence of the | elder Pitt, the great Karl of Chatham, and bad made | the acquaintance of others destined to occupy in after | years 4 shining place in British history. BRGINNING OF GRATTAR’S CARTER. Real life Began for Grattan when, in December, 1775, jn bis thirtieth year, heentered Parliament through the | influence of the vt Charlwevaty an amable nobles man of moderate abilities, cultivated taste and con- siderable wealth, but conspicuous for an ardent love | for the Irish people and adesire to improve their con- dition at bome and their reputation abroad. I» Parlia- ment Grattan joined the ranks of the opposition, then led by the celebrated Flood. At this time the English legislature asserted and exercised | over Ireland the same authority which it attempted to — enforce in the American colonies with a memorable re- sult, A standing army was maintained in Ireland solely under ao English law, The English courts of Jaw claimed supremacy over the Irish tribunals No | Dill could even be introduced into the Irisn Parliament | unless previously approved by the English Privy Coun- | cil. Irish trade was subjected to heavy and vexatious restrictions. Grattan’s high spirit and nervous elo- quence were a great gain to the popular party. One of | the first great {ruite of bis zeal was a partial alleviation — of the commercial restrictions, Jt was in the height of THE WAR FOR AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE, France had joined the revolted colovies, and both French and American cruisers and privateers bad | found their way into the British seas. From Belfast | ap application was made for protection in the event of a descent. The answer sent from Dublin Castle was that “Government could afford no succor.” The spirit of the whole country seems to have awakened under this confession of helplessness from rulers who could piay the tyrant, but could afford no protection. The Protestants (for they only could legally possess gun) took up arms for their own security and to guard their native land from hostile invasion. And so arose the cele- brated Irish volunteers—the first specimen in the Old World of a national voluntary armed force for peace- able purposes, anticipating by nearly a dozen years | Lafayette’s Parisian National Guard. GRATTAN'S PUBLIC SERVICES, This organization of the volunteers was the constitu- proved themselves ag Aincerely desirous to promote the political regeneration of their country as to defend her coasts. Ip 1780 Grattan obtained from the Irish Parlia- ment the memorable resclation—‘The King aud the | Lords and Commons of Ireland are the only power competent to make laws to bind Ircland.” His speceh on this occasion i® reckoned by some his finest effort. “1 never will be satisfied (he said in the conclusion) so long as the meanest cottager in Ireland has a link of the British chain clanking to bis rags. He may be naked; he sbali not be in iron.’’ Grattan bad by this time quite gained the admiration and love of bis country- men, and be contributed not a little to swell their courage and enthasiasm. Negotiations were ect on foot with the English Ministers. They hoped to cajole or bribe over the Irish leaders, but Grattan’s incor- ruptiple character, backed by eignty thousand armed volunteers, upeet their calculations. They dare not ex- pose the power of Britain, already shattered in America, to run the risk of fresh defeat at home. They conceded the Irish claims, and, in 1782, the Britwsh Parliament repealed the act which declared its right to bind Ireland, The joy of the pation was intense; GRATTAN’S POPULARITY could not be surpassed, In his thirty-sixth- year, when only seven years im Parliament, he had achieved & revolution, and conquered | Peaceably the acknowledgment of the independence of | bik native land, The gratitade of the people found ex- pression im the proposal in Parliament that $500,000 should be voted to him for his transcendent services, His first impulse was to decline the gr: but his friends pointed out to him that be had not means to support the prominent station to which bis great success had raised bim. Reluctantly he accepted half the suin Offered, which was invested in the purchase of a small estate, named Tinahinch, in a romantic district in Wicklow county, not far from Bray. This 1 the period of Grattan’s career on which Irishmen naturally love to awell. M18 SUPREQUENT HisTORY, But we must hasten on. G@rattan seems to have con- sidered that this grant of public money was a sort of | perpetual retaining fee, bidding him to the popular | service and obliging lim to Keep aloof from officral life and party connections, Thus, unhappily, at a time when he could have rendered most usetul service, he | feally bad scarcely any influence on the conduct of public affairs, Subsequent to 1782, on the questions of reform of the representation and emancipation of the Carbolics from the Pema Sade soph go | House of Commons. them to an armost servile existence, he was far ip ac- vance of most of his contemporaries. When the troublous excited time of 1797 came, and the Irish Presbyterians and Catholics, who had no political nights, and were smarting under the irritation of broken promises and hope deferred) were