Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-04-11
Little "unpleasa ntness.n

Little "UnpteasantneSs
The interview between the President
and the representatives of the South
Carolina tax payers was in some re
spects a remarkable incident.
The Hon. w. ID. Porter, the spokes-
man of the delegation, and one OF the
most polished advocates of the Charles
ton bar, made calm and brief but
striking and very pathetic, presentation
of the shocking condition OF ms state
The President listened with marked at
tenfion and replied slowly, but with
yioor and without any of that hesitation
witch he is said usually to exhibit when
making speech His words, which
baye-not so far been fully reported,
were these: r.l - %
"GsniIemsn-After listening to what
has been said / do not see that there is
ANYTHING that can be done either by the
Executive or the Legislative branch OF
the National Government to better the
condition of things which you have de-
scribed. South Carolina has now
complete existence as sovereign o,a'e'
and must make her own laws. IL those
laws are oppressive to her people, II is
very much to be deplored. But what
il the cause of the evils in your State,
mav he question worth considering.
Whether a part of that cause is not due
to yourselves; whether 1t is not due to
the extreme views which YOU have held;
whether your own action has not con-
solidated the non-tax-paying portion OF
vour 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 rs also seems to be the condition OF
South Carolina. But will say to you
candidly (here the Presidents manner
hardened visibly,) that while l have
watched the proceedings of your Tax
PAYERS Convention with no little inter-
est, portion of my sympathy has been
distracted by the perusal Of certain
speech delivered during its delbera-
tions, [by one Gary, an ex-Confederaie
soldier, viler and more slanderous than
anything have ever experienced be-
fore, even among my worst enemies III
the North-a speech more bitter In Its
personality and falsehood than anything
/ have ever seen, even IN the New
York Sun.
Here the President paused. His Wis
jtors were completely taken aback by
his words, 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, but then
explanations seemed to fall unheeded'
The President met everything that was
said with some fresh reference to the
irritating subject. I quote his words In
an rejoinder 10 the exrostulations CT one
delegate
ii have never seen a speech equal to
it in malignity, rileness, falsity, and
Islander. When l think Of it, l can
scarcely restrain myself.
As this very painful and embarrassing
interview closed, Mr.. Porter ventured
TO suggest that it was hardly just TO
hold q whole community who were
seeking relief from intolerable oPpres-
sion responsible for the improper utter
ance of a single individual. But the
remonstrance was scarcely noticed by
the President, and the delegation sadly
and silently withdrew, panied and deep
" mortiied.-N T. 1r'0Uhe