American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-05-25
Col. Mosby and President Grant.
Interview Between the Famous Guerrilla
Chief aud the PreSident-Mutnai Con.
gra!uiat;OHS-Grant COquetiing with the
SOuth-MO sby's Opinion Of Horace Gree
ley. Grant, and Others.

special to the Boston Travele, ]
AIMING those who called at the
Whfr House yesterday, WAS Col.
john S. Mostly, the IAN. us eX-COn-
fcderate leader, who went for the
purpose of paying his respects It"
the President and talking of the
political situation. The Colonel was
accompanied by Senator Lewis, of
Virginia, who iIronght a,.ont rhe
interview. 1t appears that Mr.. Lew
is t"ld President Grant of the re.
marks made by Cot. M"Sby for the
Kindness shown Mrs. Mosby shortly
after the war, ard for hich the
Colonel expressed his gratitude.
Immediately after the Cincinnati
Convention, Colonel Mosby wrote. 20
| Mr.. Lewis that If President Grant
wished to make "a point with the
| Southern people. now was The imr
tod" it, ny pursuing IA liberal course
toward them. The vute of the North
beiug divided between Greeley and
Grant, and the Southern States
noiding the balance of power, thu.
people of the South would east it III
whichever one held gu the best III
docemrnfs by pmrsuinga liberal pol
lev in Southern affairs. When Col.
MoSby arrived here. MIR Lewis took
him to the White House, here an
Interview of two hours duration
en>ued. The President received
Col. MoShy politely, and in r.nluce'
him to Senator Am-S, of MiSSisSip
pi, and Col. John w. Fuiney, who
WAS present.
Col Forpey All, Col. Mosby, l
have heard of you before
Col. Mostly Yes, and of yon,
through your paper. l used to get
it nearly every day through the
lines, and have read in it pretty
sharp things of me-
Col. FOrney-s Had I known you
were such a good looking man L
would not have been so hard upon
YOU
The conversation then took gen
eral turn as to how Virginia and
the Southern States would 90 under
certain contingencies, and if Gree.
ley's nomination divides the South
ern vote with the President. Said
| MuSby:
And the South, holding the bal
ance of power, has it's choice be-
tween them. We shall go for the
one we think will be friend to us
the most. You, Mr.. President, can
afford to be generous to us. We
laid down our arms and surrender
ed to yOu.'
The President responded that he
was kindly disposed toward the.
South, and that if his administra-
Ii"n or acts appeared to be harsi
or unkind, that he intended that
they should only be just. He Was
the executive of the will of the p-O
pie. The President remarked hat
when he came in as Chief Expcn
tive he had great difficulty with
Andrew johnson, VIII was c0ntinu-
ally asking when the trials of Con
irderateS for treason would com
mence. l replied, said the General,
not until they viOlare their oath of
allegiance.
Col. Mostly related an amusing
incident Of how, after the war, his
boy Beverly, six years old, one
night came to his bedside and pray
ed hand to send old johnson to the
devil.
President Grant, A good many
" hu voted for johnson would like
to have joined BrverlH's prayer
Sc, rotary Fish then entered, and
Col MOsby remarked to Col. For
ney that the Republicans would
have to take a new departure to
ward the South. A vindictive pol
icy would destroy the amicable feel
Jugs there, and Col. Mosby believed
The Republican party would carry
out their policy toward the South
! il they We're sincere in burying the
tomahawk, The President Inquired
lot the Colonel " hat ne thought of
the Dolly Warden Convention at
CINCINNATI? and Col. Mosby replied
that he thought Philadelphia would
do much better. The election of
Greeley would be the opening of Il
pandora box of evils npnn the South
+rm people. Greeley would be sur
rounded with much worse influence
Shan any body else For his part
he preferred the RUE If the soldier
10 whom Gen. Lee surrendered his
sword, than that of Il fanatical phil
uSOI,h-r, like the ancient Horace.
As to how VIrgini, would go, he
said It depended on future event &.
Dan. Voorhees, says he does not think
Democrat Will be- put in the field
as IA candidate, bur he won't vote
for Horace. Ne ere he to do so, he
old Democrats in his dis. ricr would
hunt MIN out of The ground. Now,
in my district said Mosby, 'there
is Lewis Mckenzie, ex NJ. O., and
delegate To Philadelphia he comes
out for Greeley. He is a popular
negro, and may carry some of them
over /" Horace; bur / think ii >ili
I've IL good exchange for Horace t"
have the darkles, and you TO have
the white people.
President Grant remarked that
the issue between him and Mr..
Greeley was merely IA personal one
and Col MoSby said hat what made
the administration unpopular in the
South WAS the number OF carpet
bnggers there.
Col. Mostly did not think that the
Southern people would sacrifice
single principle by voting for Gran;
auai,iS. Gtrtler. The Colonel said
that he preferred military power t"
In /