Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-07-20

They send men 10 Congress not because
they may be qualified, but because through
relationship they may be able to influence
Grant. rtf- ET "a
SOME UGAY FACTS ABOUT GRANT.
The first message which Grant sent to
Congress was brief one asking that body
to repeal The eighth section of law en-
acted in 1889, which stood in the way OF
his rewarding one of 'the generous contrib
utors" to fund of $685. which was
presented to him only about two weeks
previous to his Inauguration. He had ap,
pointed A. I. Stewart, the merchant prince
of New York, Secretary Of the Treasury
and the appointment had been confirmed by
a unanimous vote of the Senate. It was
then discovered that the law Of Sept.
2,J7S9, prevented Mr.. Stewart from ae-
cepting the position on account of bis being
largely engaged in the importing business.
On the 9th of March, 1869, two days after
his Inauguration, Grant sent message
to the Senate asking that Mr.. Stewart
"be exempted by joint resolution
of the two houses of Congress from the
operations of this act. Forthwith, Sena-
tor Sherman sprang to his feet with bill,
cut and dried for the purpose. The no less
obsequioas President asked ais there
any objection to considering this bill, at this
time?" Then Mr.. Sumner had the credit
of answering:
81 object, sir; l think that it ought to lie
most profoundly considered before it
passes"
But for the decided stand taken by Mr..
Sumner on this occasion the flood gates
would have been opened at the beginning
of the Grant administration. Grant had
barely got into Office when he gave an exhi-
bition of what has been a characteristic
feature Of his administration, that the laws
must yield to his wbims. Where a law
stood in the way of his accomplishing an
object, it must be repealed or rendered in
operative for the time. His course toward
the white people of South Carolina furnish
es another conspicuous instance in proof of
this point.
But Mr.. Stewart was not the only one
connected with this gift of 100000. Three
months after his Inauguration the gif-taker
appointed Gen. Daniel Butterfeld, an army
officer, sub-Treasuer at New York. What
excuse, what decent pretext was there for
appointing to this civil Office man who was
holding commission and drawing pay as an
officer of the United States army? Was it
his personal character ? That was bad
but just then did fit him for the place, for
it was the time when the great Gold Con-
S tracy was ripe for action, in which Jay
Gould, James Fisk, Corbin "a brother
in-law of Grant,) and Butterfeld
were arrayed in desperate struggle
against the whole commercial world,
the business men of New
York being the immediate sufferers. How
could these few SPECTATORS maintain the
struggle for more than month? They had
the President of the United States with
theml They sent for him and he Joined
them. They dined and Wined him, and at
their dictation be wrote or signed the fol,
lowing order to the Secretary of the Treas
ury TO sell no gold till the crew Of specula-
tors, with whom he was allied, should end
their desperate struggle:7
New York City, Sept. y, 1869, Hon.
George S. Boutwell,, Secretary of the Treas
ury-Dear Sir: L leave here for Western
Pennsylvania, to morrow morning, anc will
not reach Washington before the middle or
last Of next week. Had l known before
making my arrangements for starting that
you would be in this city early this week,
would have remained to meet you. am
satisfied that on your arrival you viii be
met by the bulls and bears OF Wall street,
ara probably by merchants, too, to induce
you TO sell gold or pay the November inter-
est in advance on the one side, and hold
fast on the other. 70 % 90 s-'
The fact is that a desperate struggle is
now taking place, and each party want the
government to help them out. / write this
letter TO advise you of what think you
may expect, TO put you on your guard. l
think, from the lights before me, would
move on without change till the present
bNluS-iO 10 OfOAs II SOO WehhO W NAAOO AuS
this week, my address will be Washington,
Pa. l would like to hear your experience
with the factions at all events, if they give
you time to write. No doubt you viii have
a better chance to Judge than l, for L have
avoided general discussion on the subject.
Yours truly, U. 5. GRANT.
This says the Philadelphia Age, was the
18th of September, and with the help of
Sub Treasurer Butterfeld and President
Grant, they kept it up until Friday, the
18th day of September, when before the
united voice of the press and the people,
even the military President quailed, and al
lowed the Secretary to sell gold. This Is
the undeniable record Of the black transac-
ticn; that no effort of partisans could en-
tirely shroud. Such is the President that