Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-08-16
GRANT.
He is interviewed by Standard in ReIa.
tiOn to the Visit TO Lookout Noun
tain-The Matter Laid be-
fore the Cabinet.
Three Of the KukIux Prisoners Directed
TO be Released-HOW the Matter
Stands with Eighteen Others.

HIdUuS WIN
General Conversation with the Inter.
Yiewers-Sumner, San Domingo,
Fred Douglas the Chief Topics.
WASHINGTON, August 15.-Sambard,
who is Chairman of the Chattanooga
Committee, extended, on behalf of the
municipal authorities and Board of
Trade of Chattanooga, to the Pres
ident and Cabinet an invitation to
visit Chattanooga and Lookout Noun
tain. The President informed him that
he had laid the invitation before the
several members of the Cabinet, and
would give definite answer after the
meeting tomorrow. During the fore
noon to-day the members of the Cabi-
net then in town, Belknap, Cress-
well and Williams, visited President
Grant on the same business. In
relation to kuklux convicts in Albany
Penitentiary, the report in the case
made by Colonel Whitley having been
read to the President, he directed par
dOns to be made out in behalf of those
especially recommended to Executive
clemency, namely: d. Collins, William
Teal, Amos Owen and William Scrugg,
who are reported to be old men, one or
two of them in poor health, and who
Joined the kuklux in ignorance of its
real object; some days will elapse before
they will be set at liberty, as it will first
be necessary to ascertain when and
where they We're convicted. Whenever
these cases should be disposed of, the
President will consider the suggestions
of Colonel Whitley relative to eighteen
others now in. the Albany PenitentiaTy.
Early in the afternoon the President
briefly and calmly engaged in converse
ton with several of his friends, chiefly
on political topics, from which it appears
he is satisfied with the situation as re-
CARDS himself When asked about the
alleged slight to Fred Douglass, he re-
piled that if Douglass did not complain
because he was not invited by him to
dinner, he did not see why Mr.. Sumner
should exhibit so much anxiety, if not
indignation, on the subject, the simple
fact being that the San Domingo Com
missioners, with their Secretary, having
called to submit their report, he invited
them to dine with him. Fred Douglass
not being with the Commissioners, he
did not at the time think of him or
others who had accompanied the eXpe-
dition; but if Messrs. Seigel and Doug
lass had been with the Commissioners,
they would have been included in the
invitation, which was formal and pri-
vate, having no official significance,
whatever. The President expressed his
surprise that so much should be said
about an immaterial matter, and one
that merely concerned his own house
hold.
The President remarked that no pub
lie business is neglected by his absence
from Washington, as he attends to it at
Long Branch. His coming back to
Washington to-day was not absolutely
necessary for that purpose. The con-
versatiOn turning on the remark of SUM
ner to the effect that Greeley is better
friend to the black man than President
Grant, the President replied he never
pretended TO be, as he had repeatedly
said, an original Abolitionist, but he
favored emancipation as war measure.
When this was secured he thought the
ballot should be conferred to make the
gift complete and place those who
had been liberated in full possess
sion of the right of freemen. On
LuG 5uDIEtL Vi 5idNtIY II MtIt wen
known, expressed in letters to WASH
burn and others and extensively pub
lished, and hence this was not now
matter of dispute. In the course of the
he said that while a Presi-
dent should be in accord with leading
principles of the party that elected him,
it was essential that he should enforce
laws which may be enacted, and admin
lister the government not in the interest
of a party, but in the interest of
the entire country. While he had no
unkind words to utter concerning Sena-
tor Sumner, he was perfectly willing to
place his acts against Senator Summers
words; and, III this connection, he said
that Sumner did not show himself such
a good friend to the black man as he
professed to be, when he was not willing
to have a civil rights bill stand on its
own merits, requiring only majority
vote, but insisting on bill Of his own as
an amendment to the amnesty bill
which could not be passed without a
majority of two-thirds. Carpenters civil
rights bill, however, was passed during the
absence of Senator Sumner, and as facts
show much to his surprise, the Presi-
dent also said that it VIII be seen by the
Congressional Globe that Senator Sum
ner did not vote at all ON the Joint reso-
luton recommending the ratification of
the fifteenth amendment to the cOnsti-
tuition. This amendment, since rati-
fed, provides the right of citizens of the
United States to vote, and no one shall
be denied or abridged by the United
States or any State on account of race,
color, or previous condition of seTvitude,
and Congress is invested with the pow
er to enfOre this article by appropriate
legislation.
Sumner the President said, lodged
vote on this Joint resolution.
A Cabinet meeting will be held to-
morrow, at which Belknap, Cresswell,
Williams and Delano will be present,
the last gentleman having returned from
Ohio to-day.
The President will leave tomorrow
for Long Branch.
When the Clark letter was published,
npOn the alleged authority of
General o. .. Howard, that the Presi
dent had ordered that the court-martial
be packed so asto insure the dismissal of
the cOlored cadet, the Secretary of
War at once telegraphed to General
in the following terms:
WAR DEPARTMENT, August lst, 1872.
General 0. o. Howard, Santa Fe, New Mexico:
.ar-In a letter from David Clarke
to Sayles J. Bowen, which was dated
July %, 1872, published in yesterdays |
New York Tribune, he states that in De- |
cember following Cadet Smiths trial,
YOU said to him as follows: In CONVEX |
5ation with the Secretary of War he
informed him that President Grant |
had. called upon him prior to the APP
pOintment of the court-martial, and |
said: l suppose, Mr.. Secretary, that |
you are about to appoint a court |
martial for the trinl of the colored Ca |
let Smith, at West Point. have re-
3eived two or three letters from my son |
Fred, who informs me that the cadet is /
very Objectionable there; that there are |
strong prejudices against him, and now |
as this trial is to come off, Mr.. Secreta-
", trust that you will so make up the |
court as to cause his removal. Did you |
make that statement? Answer by tele- |
graph. WIN. W. BELKNAP,
Secretary of War. /
Another telegram was sent forward |
.he third of August calling for an i'm I
mediate answer TO the above. General |
Howard stamps the statement as false
n the most explicit language. This is
his response:
CAMP AT CAVE SPRINGS, ARIZONA TER
August s, 1872. |
Hon. w. W. Bellnap, Secretary of War,
Washington. d. c.;
Your kilograms of August 1st and Sd |
IS this moment received Mr.. Clark is |
mistaken, for never had such t
a conversation with the Secretary of |
War, and could not have made so untrue |
a report. o. o. HOWARD,
Brigadier-General United States Army !
Denies the soft Impeachment.
CHICAGO, August l5.-L. w. Wal
lace, the reported defaulting and alb
sconding member Of the firm of II. M.
q i. Iii frsD L. l..k