Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-15
POWER BEHIND THE
THRONE.
How Appointments to office were
Made in Ohio and Kentucky.

and before he had been deprived of
his official hold on the Treasury.
| As this story is true, and can be
| attested by any number of competent wit
nesses on either side of the Ohio, we pro-
| pose to tell it. Thomas had heard that
one Thomas H. Foulds, a citizen of Ken
| lucky, neighbor of the Grants, and
bankrupt business nun, had the promise
of the Cincinnati postOffice, and he con-
cluded he would go over the river and pay
his respects to the father of the President.
Cal. found the venerable Jesse in a
dingy room in the rear of the postOffice-
the place where postal blanks are signed
sc. r. g., p NJ sitting crouched
over a rickety old table, He took off his
hat and made very deferential bow, but
the father of the Grants did not recognize
him. He cleared his throat and in his
blandest tones addressed the ven
cradle figure in the chair, but without at
tracing the least notice. Jessie has
way of neither seeing nor hearing when
he does not want to. Thomas now be-
came faint-hearted, when, just as he was
about to flee from so much dignity, the
clerk of the postofice addressed his
chief:
Mr.. Grant, this is Mr.. Thomas, Post
master of Cincinnati.
Jesse-Ahi have cheer, havea cheer
| Glad to see yer. Yer well, amt yerf |
haint ben since / got atpesky fail at the
capitol. / was down t Washington at
the Inauguration of Lysses-Jennie mad
me-the General would have it so. Well,
what can do for yea
Calvin have called in, Mr.. Grant, to
talk with you about the Cincinnati post
office, having seen a notice in the papers
that the President proposed to turn me
out, and
Jesse-Oh, it amt anything agin you
personal. But you see Jennie is very in
innate with the FOulds, who are neigh
bOrs of Ourn, and she and the General
fixed up that little matter several months
ago.
Calyin-But, Mr. Grant, had the Office
only two years; did not seek the office,
| and our people are DESTROYS for me TO
keep it. l believe they have pretty gener-
ally given expression to the opinion that
there ought to be no changc-Republicans
and Democrats have Joined in statement
to that effect Don't you think the Presi
dent could be induced to reconsider the
matter
| ! e-WelL you see, you are one OF
| Johnson's men, and the General he fit in
/ a hundred wars in five year, and he's
bound that all the COpperheads-an of
them fellers who made trouble at home
while he was in front a fighting the enc
Il Ill Oh rr~ffh IOhnQnu
shall go out of Office, and their places be
filed with loyal men.
Calyin-But, Mr. Grant, I'm a Repub-
Iican, and was a Union man during the
war, and it seems that do not come IN
der either title of the condemned.
Jcssc-Oh, l assure you it amt any
thing again you personal; but you see,
Jennie and Lysscs fixed that up with
Mrs. FOulds some time ago, and the Gen
eral, he
| Calvin Gnterrupting) after all
this seems TO me merely a nelghbOrly ar
rangement, and the President is going to
vindicate the policy you have indicated
by turning me, consistent Republican,
out, and keeping in General HickenlOOper,
who Johnsonized and Joined the Pendle-
ton escort last year?
Jesse-But HickenlOOper fought with
the General, and he's sorry now that he
had anything to do with johnson or Sey.
mour. And, Mr. Thomas, l assure you,
it amt again you personal; only you see
Iysscs he fit in a hundred wars in five
year, and he's going TO clear out all thest
scoundrels who didn't stand by the gov
. crnment
By this time the Cincinnati pOstmaste
was convinced that he would make, moth
ing for himself out of the father of all th
Grants, and 50 he sought to do hndnes
for his friend Samuel NJ. Penn, specia
agent of the Postofice Department. Tn
conversation continued:
Calvin-I see a statement in the paper
i that Sam Penn has been displaced also
e Is that order going to be carried OUT
5 Jesse-Yes, l s'pOse so.
Calyin-that seems hard, as Penn wa
, an old neighbor of yours in Clermon
! county, and used to play with the Gener'
i when they were boys. | should think th
e General would have soft side for him.
i Jesse-Well, Penn was one of theI
i johnson fellows, and it is good enoug
u for him.
Calvin-Was not Penn one of the il
J vited guests at the Generals house durin
the Inauguration!
Jessie-Yes. Now that reminds me (
nv fall down those pesky steps, and no
- terrible cut up was over the a'pintmel
- in PENIS place. was Just on my WI
down to the Presidents to have
er man a'pinted when | got that Ug
c fall, and before l could get out aga
Sherman. who's always pOkin his no
into the offices, had Sam removed, and
friend of his'n put in. Fact is, I've be
real mad about that. was going to ha
drawing from his pocket an envelope,
which was printed, in plain type: 9
an not called for in ten days, return to Go
II. Grant, -, Ohio, } this m
Si- a'pinted.
Calyin-Ah, Mr.. Grant is that son
III yours or a nephew
wv Jesse-NO, but he makes out case,
my mind a very clear case, that he's j
I, about a fourth cousin of ours. COnfOu
M them pesky steps; if hadn't got that
ut he'd been 'pinted, and Sherman's ~
would ha' been out o jint-
ID, Thinking this good time TO make
TO escape, and being convinced that
no Grant family would be taken care OF,
lar decapitated postmaster of Cincinnati b.
en- Jesse good morning. His predictil
he came true, even so far as this fourth coui
= was concerned, for within fortnight
nd Washington dispatches announced, ann
lie the postmasters appointed for Ohio,
lch name of George r. Grant. y
EN- 0--..-