Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-07-23
GRAFT BROWN INTERVIEWED.
Grants Administration and Its Deiu-
RfOns.
From the New York Herald, July 10.

Grants Administration anu Ats DolI
siOns-
From the New Yor TX Herald, July 19
Calling at the residence of DR.. Theopl
ilu, Steele, No. 80 Great Jones street, Ia.
evening, the Doctor was ascertained to b
absent, aud the boy in waiting at ono
showed the Herald reporter the parlor, il
which B. GratZ Brown was then sittin
alone. It was an opportunity for an intei
view not 10 be allowed to escape, and tt
Herald reporter, with Characteristic enter
prise, availed himself of the opportunity.
REPoRTER-Well,G Governor, Pm glad
see you so fully recovered from your lat
attack of sickness. Do you feel like goin
TO work again? gJ
Gov. BrOwn-Not quite yet. This ha
dsarranged very much m plans, and il wi
require a week or two to get back my fu
strength. In the presen &c of so many NOR
able speakers 1 really do not see any specia
reason for my taking the field Immediately
Reporter-Have you any objection to tel
the Herald frankly what you think of the
chances of success?
Gov. Brown-None in the world, al
though 50 astute forecaster OF public opin
ion as the Herald is well known to be,
should rather tell me. aE
Reporter-How many States do yol
think, Governor, you Will carry?
Gov. Brown-Frankly, see no reason
why Gen. Grant should carry more than
three States, if the canvass is managed with
anv skill aud vigor. ] said just what
thought at New Haven, as l always do In
speaking. a ems
RepoTter-Then You must expect, Gov.
ernor, to carry ali the Southern States?
Gov. Brown-Ce Certainly, all, unless South
Carolina be an exception. That could be
carried with thirty days vigorous work by
twenty selected men.
Reporter-But, Governor, you forget that
the administration claims that they will get
a solid negro vote all through the Southern
States; and, if that be so, you can hardly
have the success you anticipatH-asi in Mis-
sissippi and Louisiana, for instance.
Gov. Brownies, | know the admins
tration claims the colored men OF the South
as its slaves; but its calculations have no
substantial basis. II was under one great
delusion When it held in contempt the Gin
cinnati movement and declared that no re-
spectacle body of prominent Republicans
could be assembled there. That delusion
was swept away when it saw the magnii-
cent array of men OF talent and high char
acter aud long Republican service ever as
sembled in the nation meet t. make nomi-
nations hostile to itself. Itwas
UNDER ANoTHEB GREAT DELUsIoN
when it declared that no convention of the
Democracy of the nation could ever he
convened that would ratify the nomination
of Greeley and Brown. That delusion it
saw dissipated at Baltimore in one of those
grand patriotic decisions that come upon
our pol ties once in century, and that re-
suited in a nomination Of candidates from
an opposite party with more of unanimity
than had ever been given 10 successful as
piraDts from its own ranks. The admins
tration is destined to have another delusl0n
obliterated snd overthrown, liz seeing its be-
lief that the colored vote given solid to
Gen. Grant scattered in the November
blast. That vote will divide. Gen. Grant
may get large share of it if the stampede
does not become too general before the
election; but he will never get enough TO
materially affect the election in the South
ern States.
Reporter-WeIl, Governor, 1 must say
that you seem very sanguine; but can you
give any reasons for the opinion you enter
tain?
Gov. Brown-Ot course; my opinion is
founded on what seem to me good and suf-
ficient reasons, and it would seem TO me that
that they would suggest themselves TO ev cry
one. In the first place, the carpet-blggers
have squeezed the public treasury Of the
South dry and have nothing more to give,
but they have made large promises, and
there is a large number who have been
hanging on this promised bounty who can
be no longer held without settlement.
They have been promised offices, too, and
have not received them. They have been
enc u aeed to hope for new leases Of power
and yet see themselves in imminent danger
of being charged with the
CRIMES OF THE CARPET-BAGGERS
and brought to account. This is already
producing disruption in their leagues and
secret orders. You see new ones springing
up in the various States, all with no osten-
sible unity, bat a real dissent that only
needs opportunity to become opposition.
This will tell heavily in the election. Again
there is, ever and always, antagonism be-
tween the cOlored men living in the towns
and those living in the country. The form
er combine and try and rule the latter. 1t
succeeds for few years aud then the COM
bination breaks. The breaking time has
come, and you will find all over the South
as much antipa hg against the etowD s0cie-
ties" as they are called by the country
blacks, as against court ho sc rings in the
Northera States. With the colored popula-
ton Of the interior, too, the landed or pro-
prieor class has much influence, and in
question between supporting Gen. Grant,
who tried to make the war one
SUSTAINING SLAVERY,
who declared in Missouri that if the war
meant abolition then he would strip of his
epaulets, aud Mr.. Greeley, who has done
more practical work TO achieve emancipa-
tom than all the theoretical humanitarians
in the country, the white planters will have
little difficulty in showing the colored voters
where their true interest lies. They can
and they will influence fully one-third OF
the whole cOlored vote, so far as ligitimats
argument and assurance has any right to
influence votes. -Er H.H E-E
Reporer-IIave you any knowledge that
these various causes you enumerate are in
operation now
Gov. Brownies, certainly. In my
own State they have been in operation for
two years; in Arkansas they will give us
more tllsn half the colored vote. In other
States very extensive correspondence as
sures me that the SAME thing is taking place
TO a greater or less extent, and it must be
so in the very nature of things. Il is idle
to suppose that mere political breeze is
going t.. over urn human nature and sub
stautial interests.
Well, Governor, what have
you TO say in regard to the more intelligent
class aud the multitudes who are led by
item?
Gov. Brown-FirSt, that do not believe
that any multitude are thus led; secondly,
that few sharpers may have ring of fol-
lovers, who may be led here and there,
that will signify nothing in the aggregate,
aud lastly, that the colored people, like eve
~ other people on the face of the earth,
are instinctiVely aware ofthat which prom
ises an assured maintenance of their liber-
lies. Tais is The Que subject upon which