Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-04-09
GRANT LOSES HIS. TEMPER.

sVsSs SOG~ wv Sssss ssss
The New York Tribune gives the
following account of the interview be
Iween the representative of the South
Carolina tax payers aud President
Grant
Among the delegates chosen to the
recent Taxpayers Convention was a
harum- scarum ex Confederate soldier
named Gary, who prides himself on
his undying opposition to the new Or
der Of things in the South, and who,
while enjoying certain personal pop
ularity in his own country, has long
been the e,etaast terrible of those Car
olinians who really want to see things
set to rights in their State on basis
of harmony with the Congressional re.
construction. Gary, in spite of the
circumstances Of friends, who vainly
urged that the Taxpayers Convention
was strictly non partisan and non
political concern, insisted on making
speech in that body, in which, with
bad taste and verse rhetoric, but with
undeniable vigor, he pitched into Grant
Congress, and the Republican party
generally. The Convention, in rebuke
to the sentiments of the speech, at once,
aud by an overwhelming vote, recon-
mitted the report which. had been made
the pretext for> its. delivery, ard the
snubbed orator subsidized The local
ring organs in South Carolina, how
ever, eagerly caught at. >Gary,s ebulli-
ton as proof that tire complaints of
the taxpayers were only rebel mutter-
ings in disguise, and though the speech
was violent and foolish enough in all
conscience, they altered and garbled
some Of its worst sentences in way
to make it ten times worse, and, in that
form, kept them standing f:r. several
weeks in large type at the head Of their
editorial columns. -.
When the delegation sent by the
convention with the memorial to Con
gress appeared in Washington several
days ago, there is good reason to he
lieve that the President felt kindly
enough towards them. He told Sec
rotary Fish that, although he was 60
ing to Philadelphia on Friday, he would
make it point to give them an au
dience before he went; and the Secre
tary was probably as much surprised as
anybody at the reception which the
South Carolinians finally met. It seems
that Senator Patterson, who, for rea
sons of his own,
DID NOT RELISH TIE WELCOME
which seemed awaiting the delegation,
got access to the President few min
ut.s before the promised interview,
and called his attention TO the garbled
extracts from Gary's speech. He tim
ed his visit so we'll that he came out of
the Executive Mansion Just as the de-
legation entered it, and they were US
hered into the presence of General
Grant while he was probably still
smarting from the vexation caused by
the bitter aud abusive words just read
to him. His manner during the Ger
mony of presentation plainly showed
the struggle between i'll suppressed an
ger and desire to be digni6ed and
courteous. - - =
The Hon. W. D. Porter, the spokes-
man of the delegation, and one of the
most polished advocates of the Char
lesion bar, made calm and brief, but
striking and very pathetic presenta
ton Of the shocking condition of his
State. The President listened with
marked attention, and replied slowly
but with vigor, and without any of
that hesitation which he is said usually
to exhibit when making speech. His
words, which have not so far been fully
reported, were these:
"Geaatlenaen After listening to what
has been said do not see that there is
anything that can be done either by the
Executive or Legislative branch of the
National Governmental better the con-
dition of things which you have de
scrlDed. South Caro- ina has now a COM
plete exlstence-as sovereign State, and
must make her own laws. If those laws
are oppressive to her people, it is very
much to be deplored. But what is the
cause of the evils in your State, may be
a question worth considering. Wheth
err a part Of that cause is not due to
yourselves; whether it is not due to the
extreme views whlce you have held
| whether your own action has not con-
solidated the non>taxpaying portion Of
your community against you, are ques
tons which | leave for your own con
sideration. feel great sympathy with
any people who are
BADLY GOVERNED AND oyERTAxED.
as is the case in Louisiana, and as also
seems to be the condition of South
Carolina. I will say to you candidly
| (here the Presidents manner hardened
yisibly), THAT while | have watched the
proceedings Of your Taxpayers Con
vention with NO little interest, por-
ton Of my sympathy has been alb
stracted by the perusal of certain
speech delivered during its delibera
! tons, viler and more. slanderous than
anything l have ever experienced be-
fore, even among my worst enemies ii,
the North "a speech more bitter in its
personality and falsehood than any
thing have ever seen, even in the
New York Stta - :. sg..sis...
Here the President paused His
visitors were completely taken back by
his woros, and still more by the un-
pleasant vehemence with which they
were uttered. Several of the delegates
fastened to explain the circumstances
connected with the speech, which