drifting into that fever of discontent which is the sure forerunner of armed insurrection, the government of the day sought to stifle dissatisfaction, or at least resistance, by san- guinary repression. Grattan found he was heipless, and he retired from Parliament, As he himself pathet- ically put it three years later, ‘On the one side there was the camp of the rebel; on the other the camp of the Minister, a greater traitor than that rebel The stronghold of the constitution was nowhere to be found. I could take part with neither,” FAILING WEALTH, He returnned to Parliament in 1800, broken down in health, utterly dispirited, to fight what he knew was the lost cause of Irish independence. His anti-Union ‘Speeches will never be forgotten, nor that pithy lament over the ‘deaa nationality, so sublime in its simple pathos, “I sat by her cradle; I followed her hearse.” GRATTAN IN PARLIAMENT, In April, 1805, Grattan was returned to the Im- perial Parliament for the English borough of Mal- ton, and a few weeks later he delivered a specch on the ‘Catholic claims’ for emancipation. There was the most intense and respectfu! curiosity to hear so famous aman. The British House of Commons 18 proverbially critical with regard to a great reputa- tion, and at that,time it had many distinguished speak- ers among its members—Pitt, Fox, Sheridan, Grey, Windham, &c. ; but Grattan achieved, In the opinion of the House, complete success, Mr. Pitt, then Prime Minister, warmly congratulated him ; and many in later times—among them Mr, Gladstone and the late Lord Macauley—have considered this to be Grattan’s most finished speech; and yet we know that im many points i$ Was quite unprepared. IN THR BORRIGN PARLIAMENT. He seldom spoke in the alien Parhament except on purely [rish questions, and eminently on the Catholic claims, and on euch occasions they who heard him | have reported that bis energy, fire, earnestness and honesty simply carried the house before him. Men marvelied that such animation could exist ip such a ‘wasted frame, Indeed he may be said to have died in advocating the free- dom of Irish Catholics. He had taken cha of the “petition,” then annually presepted to the hhis medical advisers in Dublin warned bim that a journey to London, ip his then broken down condition, might be fatal. should be happy to die in the discharge of my duty” was hin noble answer, Upon his arrival in London, exhausted by the journey, complete prostration ensued, and B® EXPIRED ON TAK litH OF May, 1820, being nearly seventy-four years of age The highest entreated that he might be permitted to lie where Fox and Chatbam sleep, And so Grattan was BURMD IN WRYTMINS TB ABBRY. The famous Sir James Mackintosh pronounced a panegyric on him in the House of Commons. Another eminent Englixhman wrote of bim soon after, thas:— Great men ballow a whole people and lift up all who live ip their time, of Grattan? Everything is of importance that recalls to the admiration of th his truly patriotic life. No government ever dismayed him; the world could not bribe bim. He thought ooly of Ireland, ‘ed for no other object, dedieuted to her his beautiful cy, his elegant wit, bis manly courage and all the splendor of bis astonishing eloquence. Hix genius was of the highest order, but bis fame rests upon a still more imperishable basin He thought the noblest occupation of a man was to make other men bappy und free, and in that straight line he went on for fifty years, witboat ove side-look, avithout one yielding thought, without one motive in his heart which be might not have laid open to the view of God and man, df Englishmen thought thas of bim surely it is only natural that to Irishmen the man who won their na- tional independence— ‘That one brief dream of evanescent glorr— should appear encircled by a halo, like some hero of mythic times The wonder is not that now, when their minds baye been again aroused to dwell on the notion of nationality, they should seck to honor him who was its creator and parent, but that they should have allowed half a century to pass away before doing 60, THE SCULPTOR POLRY, When they did at last resolve to havea statue to Grattan, it was only nataral they should entrust it to Foley, himself an (rishman, proud of his country, and holding the first rank even beyond all other contem- porary British sculptors, © Foley was @ Dublin man, born in 1818, trained in the School of Art Of that efty. Lake many other eminent Irishmen, be early migrated to London, where he soon established a great reputa- tion, being admitted a Royal Academictan when he was little more than six and thirty years of age. His chief characteristic has always been his thorough attention to every portion of the Work, to the ensemble as well as the details, and the careful and scholarly style of his execution, He was not fanitiess, Whois? But it is a great thing to be able to say, especially of a man who bas been obliged to avail himself largely of the assistance of others—and Foley could never have accepted a tithe of the commissions he actually achieved had he not largely availed himself of such assistance—that all bis work is learned, accomplished, | conscientious, and that every part of it is executed according to a