Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-06
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
Grant Has a Taih with n Carpet bag
EeT-HIs Opinion of Men and Thin IS
Current Events.


Current Events.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. %, 1869.
Politics at the Capital are quies
cent-things are calm. Why's a
placid sea like a prominent billiard
list? Because its Carmc. l won't
give you the cue to this joke-suf-
fee, it's a conundrum. I'm a bill
liardist. play when national mat
tiers are suffering-to relieve my
mind. l play all the time. I'm
good on a run-did it at :" Bull
Rum was there--bcat the Bull
% wanted to go home Never lie
round a billiard table but l think of
my early home-the Green Noun
tains of Vermont; used to lie
around there-have lied more since
| came here. l take it easy-Tm a
liar. / can "pocket balls too
or anything else. I'm a Radical
like Butler. He taught me the game
l can't give him points, but some
times get him on string" al
ways let him lead. But to my sub
ject. / have depressed. / always
do when l get talking on this =" fas-
cinating game Don't make game
of me.
AS I've said, we have done no
work. Talked some about "Telc1
graph" As usual have not decided
anything. The government may
take charge of the lines, or it may
not. We shall charge enough any
way. The question is: will it pay
us. If so, we shall fetch our
"batteries to bear, elbow up
private companies quicker than
lightning, and take possession in
the name Of the people. Don't fear
we shall pull the right wires.
People is a comprehensive word,
and is popular. 1t means much OF
little as we choose. We are sup
posed to legislate for the people
and the public good. When we go
against the Constitution we quit the
people by saying it's for the pub
lie good. Public good now stands
for military necessity" That was
our dodge during thewar. what
in a name 2" We carry our ends.
You may think it strange we don't
do something for the country, and
restore Virginia, Mississippi and
Texas to the Union. Well, the fact
is Reconstruction" thus far has
not been 4 success. ''IfI say it who
ought not to say it." They (thC
people South) won't be Recon.
structed. They want the cold
Union" They don't see our mag
nanimity!! How strange! My
State, South Carolina, is all right
1t can't help itself-but Georaia j:
all wrong. Ourplans are good, bu'
the result don't suit US. It's !
failure-we were obliged to suspend
to "take account of stock" Wher
we are satisfied that a dividend Cal
be paid in the shape of a clean Radi
cal majority, we shall again Com
mence business-not before.
] called on Ulysses the other da,
to talk over the Cabinet and othe
appointments. ! opened on husi
| ness right of. SaysI, Gas a promi
nent member Of the Freedman
bureau one Of the peculiar institu
tons of the Sunny South and
Senator of South Carolina, via Yer
mont, both of which States, one be
cause it had all niggers and th
other because it had none) have con
tributed materially to the resu
which has made you the winnin
horse III the race, / desire som
tritling recognition of the service
rendered"
Says he, "Drive On!
Says L, South Carolina is 4 rel
7 able State. Its voting population
5 composed principally of Negroes
/ they are friends and brothers. No
p if you can so arrange it as to civ
; us three members of the Cabinet
+ about six Foreign Missions, inclu,
ing England and France; tw
f Judges of the Supreme Court, in Il
c place of Nelson and Grier, about
Z be retired; and make me CollectC
l. ofNew York, l shall be satisfied
J. Says he: Small, you ask almo
{ as much as Massachusetts,"
$ We'll, says /, didn't my Sta
Ii first fire on Sumter here l col
Is plimented the chiyalry a little.
d don't belong to it. ] amt chiv:
;c rous-not bit (Which was {
lie primary cause of placing you in T
e position you occupy? Don't y,
d. think you owe us something ? y
II should be just"
lr Says he ooh! just So"
e Says l: Let me suggest furtl
in that Fred Douglas he Secretary
War. In any event he'll stand
te his colors-they're warranted neN
an TO run-he don't show dirt. SO c
ne do dirty work, besides the color
n troops fought nobly." This ki
n of staggered him-he recover
ne himsclf-hc's staggered before.
an continued Downing, of r.