Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-19
rmE AocUsATloS-THE Comics.

in this country has shown such greediness
in the acquisition of money, and such par
siInony in the disposal of it, as Gen. Grant.
He went into the Presidential office compar-
atively poor man, and he is now said to
be very wealthy. How he has accumulat-
ed this wealth seems to be pretty generally
understood. He has been the recipient OF
money and other presents Of costly nature
aud in addition, it is charged that he has
been CONCERNED in cold scerners'' and other
speculatious out of which money was to be
made. Inth way, with what he was able /
to save from his salary, he has accumulated |
a handsome fortune. In his speech before
the recent Democratic State Convention at
Rochester, New y ork, Mr.. SaInuelJ. Tilden
made the following very grave accusations
against Grant:
ssEvery Democratic National Convention !
would by common consent have rejected
! from its nomination man who had filed |
the public offices with his relatives, or who
| had been enriched by costly presents while
exercising the immense power of the PresT-
dency to promote mems interests or crafty
mems ambition. Even inthe corrupt times
of James the First, the greatest intellect,
perhaps, which has appeared among men
(Bacon) was impeaelled by our ancestors,
because as Lord High Chancellor Of Eng
laid, he had received presents ffom stntors
in causes depending before him. His de-
fence was that he had decided those causes
against the parties who had made the
presents. Grant has decided the causes
of those who were candidates Tor
the great civil trusts of the country III
favor of those who made him presents. JET
ferson left among the noble traditions OF his
precepts and examples the maxims that he
would not appoint relatives to office, what
ever their fitness; and that while in ofilcial
life he would do nothing to increase his
fortune. He would keep himself not only
pure, but he-would hold high the standard
of public morality. l do not wish to speak
harshly of the illustrious soldier who fills
the Presidential chair. He may not have
been conscious of the evil in the fatal eX-
ample which he has set. But when the two
ideas of personal gain and the bestowai OF
Office are allowed to be in one mind at the
same time they will become associated, and
il is but step TO the sale OF the greatest
) trusts"
, To this clear statement Senator COnkling,
in his speech at Albany, New York, on the
nth inst, responded as follows:
.sMr. Tilden alludes to President Grant as
one swho has been enriched by costly pres
| ents while exercising the immense power of
2 the Presidency This is an unqualified as
a seItion. made as if upon absolute knowl-
, edge, and yet, speaking upon all the intor-
= nation | have, believe it utterly unbound
I ed. The allegation is, that since his cleo
b. ton to the Presidency Gen. Grant has been
e the recipient of costly gifts. Returning
;, from the war victorious General, and
" holding no civil office whatever, he did re-
: ceive gifts showered upon him by a
: grateful people, but he received them
Il as the hero of many battles, and be-
fore he was even nominated for the
/ Presidency. His case was not solitary.
I Gen. Sherman also received munificent tes-
II timonials: SO did other Generals. Gen
g Mcclellan ran for the Presidency four years
, before Gen. Grant ran; he too was enriched
by costly PRESENTS given, doubtless, in con
e sideration of his military services, and his
&c political opponents never cast foul aspersion>
~ on him for it. Wellington, after Waterloo
: received presents amounting TO more thai
u two million dollars. Whether heroes, ii
J. former or in recent times, have done well o.
i'll in accepting tributes from their country
men, is not, however, the point here; be thai
/. one way or the other, the right or wrong 1
the same i'm all cases alike, and since Gen
If Grants accession to the Presidency, as ia
: as | can learn, he has never accepted cost
III " present from any one"
Is In reference to Conklings statement tina
II as far as he could learn, Grant "haS neve
> accepted costly present from any one,
p the New York Sun (RadicaD asks: 8 Ha
% Mr. Conkling never learned anything abou
II a cottage by the seaside, at Long Branch
u presented to President Grant at conSidera
~ BILE expense TO some party or parties? Wa
y not that rather costly present.? The cot
u tage to which the Sun refers cost $jO,Ool
III and was presented TO Gen. Grant by Nj
u Thomas Murphy, the present Collector Q
d' the Port of New York, and two other gel
al tlemen. Besides this Mr.. Murphy presente
IT, a $4,000 cottage to Gen. Horace Porte
u who is Grants confidential private secrets
gu nv. After these presents were made, Mul
ply was appointed to the office he no
y holds, said to be the most lucratiJ
Id in the gift of the President. Bu
"a the SIN does not stop hel
81 with its damaging revelations. 1t say
us ''While Mr. Conkling is studying into tn
iie subject, he might also investigate Presidel
Ms Grants transactions concerning the hou:
10 now occupied by Gen. Sherman in VAS
ington. When he was elected to the Pres
ln dency that house belonged to Gen. Gran
Vo He offered it for sale, and sold it for $40,O
'eS to Mayor Bowen of Washington, who pa
Hu him s., 900 down and took his contract
To convey the property by deed. After til
80 was done, Gen. Grant wrote letter to
d. rich citizen of New York, saying that &c
au- Sherman was too poor to keep such q
-ie establishment in Washington as the Gener
do of.he Army ought to have, and that it won
INA be a very good thing if the wealthy men {
Is, the country would give him (Sherman) SUI
'eu donation as would enable him to live
I'VE handsome style. On the receipt Of this L
ION ter a meeting of rich men was held in Ne
liu York, the Presidents letter read, sgI
SCGlpJlOD SJdlbcti, anu luoiiCN ldloCu' IL
oH fund, finally amounting to about $4,000
us was taken to Washington by Mr.. Stewal
III Gen. Grant managed 10 so Htat ont Of III
'1- money thus collected al has on
III solicitation, S65,OOO tccm into
eeu orn pocket 10 pay for the hon
'ai- he had just before sold to Mr.. Bor
'n0 for $4,000; and thereupon Mr.. a.
'oA Stewart, who had brought on the mon
."' and paid over to Grant the part of it viii
y, uu he chose to take for himself, was appoint
nv by Grant 10 the office Of Secretary Of I
" Treasury. Poor Bowen, thus deprived
81 the property he had bought, at first tire;
VI ened to sue for it; but he was persuaded
olii- give up his contract on the repayment of
lie'' money, with the promise that the Preside
ives vroul1 make IL all RIGHT with him i'm diStr