Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-12-09

skirts about her, waded through the mud
to niger Bailey's church in Fort Pick
ering and there delivered 'eulogy on
Beocher, to a couple of hundred gaping
children Of the Bureau. He pronounced
little Beecher eminent for honesty and
integrity, conceded that he was void Of
ability, but had good legs; besides, a
"Cicero" wasn't needed for Mayor Of
Memphis AS the old lady warmed up
with the subject she sailed into Shaw
like a Corsair. Shaw had eminent
abilities, but was understood as having
once written an article intimating that
probably General Forrest was not as
blameable in the Fort Pillow affair as
many supposed, and il not, he should
have a chance to show it. Was it not
evidence of disloyalty to give Forrest a
chance to disprove the charges, and
shouldn't Shaw be perpetually ostracised
from the charming society Of such shin
ing illustrations of purity as Beecber,
Blewis, Ham Carter, her dear self, and
prominent official who for his debts is
said to give bogus checks on banks where
he keeps no ACCOUNT Qfcourse, Lgreat
applause from the doggery loafers and
keno scalawags who followed that elderly
female to Rev. Bailey's ] Grandmother
descending from the stand, Frank Har
ris, the African Demosthenes, who
is a Shawite, tried 10 turn the tide,
but was ruled out with curses snd yells;
aud the old lady stampeded, followed by
her admirers, Frank, meanwhile, yell
ing: run, you cowardly pups; run,
you defaulting postmaster; run, you hos.
pital thief; run, you judge lhat didn't
want to vote 'longside of great, greasy,
black, buck nigger" The delicate alln-
sions to defaultiDg postmaster and
hospital thief" are supposed to be lev
eled at fellow named Boecher. In one
of the pow-wows Blewis worked on the
sympathies of his black auditors by
touchingly abiding to the eminent SER
vices of the Beecher family in behalf of
Abolitionism. Blewis cited Henry Ward
Beecher and Harriet Beeeher Stowe.
And, my dear colored friends" con-
tinued Blewis, 1--WE also have one of the
Beechers in Memphis. l do not know
that he is brother of Henry Ward
Beecher. He may have been only a
cousin but he is one Of the Beechers,
anyhow, and loves the colored man."
[" Hoora for Beecher.
Grandmother Hunter is Judge of the
Criminal Court, and of course would not
indorse little Beecher as eminent for
honesty and integrity " unless cogni-
zant of the facts. That little Beeoher is
eminent that way, Grandmother Hunters
docket, which contains couple of
criminal indictments against him-one
for alleged forgetfulness relative to the
proprietorship of certain property-is
the best evidence. OF course this
amounts to nothing; the property wasn't
worth much, you know.
Wherever little Beecher-now nominee
of party for Mayor of city of 10000
inhabitants, and whose honesty and
integrity" are vouched for by two such
worthy officials as Grandmother Hunter,
of the Criminal Court, and Blewis, chief
Of the County Commissioners-has re-
sided, he has won the affection of Grim.
nal Courts and the gentle regard of
Sheriffs and United States Marshals.
His eminent honesty and integrity "
have always pointed him out as worthy
of their most tender consideration. FIRE.
quently has he found it difficult to re-
strain their affectionate demonstrations.
SO enamoured of this incorruptible gem
tleman have Sheriffs been at times as to
insist on entertaining him at the palatial
edifces over which they presided.
An inquisitive chap, who is doubtless
an enemy of the best Government the
world ever saw, and has not been ed
ucated up" to proper appreciation of
Grandmother Hunters model of "hon-
esty and integrity" thus condenses a
few of the reasons which may have
led Blewis and that lovely female
to support the versatile Beecher,
pack the Whatis.It" and secure his
nomination. Says the inquisitive chap
of little Beecher: he was twice indicted
in 0narga, Illinois, for larceny-once for
stealing a vest; once for stealing saw
logs, or raft timber He has several
times been indicted in the Criminal Court
of Memphis for larcenies and an indict-
ment is now pending against him in that
court for embezzling property of Shelby
county provisions, etc. from the county
hospital, of which he was surgeon. He |
was postmaster at Onarga, Illinois, in
1861, and was a defaulter to the Govern
ment for large sum of money received
in ,his official capacity and the Govern
ment recovered a judgment against him
in the United States Circuit Court for
Northern Illinois for the sum of six
hundred and fifteen dollars and
one cent, which he had received
as postmaster for postage stamps and