Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-08-29
NEW sERIEs---NO. l,278.


dinary project of selling t.ie property to ar.
other, go as to realize the sum Of $25, COX
out of the generous impulses of the donors
1 Here is the letter:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE UNI
TED STATES.
| WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 8, 1859. }
s. j. BOWEN Dear Sir: Your note o.
| yesterday was received, and called thi
| morning to see you in regard to the con
tents Of it.. AS leave the city tomorrow
| morning, to be absent about one week, and
may not see you before my return, l write
Ibis reply. certainly understood you that
| could exercise my pleasure about com
| plying with the contract to sell my house.
certainly should have told you earlier that
l would much prefer not selling it, and in
tended to do so, bat my days and evenings
have been so taken up that neglected 1t.
| will say now, that when reflect on how
much furniture had In the house, how lit
tie it viii be worth to me hereafter, and
how little it will bring, compared to its cost,
If sold, and my dislDclination to dicker
about the price of such portion as any one
buying'the house might want to take,
concluded that would much prefer keep
ing the house and renting it, with the fur
niture, to selling. Since that, gentlemen
IN Nelo York, to tChOm am IN
debted for the house in the
JirSt instance, hare proposed buying, NTH
The furniture, to present to Gen. Sherman.
In a note reoeired, they sag on terms salts
factory to me. In a reply acknowledged
my Indebtedness to them for the house, and
stated that felt as If Gen. Sherman should
have it, and the prizes would not be consid-
cred by me. 1t will save me great annoy
ance to walk out without cara for wha. is
left in the premises. / regret exceedingly
that you should suffer disappointment, and
feel that you SHOULD not suffer loss. If any
Is sustained by you, / want to make 1t good.
The furniture Ia my house, purchased, how
ever, when everything was at the highest,
cost a a1out $35, 900, exclusive of books and
pictures. 1t viii be very ineonvenient for
me to store tbis,or part oft, as would have
to do under an or il. ary sale. Hoping that
This will be satisfactory to you, | remain
truly yours, U. S. GRANT.
p. SIN view of what state herein, l
will ask it for my accommodation and the
accOmm datiOn of other parties to be bene-
fitted, you will release me from the contract
referred to in this letter. repeat that you
should be freed from any loss, and that
will regard It not only duty but pleasure
to bear such loss myself. U. S. GRANT.
In note dated February Is, 1859, Mr..
Bowen declines positively acceding to the
gentle intimation of release from the con.
tract, the reasons for which release having
been put on every ground but the right
ground, one of those being that he had not
authorized Messrs, KilbouTg & Latta 10
act as his agents in the transaction, which
is met by the significant fact that his own
signature closes the contract. It is true
that for the last we have only the state
ment of Mr.. Bowen. But he appeals to
the evidence of Mr.. Latta and Gen. But
ter6eld in support of his statement, both in
good health and able TO testify. Now, pre-
cisely four days after this refusal, in writ
ing, of Mr.. Bowen to cancel the written
contract, the President conveys the same
property to Gen. W. I. Sherman, adding
S25, 900 to the 81, 900 already paid by the
Bowen. Gen. Grant sold to Mr.
Bowen, and before the cancelling of the
contract sells to Gen. Sherman, claiming o
have sort of understanding with the first
purchaser hat leaves him at liberty TO dis
OOse second time of his property. This
Mr.. Bowen denies, and so far the President
has been guilty of no crime. He shuffles
terribly in his transactions, ana fails TO ex-
h,bit the nice constituencies of man who
regards his word as something sacred and
bis character for straightforward, honorable
dealing something worth struggling for.
But Bowen did release the President, and
the consideration for such release, as we
have charged fore, was the official patron
age Of the District of Columbia. The peo-
pie President Grant had selected for the
various places of honor and trust we're
thrust aside, and Bowen's friends quartered
on the treasury. We know this to be the
fact, and now, in proof of it, we quote Bow
en- himself, aud as the evidence tells against
the witness it can be received without
doubt. S4yles j Bowen says, in letter
to the President and published
in the Transcript of this place:
Before executing qfIiJ claim deed, how
ever, WHICH was done April l, 1869, as the
record shows, and six weeks subsequent TO
the date Of your deed to Sherman, | re-
ceived a message from You that no recon-.
Of mine could be considered aad
no fdUOrs beStO1Ced on any friend Of mine
till the contract ,ods cancelled.
Thus, tor and in Co sderation Of $25, 900,
the Offices of the District were disposed of.
We have no epithets with which to charac-
terize this transaction-no comment or
criticism to make. We give the case as the
records present it, and such we present it
TO the consideration of Mr.. Curtis of the
Journal Of CigillzatiOn; to Mr.. Godkin, of
the Nation, and the gentlemen of the New
York EUening Post, all Of whom seem pos
sessed of desire to lift our civil service
from the foul ruts into which it has fallen.
When they shall have duly considered this,
we have others We propose placing before
heir unclouded intellects and singularly
Inprejudiced judgment.