The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-21
CASSIUS M. CLAY.


ABOUT GENERAL GRANT AND CURRENT PoL1r-
IcAL EVENTS.
[wnlte Hall, Madison county, KY. July 49,, cor
respondence Of the Cincinnati Commercially
found Mr.. Clay at home among his books. ana,
alter being introduced, he greeted me very kindly,
and on taking seat stated that mad come out
to see him for talk, and II he had no objection,
desired to hear his views OF men and things, to
which Mr. Clay responded as follows:-
CoRREsPoNDENT-W0 do you think, General
Clay, OF Grant as a general and politicanP
General CLAY-Grant was never anything till he
fell into the hands OF Rawiins who was every way
man, and has been nothing since Ra Wins death.
He showed certain dogged courage-I may say
stolldlty-supp. emented by tobacco and whis-
key, which held his eutenants up to their work,
which they were, many OF them, very competent
to perform, and overpowered the Conlederates by
superior force. l rank him far below many of his
subordlnates as general. However. am not q
military man. but civilian. VI his Political ca
reer think am better Judge, and l say, with
out fear oil the future, that as statesman he Is
| beneath criticism.
CoRRESPONDENT-You don't agree with General
Harlan, then, IL his laudatIons OF Grant,
| Geuera CLAY-No, sir. General Harlan Is an as
| pirant IN the re. uDllcan party, and his opinion
must be taken cum grdnO sails l think Grants
administration the weakest of our history, and
wound not ike to Characterize II morally. His
leading characteristics eliminate In his third
term letter and his horse JOCKEY speech to the
Indians Of the Black Hills.
CoRREsPoNDENT-Do you think he will be the
candidate OF his party agalnY
General CLAY-No, sir. he has followers as an
scrupulous as himself with equal cunning who
VIII take ms letter as declenslon, and crowd
tion Then look to see Grant turn the guns OF
the party against the nominee.
CORREsPoNDENT-You think, then, General, that
he Will disrupt the party and 1t will lose 1876?
General ULAY-Of course. II the republicans
mad had wise and patriotic man at the head OF
. n frnua nt m no
power Tor hall century, or as long, at least, as
human nature will allow Il party 10 exist in lree
numbered with the past The great achieve
ments it made, the great principles 1t established
VIII survive but rom this time forward the DEM
ocratic party will be their conservator.
CoRREsPoNDENT-Yo at Frankfort Identified
yourself with tue democratic party after an oppo-
slton OF nearly hall century. What, may ask,
were your motives for such action
tween the republicans and the democrats, but
that Issue Is tie most Imports ant that ever inter-
ested the human race-no less than the question
| as to whether man Is Capable OF sell-government.
Grant lii his sci -greei and ignorance. has made
the Issue, and tine republicans, IN their cowardice.
have become his criminal followers. Inc lntelll-
! gence. the moral wo,t n, the property OF a Tree
| counl ry, must inevitably rule the Country. When
| the South, In good lalth, laid down her arms she
should have peen restored at once to sel-govern-
! ment and equality In the government, otherwise
| they should have been allowed to go. The at
| tempt to rule the eleven States once In revolt.
| from Washington was only possible by over
! throwing constitutional government and becom-
! ing lone nation," in the language OF modern re-
! puDicanlsm that is. a central despotism. Grant,
| with tne military instincts which wanted Con-
gress TO epeal the law which would not allow MN
TO put commercial friend, A. T. Stewart, In the
! Treasury saw sthis, and proceeded as soon as
| Louisiana ceased TO be repub lean. to the use OF
| the bayonet. Wnen Charles |. saw Hampden and
| otners In Parliament standing against ms tyran-
| meal imposition oil snip money, having no regular
army, he marched with few OF his bousenolu
guaris into Parliament to take tue "Dandittl"
J and execute them. They escaped, but not the
/ King. Tbs one act brought his mead to the Docx
| When Grant marched his regular army into the
/ No fo-su
! constitutional right and law than Charles l., and
! II justice we're done him he ould meet the same
| late. Nothing remains 10 be done but to defeat
! him. MS aiders.and aDettors with such popular
majority as Will strike terror into all future w.
| rants and usurpers. Hence at Frankfort | was
Tor eliminating every side issue IRON tue Platform
| ana presenting TINS one question TO the American
people, Tine government OF the people BY the
| Abraham Lincoln. THIS spirit OF tyranny directed
toward the southern people, with wnom J am
| dentltied drove me INTO the democra &c party, TO
resist eDcroacnments ON my rights and the rights
! OF my people,
CoRREsPoNDENT-Do you think, then. that the
| liberal movement should be abandonedY
| General CLAY-No, str, do not. IL should be
| accomplished. me democratic party should nave
| the nominee, because they are lioera and in the
majority. The CINCINNATI act has been play ed and
| the Adams men can more repr duce 1t than
| they can re mate the heroes OF the Revolution
of177e We cannot afford 10 trust men VINO nave
| once broken faith WITH us.
CoRREsPoNDENr-Wno then, is your choice for
| Preslueut In 1876
!
| GRAFT Bayard, or Tllden or TrumDul, or Allen, IT
! last pus not least, OF Hendricks. or any honest,
! able and patriot tic man. The second ONCE is OF
! less importance, out the South should be en-
! braced IN the ticket. she has many true aud
los al men, liberals and democrats, and IL Will not
! be hard 20 hnd man Tor the Vice Presidency In
| due time.
| CORRESPONDENT believe General, that this
ABOUT closes the question of issue between the
! parties; Will you now give me your views upon
J the h1ancia question. Are you in favor oil an
| expansion Of the currency
! General CLAY--I am, In this, like all other
topics. willing to give my views IN the plalnest
| way possible. | am opposed TO ihnating | be-
| neve III carrying out the Obligations oil me gov
| eminent In good faith, and resumlng specie pay
ment, not by Imitation or contraction, but by walt
ing the time when the business OF the country
| shall increase to such an extent as TO make the
present currency equal in vaiue TO specie cur.
reucy.
This closed the formal interview but we talked
| on iur quite a length Of time upon different topics
upon all Of which General clay has positive and
SOUND views.