Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-08-16
WASHINGTON.
The Prodigal's Return.
LOOkOut,Bara Interviews Him.

LOOkOuflRard Interviews Him.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 15.-Gov. SAM
Bard who is ChairIDan of the Chattanooga
Committee extending an invitation to Gen.
Grant on behalf of the Municipal authori-
ties and Board of Trade of Chattanooga,
for himself and cabinet to visit Chatta-
nooga and Lookout Mountain, had an inter-
view to-day with the President, who in
formed him that be laid his invitation be-
fore the several members of the cabinet and
would give definite answer after the meet
ing tomorrow.
A Chance for Public Business.
During the forenoon today the MEM
bers of the cabinet then in town, Belkuap,
CressweIl and Williams, visited President
Grant on business.
The Imprisoned InnOeents.
In relation to the Ku-Klux conyicts in the
Albany Penitentiary, the report made by
Col. Whiteley having been read to the Pres
ident, he directed pardons to be made out
in behalf OF those especially recommended
to the Executive clemency, namely: David
Collins, VIM. Teal, Amos Owen and VIM.
Scruggs, who are represented to be old
men; one or two of them in poor health and
who joined the Ku-KlUx in ignorance of its
real objects. Some days will elapse before
they will be at liberty, as it viii first be me-
cessary to ascertain when and where they
were convicted. Whenever these cases
shall be disposed of, the President VIII con-
slider the suggestions of Col. Whiteley rela-
tive to eighteen Others in the Albany Peni-
tentiSry. ..-'-,''.s-
COnversatiOnaI-Ev Lovely
The Fred. Douglass Difficulty
Early in the afternoon the President
briefly and calmly engaged in conversation
with several of his friends chiefly on po-
litical topics, from which it appears that he
is satisfied with the situation as regards
himself. When asked about the alleged
slight to Fred. Douglass he replied that if
Douglass did not complain because he was
not invited by him to dinner he did not see
why Senator Summer should exhibit so
much anxiety, if not indignation, upon the
subject. The simple fact was that the San
Domingo commissioners with their Sec
retary having called to submit
their report be invited them to
dine with him. Frederick Douglass not
being with the commissioners, he did not
at the time think of him nor of others whe
accompanied the expedition. But if Siegel
and Douglass had been with the commits
sioners, they would have been included in
the invitation to dinner, which was infor-
NAL and private, having no official signif-
cance whatever. The President expressed
his surprise that so much should be said
about an immaterial matter that merely
conc rned his own household.
The President remarked that no public
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 foc
that purpose. -... a.
A Sop for the StraighOuts.
The conversation turning on the remark
of Senator Sumner to the effect that Gree
ley is better friend to the black man than
President Grant, the Prs sident replied that
be never pretended to be, as he had re-
peatedly said, an original abolitionist, but
he favored emancipation as war measure.
When this was secured he thought the bal
lot should be conferred to make the gift
complete and to place those who had been
| liberated in full possession of the rights of
| freemen. His views on the subject of
slavery were well known and expressed in
letters to Washburn and others and extens-
lively published, and hence this was not now
a matter for dispute.
Out OF Thine own mOHtb.
In the course of conversation he said that
while President should be in accord with
! the leading principles of the party that elect
| ed him, it was essential that he should en-
force the laws which may be enacted and
administer the Government not in the inter-
est of party, but in the interest of the en-
tire country.
Summer Criticized.
While he had 20 unkind words TO utter
| concerning Senator Sumner, he was per-
fectly willing to place bis acts against Sena-
/ tor Summers words, and in this connection
be said that Sumner did not show himself
such good friend to the black man as he
professed to be,when ne was not willing to
have civil rights bill stand on its own
merits, requiring only majority vote, but
insisting on bill OF, his own asan amendment
to the amnesty bill which could not be PASS
ed without majority of two-thirds. Carpen-
ter's civil rights billEhowever was passed
during the absence OF fSenatOr Sumner, and
as the facts show, much to bis surprise.
The President also said that it will be
seen by the Congressional Globe that Sena-
tor Sumner did not vote at all on the Joint
Resolution recommending the ratification
of the fifteenth amendment to the Consti-
tuition. This amendment twice ratified
provides that the right of citizens of the
United States to vote, shall not be denied
or abridged by the United States or by any
State on account of race, color or previous
condition of seryitude, aud Congress is
invested with the power to enforce this ar
ticle by appropriate legislation. Sumner,
the President said, lodged vote on this
Joint Resolution.
A Cabinet Meeting.
A Cabinet meeting viii be held tomorrow
at which Belknap, Cresswell, Williams and
Delano will be present,t the last named gen.
tleman having returned. from Ohio to-day
The President will leave tomorrow for
Long Branch.