sound standard. Thorough sense of Hl style, that rare attainment in modern sculptare, can be traced in all his works—more conspicuously, perhaps, in some of the more important ones. Chief among bis performances is the magnificent statue of Sir James Outram, which bas gone out to India, and that of Lord Hardinge, the Indian Viceroy, which stands in Caicutta, Another fine work is “Caractacus,” which is in the “Egyptian Hall,” at the London Mansion House. An- otber—‘‘Stonewall Jackson” —has just been inaugurated at Richmond city; so that Americans can easily guess what the great artist's best characteristics are. Ho had the deepest interest in this Grattan statue, But, alas! he was destined never to see it; for death took him away on the 27th of August, 1874, before even the bronze bad been cast. CEREMONIAL OF INAUGURATION, As at present arranged, the Grattan Committee take reeponsible charge only of the inauguration itself*in College Green, The statue has been already erected, | and stands, closely veiled, on its granite pedestal, right fn front of that Parlrament House which so often echoed to Grattan’s oratory. The trades of Dablin purpose | marching to College Green to assist at the inaugura- | tion. The procession will pass through the principal | streets; and, although sot rivalling the proportions of the great O'Connell Centenary procession, will yet bo a very interesting spectacle. In the evening THR HOME RULE COUNCIL will celebrate the ceremonial by a public banquet, when August, which ended in such a miserable flagco, THE POPE TO THE IRISH PEOPLE. {From the Cork Examiner, December 24.) At his audience with the Pope the Lord Mayor of | | Duolin read an address thanking His Holiness for the manner in which he had Leen received and presenting the homage of his fellow citizens. He added “that the Holy Father, in conferring upon him the high distinction of the Order of Gregory the Great, had wished to honor Irishmen. Ireland was rich in affection toward the Holy Father. of the celebration of the O'Connell Centenary Ireland had shown her attachment and Gdelity to God and the Pope. As an Irish Catholic he deeply sympathized with the sufferings of the Church "" He concluded by imploring the J’ope’s biessing on the Catholics of Dub- i, His Holiness, im reply, said that ‘he was greatly Moved at the proof given him of the affection of tho people of Dublin, He alluded to the constancy of Irish- men in their devotion to Catholicism and expressed gretrGcation at the celebration of the O'Connell Venten- ane,” ite sent bis blessing to the city of Dubiin. THE RUBENSTEINS’ REUNION, Yesterday Perach N. Rubenstein, who is under in- dictment for the murder of the Jewese, Sara Alexander, was visited at the Raymond Street Jail, Brookiyn, by bis wife. The latter arrived from Europe on Tuesday dast, and was shocked to learn of the awiul position in whieh her husband is placed. The meeting between husband aud wile is said to have been affecting, PROTECSION TO FIREMEN, Corporation Counsel Lewis, of Jersey City, how in- formed the Fire Commissioners that they have po power to impose fines ou firemen for violation of rules, the only legal penalty being disnviseal. The Board hind deducted F22 irom the pay of Willaim M. Scuepp for Deiwy imtoaicated while on duyy, FRIDAY, JANUARY 7 | and best men in England gathered around his sons and | What Irishman does not feel proud | , it i expected toasts and speeches will be delivercd t which shail beareply to the manifestation projected | | by the managers of the O’Connell banquet on the 6th of On the occasion , WASHINGTON. Probable Failure of Senator Morton's Ef- forts to Investigate Mississippi. CHARACTER OF AMES’ ADMINISTRATION. —— ee The Reeent Change in the State Ac- counted for by a Republican. + THE SENATE DEBATE ON RESUMPTION. Amendments to the Constitu- tion To Be Reported. NO REDUCTION OF THE ARMY PROBABLE. ERS, Ee Ee Wasminoton, Jan, 6, 1876. | THE PROPOSED INVESTIGATION INTO THE RE- CENT MISSISSIPPI ELECTION—REASONS FOR THE CHANGE IN POPULAR SENTIMENT AS FUBNISHED BY A REPUBLICAN-—-THE ABOMI- NATIONS OF AMES’ ADMINISTRATION. When Senator Morton’s project for investigating Mississippi comes up in the Senate it is very probable that the opponents of the measure will cail for all the evidence, already in the possession of the President, in regard to the late election in that State, and as to the condition of politics there which produced so great a | change as to give aState formerly heavily republican | to the democrats, Mississippi had notas large a re- poblican majority as Massachusetts, which quite as | FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. + | for believ , 1876—-TRIPLE SHEET, of Yazoo county, was with murder; the other for some | siaatefel Seaielon. a Again Governor Ames undertook to exert an uncon- stitutional control over the republican press of the State. For thie purpose he had a bill passed authoriz- ing the appointment of ihe newspapers who were to do ail the official and legal advertising in the State, and ordering the publication of official advertisemen merely, nominal distribution, baving nota single vube seriber on earth, but were assigned to receive ave did receive the entire official patronage