The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1870-10-07

satiIe Author of the VFOOdbine A AIIu-
sion. WllO Paid Gr9nt's SubscrfP-
tiOmS.
[Cincinnati Commercial New York Special
James Fisk has written the follow
ing letter to the Sun:
To the Editor ofthe Sun
DEAR SIR: [ notice in your
issue of this morning an article headed
General Grant Euchered, which reads
as follows: THE President went to
Long Branch on the steamer Plymouth
Rock, on Tuesday last, and on going
off the boat, exhibited pass on the
New Jersey Southern railroad; but, as
Admiral Fisk had given orders not to
pass any of General Grants family oil
any boats of the Narragansett Steam
ship Company, his railroad pass was
repudiated, and the Presidents fare
was demanded, Notwithstanding his
right bower, Colonel Tom Murphy,
tried to,push him through. John HOey
of the Adams Express, hastened to
Grants rescue, got him ticket and he
passed alOng.i
This order, now going the rounds
OF the papers, is so different from the
real orders issued to the commanders
ofsteamers owned by the NarTagansett
Steamship Company, that [ am COM
PEELED, in justice, not only to the corpO-
ration represent, but also to the indi-
vidual against whom the garbled order
appears to be specially aimed, occupy
ing the exalted position of Chief Mag
istrate of this country, to lay before the
public the genuine order, and to give,
at the same time, my reason for its IS
sue. That there was any Intention on
the part of the subscriber to this letter
that the President of the United States
or any of his family or staff, while trav-
ing on the steamers of the Narragansett
Steamship Line, should not be treated
with greatest courtesy as ladies and
gentlemen, is entirely erroneous. The
simple truth, and the whole truth, Is
that an order was issued to allow them
the privilege of paying for such accom-
modations as they might call for, and
this is the beginning and ending of the
order. l issued an entirely different
one, you will observe, from that copied
into your journal from the Boston Tran
script. My reason for taking this
course, viewing the matter in a COM
mon sense light, was that was weary
of furnishing free transportation to the
President and his many relations over
sea and land, as l did to a great extent
last summer, particularly as 1 had not
the satisfaction of knowing that the ci-
Whites extended were appreciated,
never having been thanked for the eff
fort had made in the matter. On re-
viewing the transactions of the past
year [ found that had not only furn-
ished large amount of free tFanspOrta-
ton, but that I had been allowed the
great privilege of subscribing to MIR.
Grants charities. In the final settle
ment of the gold speculations of the
fall of 1869, in which I supposed and
still believe the President was a part
ner with US, find the following item
charged to my account:
"'One half of Grants subscription to
the Rawlins fund, five hundred dollars
"The circumstances are simply these:
A subscription was started for the wild
OW Of the late lamented RaWlins. The
President placed his name at the head
of the list for one thousand dollars. Mr..
Gould followed for similar amount,
and their signatures were followed by
others for various sums. Mr.. Gould,
having himself paid the amount set
opposite his name, was called upon by
an agent of the President to advance
the money for his, the Presidents sub
scrip'ion, and this he did, taking 1t for
granted that this disbursement was part
and parcel of moneys passing through
L
course, charged my proportion, but l
should never have found fault with this
nor would I have even mentioned it,
were it not the manner which the Pre-
sident gossipped about me in the fall of
1869. Why he did so after what had
done for him is only known to Him
who makes the apples round. Taking
all the circumstances Of the case into
consideration, and feeling not like Mic
aWber, waiting for something to turn
up, but, to a certain extent, broken in
spirit, not being even thanked for what
l had done, determined, after quietly
communing with my own heart, to re-
store my peace of mind by henceforth
treating the President of the United
States, and all connected with him, as
becomes the high position he occupies
at the head Of this great nation, ignOr-
ing his treatment of me, and never, for
one moment, assuming that deserved
any thanks from him or bear the slight
est resemblance to gentleman.
g 'The result of this determination was
the issue of an order that whenever the
President, or any of his family or staff,
travelled on any of the steamers of the
Narragansett line, they should be treat
ed with the greatest respect, but not
upon any other footing than that of
ladies and gentlemen. That the arti-
cles reported in your paper as having
been sent to the Boston Transcript
were published either to belittle me or
to make political capital, there can be
no doubt, and for some few days there
have been whisperings that it emanat-
ed from one upon whom the President
has recently bestowed the most lucra-
tive office in his gift, in spite of the no
torious fact that this lucky individual
has steadily voted the Democratic tick
ct for the last twenty years.
Mr.. Editor, l beg of you, in justice
to myself, to make this letter public.
Give me the advantage of having one
side of the story read. I trust that
some will believe, if not many, that
now, in my waning years, the best part
of my life having been given to the
service of the public, am determined,
no matter what treatment 1 may re-
ceive personally, I shall never forget
the duty owe to the public, the cor
pOratiOn whose interest / represent,
and to myself, and shall take care
that, no matter who may be travelling
under our charge, they shall, one and
all, be treated with the utmost courtesy
and consideration.
"The Republican press endeavOrs to
make party capital out of this, instead
of placing my order before the public
ss it was actually issued; an order l
will say, in conclusion, which was
simply intended to impress upon the
officers and men under my charge that
they, as well as myself, are but the ser
wants of the public.
"Yours, respectfully,
JAMES FISK, JR."
Colonel Fish showed a reporter a
check paid to Butterfield for Grants
subscription. The reporter said: " Col
onel, this check is dated September IL,
1869. That was before the great gold
earthquake, when you and Gould and
Grant and COrbin were all good friends,
wasn't it?"
" Yes, we were all ON terms of the
warmest affection in those days"
&C Rr1fforfinld Uas in the family circle