Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-24


fdencs ''MemOrandum:'-D Damaging
Facts in Regard to the Mystery.
New York Bulletin.
~ New YORK, June 81, 1S74.-You1
editorial of the 10th inst, in regard to
the endorsement by the press of the
memorandum" of President Grant,
without stopping to consider the effect
OF the country if such views should be
carried out, struck me as being worthy
of perusal by all honest and thinking
men.
But there is one thing in connection
with the memorandum" which has
not yet been noticed by either the ad-
ministration or independent journals.
refer to the Presidents letter In re-
ply to Senator Jones, who wrote him
on the 4th inst. for copy of this now
famous, or, as some consider 1t, infa-
nous memorandum" In reply to
Senator Jones letter, the President
wrote the same dag, as follows:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHING
TON, d. c., June 4, I874-Dear Sir:
Your note of this date, requesting a
copy of a memorandum which / had
prepared expressive of my views upon
the financial question, and which you
with others have heardread is received,
bat at too late an hour to comply to-aigkt.
1 tUiI, hOlCeuer, take great pleasure IN
furnishing yoa a copy IN the morning as
soon as Team hare It copied. 1t proper
that / should state that these views
were reduced to writing, because l had
been consulted on this question not
only by some of the members of the
Conference Committee, but by many
other members of Congress. To avoid
any and all possibility of misunder-
standing, deemed this course both
justifable and proper. With this ex-
PLANTATION, enclose herewith the memo
TGRdluR referred to.
Very respectfully, U. S. GRANT.
To HoN. j. 2. JONES, United States
Senate.
The lines marked in italics are in
such utter contradiction, that to the
average intellect, they would seem to
be incapable of any satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION.
But it is a we'll known fact in the
Gold Room, that a large and well
known banking house, intimate with
the President, and in business relations
with the Senator, were large sellers
Of gold (the amount being estimated at
four to five millions) on the 4th inst,
at 1lls and OUer, and that on the 9th
inst, the day the memorandum" was
laid before the public, they were also
the largest buyers at under Ill.
tits also rumored that 1t was known
to 4 chosen few on the 4th inst, that
the memorandum would come out on
the 9th inst,
AS l am a Republican and devoted
to the best interests of my country, l
hope that you may be able to explain
the singular contradiction in the Presi-
dents letter, so that | may be able to
deny and set at rest the wicked rumors
that there is some completely between
The Administration and Wall street
spectators. MERCHANT.
Our readers will remember that, on
the Sth inst, We remarked that the
whole method and purpose of the pub
hcation of the President memoran-
DUN was inexphcable upon ordinary
considerations; and equally SO is this
contradiction in the terms of the Pres
ident's note, alluded to by our CORE
spondent. To the main inquiry of
Merchant" therefore, we confess our
utter inability to give any satisfactory
answer. 1t is to be regarded, we pre-
sumo, as one of those singular cases Of
obfuscation from which even Chief
Magistrates are not exempt.
Our correspondent allusion to ope-
rations in the Gold Room, coincident
with the publication of the memoran-
dunn, is, however, a different matter.
We should not feel at liberty to give
publicity to his statements on this mat
ter were it not that, upon inquiry,
we find them to be confirmed
10y the general opinion and belief
of those familiar with transactions on
the Gold Exchange. Assuming the
truth of these statements, however, the
matter has peculiar interest: for the
publication of the memorandum has
then a significance otherthan that con-
veyed in the mere contents of the doc
ument. The motive for making the
Presidents new and extraordinary
financial opinions public is patent, IN
the light of these facts. Who is re-
sponsible for their publication: is a
question not so easily answered, and
which we leave to be settled by those |
more concerned with political matters
than ourselves. We deem 1t proper,
however, to direct attention TO a very
singular explanation of the method of
issuing this document which was con-
tanned in the Washington dispatches
nf the Tribune of the 18th, and which |
nurDorted to come directly from the
President. The TribuAe'S coTrespon-
dent says:
$50 much has been said in regard to
the circumstances under which the
President late memorandum was pre-
pared and given to the public that the
President own statement IN regard to
It will be interesting. He says that
sarIg "a the session, before the passage
of the first Senate bill by the Finance
Committee, he WIS called upon by at
least 40 Senators and Representatives,
who asked him for his opinions on the |
currency question, and IN order shat
there might be no mistake about what |
he thought, heconeludedtoput his ideas
in writing, and did in one day after fin
ishing his official duties. TheneEt day,
.-rben the usual number Of members Of
called to talk iVith him on
.iaI topics, he shOiced them ttiS
go, ,,y,l It was not, therefore, true, he
"a t5of fin, memorandum l0dS 1CritteR
,1;tJ;n a fe,g dars Of its publication, Or
at the suggestion o, Senator Jones, IL
was seen by great humber OF mem
beers before the passage On the Cqrren-
CIV bill that was vetoed. As tie debate
in the Senate dragged its slow length
along, the President thought 81 se'ih-
nh 4