of all the courts | and of all the State and county officers, to the exciu. sion of veteran republican papers, which were thus turned out to starve, These are only a few of the errors and follies into which Governor Ames bas fallen, He has beer Mr, Raymond is only a specimen. professing to be a republican, has divide of bis office as public printer with the Jackson Clarion, the central democratic organ of the State, for the sake of obtaining, as he did, democratic votes in the Leg lature, without which he must inevitably have gove out of office. Indeed, it is open and notorious that for one year, at least, the Clarion was printed on the Pilot pre Thave thus very briefly and in the midst of other en- gagements given you a very brief and exonedinigly im- periect statement of some of the canses which have weakened and finally contributed to the (I hope) tem- porary defeat of the party here; bat I should omit a very important part of the statement if I omitted to mention the silly and ridiculous part borne by the Governor during élection. The particulars are proba- bly before you already. His calion the President for troops, his organization of the mil and bis final surrender to Mr. Chase, of Washington, and to General George and the democracy, are all #0 many parts of @ most ridiculous farce, and tn their effect on the public mind among democrats and republicans rendered the defeat of our party absolutely certain lon, sublime farce of an “election”? was enacted. Allow me to add that, if there is any one thing upon which the great masses of republicans, ag well as the liberal minded people outside of that party in this State are a unit, it is im their entire approval of the administration of General Grant: mere trickery and chicanery of Governor Ames in our last State Convention, that administration was not in- dorsed or even mentioned. There is abundant reason g that if they can and dare do so, they will prevent this Slate from voting for the renomination of Grant tor a third term should his name be brought for- ward for that purpose, In conclusion, if | were asked to state the names of some of the most worthy, rcliable and able republicans | suddenly wept democratic in 1874. It had not 2 Pale te, eay A mo ey . be mage ty mn hd | Sow | bake Li . Pease, Lake, Jr., Judge Tarbell, as largo & republican majority as New | George id James M. MeKee, H. T. Fisher, George | York, which "went to the democrats by 50,000 in 1874; | Moris the change in Mississippi greater than that in New York i 1875, when the Tilden majority was | swept away, Still there was andoubtedly a change in Mississippi, aud a persona) friend of the President, a cool, clear-headed man and a strong repablicaa, was sent dows there shortly after the election to trace out and report the causes which led tw this change. While in Missiésippi be hot only investigated, bat he obtained from several leading republicans in the State writien stutetmments of their views of the situation. His report and the documents accompany- ing {t have been very carefully kept from public ko fur, it is anderatood that they condemn in Ames as sbamelessly corrupt, and prove that the people of the State would have been uoworthy of free goverpment if they bad nut united to put down the Misgovernment, and that the bonest republicans did so unite ag the opty way to relieve themselves of the mis- | rule of Amex and bis followers, who had captured the repoblican organization, and prostituted it for thetr own Personal endy It is said that Ames unscrupuloasly used the vile#t fystraments for bis purpose. In one county the Amex cundidate for the Legislature was a man who bad been sentenced to State Prison for five years, and who tad been pardoned out of prison by Ames only two or three months before he was nomi- nated for the Legisiature. where he wae to support Aines for the United States Senato, friend und investigator, was the following one from Judge Morris a member of the Republican State Com- mittee, an old and firm republican, who bas since 1806, and a citizen of high character. This letter gives a succinat account of Mississppi politics and of the mismavagement of Governor Ames, The following ix the letter of Judge Morris:— qietrss OF JUDGE MORRIS. Jackson, Miss., Nov, 28, 1875, | Hon. W. beri Direge-ssir’ Poet honk in compliance with poor Fequest, to @ brief statement of the tacts embraced in your inq@iry on the train last night; but my statement must necessarily, for want of time, be made briefer the | | the strongest térms the adroinivtration of Governor | ‘Among letfers obtained from prominent republicans | of Mississipp!, by Colonel Huntington, the President’s | been active in the Canvass in Mississippi in every year | | E. Harris and others who, because they dissent from | Governor Ames in some matters, are denounced as | democrats, For myself I canvassed this State for the straight republican ticket in 1867, 1868, 1880, 1871, 1872 and 1873. | have received many times and in many places | the approval of the party, and am at present and have long been a member of the State Executive Committee. But | do not, cannot and never will forsake my conv ic | tions so far a8 to approve, or for one moment acquiesce | in these