, 1874-04-25
INSULTS ALL AROUND THE BOARD.

We are fallen upon distressful times. Boston
merchants, smelling Of Long Wharf and oordage
and halibut, and horny-handed Changers, with
hay-seed in their hair and sweet apples in their
pockets, boldly invade the apartments Of the
White House and PROFOUND conundrums to the
President which no man can look upon in any
other light than as premeditated insults. The
sequel showed that the President is not Of that
phlegmat1c, imperturbablo, cast-iron mold ne
had always supposed He does not shed insults
as duck sheds rain. By no means. he knows
what belongs to his official state as well as any
master Of etiquette in the efete monarchies Of
the Old World
It is only few weeks ago that the South
Caro1ina delegation Of taxpayers waited upon
the President to see il he could not afford them
some relief from taxes which were stripping
them Of their property and turning it over to the
zapacious carpet-bagger. They presented what
an ordinary callous person would call respect-
ful and dignifed address, but 1t insulted the
President. It smote him sore, it produced pangs,
and stirred ble which could only find vent in
his remark to the astonished Committee that he
looked upon their coming az an Insult. Disre-
garding or disremembering this deliberate stab
at the feelings Of the President next came
Boston delegation Of merchants to protest against
imitation, and the very first thing they did was
to insult the President In pursuance Of the
resolution passed at Fanenn Hail objecting to
or;o 1ohA t,,Fo
WAS due, while leaving the demanded debt (green-
backs) unredeemed, they opposed the purchase
Of United States bonds with the surplus from the
Treasury. The Eoston gentlemen, in the sin-
pliciry of their eou1s, had found in tho Act to
Strengthen the Public Credit, approved March
49, 1869, a provision that none OF said interest,"
bearing obligations (honds) not already due ehall
be redeemed OF paid before maturity, un1eas ut
such time United States notes shall be con-
rertible into coin at the option OF the holder"
This was the first act passed by the Forty-frst
Congress, and was the first act ever approved
by President Grant and that these Boston
gentlemen should deliberately come on to Wash
ington and insult him with the very law to which
Ae lA4 b CA fAko44t+ ~ A@Ao 6AEA1s~%A1 "09 Wv
Of the most aggravated insults he had ever re-
ceiyed. When the New York delegation came to
him upon similar er1and, he Immediately hedged
against the possibility OF Insult from them by
informing them that if be could ever be in favor
Of imitation it would be from the effects OF such
arguments as the Boston gentlemen urged
against it; in other words, il the President could
ever be in favor OF imitation, it would be owing to
the act which he signed against initiation, and
providing for redemption in coin at the earliest
practicable moment The President, fortu-
nate1y, had Soma compensation for this harsh
shock. He kept them cooling their heels and
holding their hats full fifteen minutes while Ben
Butler consulted with him, aud, when ho deigned
we1o allowed to stand by and pun tobacco-smoke
in their faces. Last Of all, he had the pleasure
OF avenging the insult by rehearsing the gau-
cherries Of Boston before the New York dele
cation and il there is anything calculated to
harrow up the feelings Of . Dostonian, it is to
be robuked before New Yorker.
But worse remains behind. The President,
having vindicatad his dignity and made every
thing square on that score, proceeded to do
what the Boston and New York mon recon-
mended that he should do. And he did 1t with
vengeance. II Logan and Carpenter had in
suited the New York delegation by assuming
loaferish attitude and putting tobacco-smoke in
their faces. the President paid them OF
with interest. He wrote = veto message
charging that they had violated their
pledges and inflicted dishonor upon the
country. and we're paving the way to
reputation. Truer words we're never, and
| Drawer ones seldom, uttered. But do not all
previous indlgnites dwindle into insigni6cInce
compared with this There are Logan, and
| Morton, and Ferry. and Carpenter, and Cameron,
| and Butler, and Kelley, who have been bowling
themselves hoarse for months-for what7 For
national dishonor, violation OF pledges, and
! ultimate ssp1dlAhou! South Carolina may ha7s