Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-12-18

To the Editor Of then. Y TriSan'i

To the Editor Of them. Y. Tribunsi
SIR: Do YOU know that you have
naek Of idiots in the Tribune Bureau
bere2 | do. | can explain how and
why | know il. came TO the Bureau
This morning. as usual, putting myself to
trouble and expense TO 40 iavors ioT
people who have not asked them' ana
said: :,
"Gsn. Grant is speeches..
The head idiot said, Is this so 7"
replied, at is"
The first assistant idiot asked q simi-
lar question, and received an equally
similar answer Then the afflicted
meaning your Bureau people) tele-
sraphed il to you, and shortly afterward
sold il to the gentlemen of the Associated
Press at the usual rates, viz: two dough-
nuts a line-for ] never have seen any
circulating medium among the Washing
ton correspondents but doughnuts yet
Then went away. Now am accused
of saying General Grant was danger
ously i'll, and procuring II to be tele-
graphed all over the country. 1t is false.
/ simply said he was speeches.. / sim
ply meant he never made public speeches.
was greatly surprised when they tele-
grsphed it as matter Of news. l came
near Saying so-even at the time. 1
couldn't see any sense in making news OF
il, further than as means OK acquiring
doughnuts. All that put II into my head
in the first place was the fact that ! had
been up trying to get at General Grants
opinions and intentions concerning GER
tain matters, and had found him In
manner speechless. had said TO him
"Sir, what do you propose to do about
returning to specie basis 7" To which
he made no audible reply. Then | said /;
"Sir, do you mean to stop the whisky
frauds. or do you mean to conniye al
them 2" To which be replied as before.
now said:
"Do YOU intend to do strsightforwardly
and unostentatiously what every true,
hiph-minded Democrat has right to
expect you to do; or will you, with
accustomed obstinaoy, do otherwise, and
thus, by your own act. compel them 70
resort to assassination z 10 which he
replied:
"Let us have peace"
continued: "Sir, shall you insist
upon stopping bloodshed at the South,
in plain opposition to the Southern will,
or shall you generously permit brave
hut unfortunate people TO worship God
according to the dictates of their own
copsciencss 2" No reply.
"Sir, do you comprehend that you are
not the President of party f-that you
were not elected by your own strength,
but by the weakness of the opposition 7
That, consequently, the Democrats claim
you, and justly and righteously expect
You to administer the Government from
a Democratic point of viewT Riotous
silence.
"Sir. who is to report the customary,
necessary, coherent and instructive 10.
t.rviews with the President - Mack of
the Louire~, j. B. S. of the World, or
myself for the Iribune?" :,
Gen. Grant said: Let US have peace. "
resumed: "Sir, do you propose TO
exterminate the Indians suddenly with
SOAP and education, or doom them to the
eternal annoyance of warfare, relieved
only by periodical pleasantries of glass
beads and perishable treaties2" No re-
spouse. -
"Sir, az each section Of the Pacific
railroad is finished are you going to make
the companies spike down their rails be-
fore you pay2 Which is to say, are you
going to be deliberate tyrantY A ST.
ience indistinguishable from the pre-
ceding, was the only response.
"Sir. have you got your Cabinet gil
set? What are you going to do with
those Blairs?"
"Let us have peace
"Sir, do you comprehend who 1t Is
that is eonversing with your"
"Pescel"
"Sir, am / to have Nasbys postofGce,
or"
"Go to the-misciefl l have thou
sand Of your kind around me every day.
Questions, questions, questions, fellow
Fitch, and inquire after the Erie rolling
mill-you'l have steady employment. |
can't stand it, and | won't stand i'll
will have peacel
If man isn't about speeches. who
never says anything but " Let Us have
peace" pray what is be. And yet those
Bureau people abuse me for reporting 1t.
never will do kind act again.
MARX TWAIN.
Washington, December 7, 1868.
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