or any of their abominations. | Raymond, the Stote Printer spoken of tn Judge Mor- } | ma ged to deceive Senatur Morton inte the belief that there is a large bloody shirt in Mississippi. They are also telling plausible stories in other quarters, and | hope to create a feeling among the republicans in the | Senate favorable to Mr, Morton's proposed investiga- | Hon. | OCCASIONAL AWKWABDNESS OF THE DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY—IMPORTANT 4MENDMENTS TO THE | CONSTITUTION TO BE mNrRODUCED aT aN | BARLY DaY. The democrats tn tho House are slow in getting their forees ander thorough discipline and the result is that they still occasionaily have what may be called a | soene in public. To-day, for instance, when Mr. | | Randall, as leader of the House, made a | | motion to adjourn to Monday, in order to give the committees time to prepare business, Mr. Wood Tose and opposed the motion op the ground that the committees had been (le and would adjourn with the House. He spoke somewhat ungracionsly, and there was all the awkwardness of a family quarrel in public for afew minutes. But Mr, Randall kept his temper and the flurry blew over, There are, however, signa of a growing discipline, and among those was the | vote upon Mr. Rea’s inflation rpsolution, op whieh | the previous question was demanded and refused by | 54 for and 120 against, This does not mean that the | majority oppose inflation, bot that they arc sufiiciently | drilled to understand that an important question like | this 18 not to be sprang upon them by any one, On Monday the business of the session will renily ' begin, It te expected that Mr. Knott wiil report (rom the Judiciary Committee two constitutional ameud- than I whould desire. When Governor Ames came back from the United | States Senate to become our Governor (for then to be nominated was equal 10 an election) the party in this | State was perfectly united. In six weeks it was divided, } and its divisions have increased and multiplied ever | since It could e been strengthened, but it has grown weaker and weaker, and is now overthrown, at , Jeast for the present. It never can rise while be remains at its head, Governor Ames having been ovr military command- apt during the period of reconstruction, and having carried out the principles of Grant, be was naturally | placed in contact with Generals Ord and Giler carry- Ing out the wishes of Anirew Johusop. The one was | ‘a success, the other a failure, This alone would have | made him a god in the estimation of the colored | masses, But Ames bad other merits He was at the time ay ntly sagacious and true. The party made him United States Senator by an almost unanimous | vou, but he proved himself unt for that place, as he | bas proved himself unfit jor Governor and still more | onfitfor the leadership of the party, He has endan- | gered the party i many ways and at almost every step in hig administration, and its present wreck is due to his utter incapacity for the duties he has assumed, 1 will enumerate bys 4 a fow of his mistakes, Ho sought from the first to piace ip office men whom be knew or ought to bave known to be intrinsically bad ‘and dishonest men, and did so because they were thought to be popular on account of color or other ad- ventiious circumstances. Instance Cardozo, nomi- bated for State Superintendent of Kducation through | Ames’ influence, solely because he was a colored man, although then known tw be indicted for larceny in Brooklyn, N. Y. He has, since been indicted for five forgeries in this State, Instance also his active and persistent agency in keeping John B. Raymond in the clerkship of the State Treasury under a salary of $1,600 per year in State warrants, When that individual was | receiving not less than $100,000 per year as public | printer for the State, and himself paying $1,800 por | par iD currency for a cierk in bis own olfice, the atrocities of Raymond's occupation of the Treasury tor the last two years would themseives fil a volum His pay ag State printer, amounting, as I have | | before said, to about $100,000 per year, | as «(all in =State warrants § depreciated to an average value of from sixty-five Ww seventy-five dollar, Being bead clerk in the office, easurer himself being a very weak and un. suspecting person, Raymond fad vast opportunities not only for “eashing”’ bis own warrants, but also for speculation tn purchasing and ‘cashing’ other war- rants. Besides this, Kaymond has collected and re- | ceived on every bill for public printing four or five | times what the jaw aliows him by duplicating, triplicat- ‘ng and quadrupling bilis where opportunity permitted, This was fully explained to you in our conversation last night r. Raymond has thus prostitated bia op- | portunities to plunder the State, not by reason of any ability or werit of his own, for he has none, but by means of a “printing ring,’ aw it ie called here, com- — posed partly of biicans and partly of democrats in the Legisiature, ail of whom bad shared bie profite, All this Governor Ames knew and now knows, Yet, ac- tively and persistentiy, he uses all bis influence in his favor, and thas keeps him in piace. | Governor Ames bas since bis mauguration caused the | weak and imbecile isiature at bis command to create, and has appro’ their creations, of numerous | offices for themseives, vo be filed by Executive appoint- ment These offices were in muny instances unknown to the constitution an unknown to the history of the State or to the history of any other Stave and wholly unnecessary to the pubtic ser- vice But after thy causing their creation and oflicially approving them be has appointed idle vaga- bouds belonging to lature to fll them, If you | will take the trouble mine section 38 of article 10 | of our State constitution, page 600 of the Revised Oode | of 1871, you will see how perfectly repagnant to our State constitabon ali this is, Governor Ames bas introduced the palpably ancot stitational and anti-republican system ol. appointing and removing the judiciary of the State The | constitution ines that the judiciary of t State, includ! the circuit judg and th supreme {tae be ap. | | pointed by the Governor, “by aad with the advice of | the Senate.” When the Governor was inaugurated the terms of all the chancellors were about to expire, and did expire within a few weeks, He refused, contrary to | the advice of all the intelligent republicans in the State, | to make aby nominations The Se was in season waiting for bis nominations for more than three weeks | | and adjourned and went away, Governor Ames then — appointed all his chancellors ad , and claimed | and exercised the right to remove them at pleasure or retain them in ollice, according to the extent of their absolute and alject obedience on the bench to his | sovereign will. Amovg other chancellors ad interim ‘were two sons of Chief Justice Peyton, of the Supreme | bench. One of these bad pending before him a gi question of constitutional law involving the validity of an immense franchise and the ‘oan’? (more properly the stealing) of @ large amount of trust fands donated | to the Stave by Congress, Ames took an excceding upaccountable interest in this case, and undertook to control the decision of the young Chancelior. Ali other means failifg, be sought to control him by a direct ap- | peai to his father, the Chief Justice, The Governor of | the State was refused, and the commission of the | young Chaneeilor aa interim was revoked. | Two other chancellors ad interim were “revoked"? out of office, One of them, Chancellor Drennon, Souder tug Gorersor bw retasiee be) '@ ong Morgan, | position to make bis burden easy. ments, one in reference to schools (Mr. Biaine's) and the other the one term of six years for the Presidency amendment It i# intended that after reasonable de- bate both shall be passed through the House at once. The currency question may also come up next week in Commitsee of the Whole PROBABLE PASSAGE OF THE CENTENNIAL AP- PROPRIATION—LIVELY DEBATB ANTICIPATED ON THE AMNESTY BILL—THE CLASS AFFECTED BY IT. ‘The Centennial Appropriation will come up ou Mon- day, and will undoubtedly pase, a8 there is but litte opposition to it The Amnesty bill will also probably come up on Monday and may cause a lively debate, as Mr. Blaine intends to adhere to his amendment ‘This differs from Mr. Randall’s bill im two respects § It requires those seeking amnesty to sabscribe before a proper court to an oath of fidelity, and it excudes Jef- ferson Davis entirely. As po amnesty bill can pass without a two-thirds vote of both houses, and as the democrats have not two-thirds of the House, they must accept Mr. Blaine’s substitute or take the responsibility of having the measure fail. The persons remaining who would benefit by the act are chiefly men who bad held high office under the government before the war or had served in the old army and navy. Most of them are men of prominence and they number tn all, 1t is said, about seven hundred. 1t is understood that the demo- crats are not disposed to quarrel with the administering of an oath proposed by Mr. Blaine and they may not even think it wise to make a fight for Jefferson Davis, which would pat them in a somewhat ridiculous | and injurious light before the country. PROGRESS OF THE INVESTIGATIONS, The mvestigations are going on and will be pushed cantously, bat with the determination to see what there is rotten. The Indian Committee was to-day specially instructed to go through the whole Indian question. Concerning the Whiskey Ring investigation will not be burried, as thero is no desire to embarrass the prosecution or interrupt the coming trials. But the committee will, at the proper time, have all the imformation they require before them which is necessary to enable them to frame proper legislation, Secretary Bristow is understood to have expressed his readiness to facilitate the labors of this committee at all times, GENERAL CONSERVATIVE TONE OF THE HOUSE. | In general the tone of the majority in the House ie cautious and conservative, The democrats anderstand that they cannot afford tw blunder, and that they must restrain the more impetuous of their side and mature all legislation on the committees. HEALTH OF SPEAKER KERR. Mr. Kerr is in better health, and the rumors about the election of @ Speaker pro tem. have consequently died away. They never bad much substance. Mr. Kerr takes good care of himself, and there is every dis- He bas evidently improved in ngth and looks the last week. FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT. —+—_—___ Wasmmorton, Jan. 6, 1876. THE QUESTION OF RESUMPTION IN THE SENATE — SHARP DISCUSSION ON A BILL INTRODUCED BY SENATOR MORKILL, OF VERMONT. The feature in the proceedings in the Senate to-day was the discussion of Mr. Morrill'’s (Vermont) dnance Dill, which was called up by that gentleman at a /ittie after one o'clock. His speech was in writing and the reading occupied an bour and a half Then Mr. Bogy, of Missouri, repeated what has ofen been heard beiore. He looked on Mr, Morrill’s bill as contraction in the highest degree, and he had & good deal to ray about hardpan, which brought a broad grin to the faces of those in the gallery, and the Websterian MeCrary seemed quite amused. Mr. Bogy wanted u diseurston postponed until February; but he continued speaking, and when he grew tired Mr. Thurman came to his rescue with long and frequent fights of oratory which reminded one of a Chicago editor WhO said, inteply to opponent, that he would disniss bim with alne and then he went on to write two colomosx = M» Thar- { Boab excused bimeals by saxipe Haas We did Bet wink ihe , all the spoils | before the | and yet, through tho | ris’ letter above, has been in Washington for some | time, with others of Ames’ followers, and they have | army and {ts wide reaching friends. 3 — | time of the Senate taken ap. He said that last yeas | months were lost in this fruitiess discussion on the | finance question. After be had finished his first series | of remarks Mr. Edmands, of Vermont, and Mr, Bogy had an animated contest over the condition of the finances of the country, Mr. Bogy declared that there sin | ey yn be i 4 invalid, There were | Was no Surplus of revenue on band, also that there ican pape the Stes and ¢ i existed, chietly by official waver etnente oad nattone | Bever would be a surplus, age. This law looked to the eubjugation ¢ these 10 “That,” retorted the Senator from Ver- the support of the Goveruor, under penalty of starva- | mont, ‘depends on the success. of the Heual patronage Simo bastard sees nes ef | government in collecting the tax on whiskey in the *, baving really no existence, Were at once issued by Kia, mond from | West” (Lavghter.) the Pilot office and sent to different counves fora | Mr. Bogy replied sharply that it was easy enongh if the republicans have honest men at the bead of tho government. (More laughter.) “If honest men,” continued the Vermont Senator, “are wanted, they will bave to be taken from our\ party,” (Renewed laughter.) Mr. Eaton’s remarks on the same question seemed to be the most sincere of the afternoon, He thought the. question too gréat to be used as the foot of either party, | Considerable bitterness was manifested by Mr. | Bayard, of Delaware, when he said that the Finance acl! | of last January was toreed om the democratic side of ther | Hous, regardiess of their protest for time to properly” consider it The Senate adjourned at dark, making it’ the longest day of the session. FAILURE OF AN E¥roRT TO MAKE THE HOUSB DECLARE AGAINST CONTRACTION. The currency question came up in the House also; and made quite @ sensation for a few minutes. 1b! made its advent in the shape of a resolution offered by | Mr, Rea, a democrat, of Missouri, declaring Uaat, ind the ‘opinion of the House, the contraction of the cur-/ rency in the manner and to the extent \t hae been coms! tracted bas been detrimental to the business of the, country, and, in the present Guancial cond.vion of the country, no fulher contraction of the currency ought to be made, All this was nuts for Mr. Kelley, of Penn. sylvania, who rushed to the vacant space in front. of the Speaker's platform ana took | his stand on the democratic half of the litle enclosure as if expecting the democracy would deolare for the resolution as if to sbow that, in so vital an issue, he was willing to desert bis own party. Much to his chagrin, however, the House, by the emphatic vote of 54 yeas to 122 nays, refused to ordet the previous ques‘ion, and the resolution was then referred to the Ways and Means Committee. It was 4 signal victory for the hard money men, and it is not asserting too much to say that no act of the demo- cratic majority thus far this session\bes been more ' successful in securing them approbation than this early | and prompt disavowal of any disposition to interfere with the work of bringing the country back to specie payment, THE DEMOCRATS WEARENING IN THE MATTER OF THE REDUCTION OF THE ARMY—AN AP- PRECIATION OF POPULAR SENTIMENT. ‘The proposition for a reduction of the regular army is not so popular as it was afew days ago, and the democrats are beginning to back water about i} It was significant to-day that Mr. Randall, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, bad a resolution re ferred to the Military Committee instructing the latter to ascertain to what extent the pay and allowances of the army could be reduced, thus giving time for a dj liberate consideration of the matter and allowing the democratic majority an opportunity to determime ; how far they may safely proceed = with the measure. Later on in the day, when tne Texas members were working so carnestly for the appointment of @ special committee, charged’ with power to investigate the froutier troubles and re- port a remedy therefor, they were twitted by the repab- licans with the question, “Would the reduction of the ermy belp them toa golution of their difficulties?” To this one of the Texas delegation responded, in » high key and in the most emphatic manner, that the bill for a reduction of the army would not get a single vote in Texas, The outside pressure is very great against the bill, and the democratic leaders are beginning to feur that the show they would make in the item of re- | trenchment by reducing the army would be more than obscured in the unpopularity they would incur with the Furthermore, ag indicated to-day, the Texan and other frontier delega- tions would probably “bolt” the bill if an attempt were made to put it through as party measure. IRREGULARITIES IN COTTON TRANSACTIONS COMING TO LIGHT—PROMINENT PARTIES IM- PLICATED. A starthng piece of raacality har come to light owing igations by the Treasury Department of ‘obvious “irregalarities” in cotton transactions, | Among these cases, as alleged, one arising out of ne- | otiations had by the firm of Parkman, Brooks & Co. with the government, will be given to the Grand Jury for the purpose of securing indictments against those of the parties to the transaction who are alleged to be guilty, Some of those implicated have heki prominent’ positions before the public, and the revelation of tho | fraad alleged to be involved in this particular caso will make @ sensation. The facts are as follows:— “A United States officer stationed at Mempbis, having government funds in his possession, loaned this firza $60,000, to be used in the purchase of cotton. When proceedings were subsequently instituted against tho firm for the recovery of the money it is charged that a late Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, acting in collusion with a member of the firm already well known for his connection with the seal lock business». contrived to hold off the case against the firm until they were able to pasa through the Treasury a claim against the goveromentfor an equal amount.’ This ir said tobe only one of a number of alleged similar frauds | which Secretary Bristow has caused to be fully investi- gated with a view to exposing and punishing all con cerned. FAVORABLE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE CENTENNIAL APPROPRIATION. The friends of the Centennial are delighted with the unanimons report of the committee favoring an appro- priation of $1,500,000 in ard of the celebration. This action was predicted in this column two weeks ago, THE KEYNOTE FOR GOVERNMENT RETRENCH~ MENT. Mr. Reagan, of Texas, has sounded the keynote for governmental retrenchment in proposing that the | United States eball not levy direct taxes, but immtead that the money needed to carry on the government from year to year shall be equitably apportioned to and be raised by the States of the Union. MRE. BLAINE'S EFVORT TO STRAIN THE QUALITY | OF MERCY. | Mr. Blaine got in another neat little thrust at the democrats by offering @ resolution taking out of tho hands of the committee the bill for = general amnesty of all rebel offenders, and proposing as a substitute a | bill extending pardon to everybody, saving and except- ing Jefferson Davis, who should take the oath of allegiance before » United States Judge The jokein Unis was that the original democratic bi!) did not ex- clude Jef. Davia, The poimt was raired that Mr. Cox | had the floor when Mr. Biaine rose, #0 that the latier ‘was granted leave simply to print the resolution and bubstitate, ANOTHER SHAKE ACROSS THE CHASM. The democrats again shook bands over the bloody chasm to-day and the repubiicans were about to trot out the wounded sold’ but the latter resolution was ruled out of order as being # repetition of the resolu- tion of yesterday. The republicans supported the democratic resolution, and both sides of the Houso shook hands by a unan/mous vote, GENERAL WASHINGTON DESPATCHES, eeprom Wasurnoton, Jan. 6, 1876, THE PRESIDENCY OF THE SENATE—REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PRIVILEGES AND ELEC+ ‘TIONS. The Senate Commitice on Privileges and Elections this morning agreed, by a vote of five agaist two, to report that it je within the constitutional power of the | Senate to elect a uew President pro tempore at the pres- | ent time if the majority of the Senators se desire, The committee make no recommendation, however, the advisability of exerei this power, The report is concurred in by Senators Morton, Wadleigh, Mitel ell, Cameron, of Wieconsin, and McMillan, all reput) . cans, Senators Cooper and Merrimon, democrats, « | fent from its conclusions, | DIPLOMATIC EXPENSYS—REDUCTION OF| 7? 4 DEPARTMENT ESTIMATES, The Sib-committes of the House Committee: on Appropriations this morning eubmiited their repo’ to the full Committee on the Cousular and Dip. ~ matic Appropriations bill. The estimates from the department cailed for $1,962,480. This ts reduced to $1,204,247 50, a Having of $87,197 50, Tt ie the im- | prexeton that there wis be bill lurker reductions made iy he Mouse