Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-08-16
President Grant interviewed.

been solicited by your correspondent, with a
view 10 getting his reply, it any be wished to
make, to the attacks upon him recently, and
those particularly in the evidence addaced be-
fore the Committee Oh the whiskey frauds,
discussed quite freely the whole subject of those
vexatious charges and destinations. He treated
them in so calm aud fair spirit as to evidence
that strong sense Of justice which his friends
so urgently claim for him. All the while that
he was explaining his Views OF the persons as.
sailing or assailed, or while he was referring
to those who had the Congressional investi-
cations 10 charge, he spoke 10 pleasant, cheer
full mauuer smoking eisurely he went on.
The pames Of ex Secretary Bristow and ex So
lcltor Wilson came up, OF Course, most proml-
nentiy. "Haylng had the fact Of we'll con-
sidered conspiracy laid before him, with every
evidence OF lis being we'll founded, y he remark
ed tiiat, Notwithstanding he never gave the
subject any more than passing atteDtlon, and
the thing did not cause him the slightest ap
prehensioD, because be knew that neither dur
lug the course OF his military life, nor in his
civil experience as President OF the Uulted
States, has be ever written ANYTHING which
could c. III: up to cause him the slightest con
Germ or shame. OF course, with the light OF
events since come to pass, and the experience
OF earlier times, there We're many things he
could see now which he might do, ii again De.
cessary, 10 different way, but they pertalned
more t. i matter Of discretion a. to individuals
than to questions OF policy. In everything he
did lie had, always adopted the rule through
lie 10 examine into what was submitted 10 hlm
carefully aud wlthoui anything but the prIoc-
pie OF doing right, "a far a. he could Judge, TO
guide him. lie mad always written, spoken aud
acted 10 hat direction and 10 uanocr which
he thought came up 10 that STANDARD. h.
question OF his integrity or problty, as 1t might
tic judged DOW or 10 after years, Gever gave
him an emotion OF concern, at least 10 the way
of doubt, because he knew that be had ever
bccu impeIIcd by proper motives, and be
did not believe that there Was the slightest
thing TO the contrary on record.
There We're mauy misrepresentation, he
went On to say, made in connection with
the official communications between himself
aud TX Secretary Brlstow and ex Solicitor
Wilson. As an illustration OF this ne Deeer
asked Tor the resi- guaton of the former, but
three several tines When be voluntarily pro
POS II t, resign and was urgently anxlnur to do
81, he, Pfe>ldcH! GI .nt. prevailed upUa hlm ~
stay D office. Oncc Mr.. Bristow insisted upon
the acc ptauce Ui his Resignation, because he
said, lie could not undergo the ordeal vi super
intuuding another discharge or cutting doWn OF
the cir pioy ees. Again. and for the Third tlmc,
Mr. Brislow rendered it aud fixed the date OF
its occurrence as he would like it to be upon
June 20, because he said that was his forty
fourth Dirt huay, and lie would b" glad to ose
his official life upon that day. On the second
occasinn the President prevailed upon MIR. Brls-
tow torcmaiD, because the new order OF things
10 the Trcarury Department Was about to take
place, with the substitution of silver for the irac-
tional currency, and he thought it would need
the supervision of Mr.. BrsIow.
SO tar as anything had peep elected 10 theCou-
gressionai examination bearing upon hlmse t,or
the attaches heretofore of the White House,
the President went on again after pause, anu
with great tranquility, a show Of great satsfac
tiou aud quiet Slu:lc. He was willing to leave
the whole matter u the judgment OF the cOun
Try om the testimony given By ex-Sohcltor
W!lsou before the Congressional Investigating
Com mittee In relation 10 that part OF Biutoru
Wilson's testimony which charged Generals
Batcock and Porter with being concerned 10
Black Friday speculatlons, the President said he
once put u LOT opapers rolled up, for a mom2nt,ln
a private drawer OF his desk, and subs, qucntly
took chem Out, handiog them to his Som, who
was acting as his prlya!e secretary tor cXamI-
nation. The papers he found, when reported
upon by Mr.. u. S. Grant, jr., did not show
any connection whatever OF General B.bcock
with the Black Friday affair at the time stated,
because they could not, as he was then 10 Sau
Domingo; and, as for General Porter's connec-
ton with the Black Friday scandal, he could
not find that he had ever bought dollars
worth OF god 10 his life, but he had purchased
-, ,sh
ington Heights, NV York city, through or 10
connection with General Buttcrheld. which,
from all he could learn, Was u perfectly hooor-
able aod straightforward transaction. When
these many and frequent reprrts were made
about those bearing a near aud Intimate official
relation to him, it was natural he should accept
them with great caution and suspicion, but he
always sgnhcd III the most distinct and en-
phatic manucr, as he did IN the letter endorse
ment of Let no guilty man escape" which
Mr.. Buford Wilson was e0deav0llug to alb
srac with other papers from the Treasury De-
parmcnt, that he did not desire that any
persons, no matter how high the officials
might be, even il they were his owe lul.
mates, should enjoy lmmuoty from rcsponSl-
biIity Or escape punishment tor wrong dong, II
proved upon them. Al first, when the hints
were made to him, he was led to believe they
meant Casey and others. He was told by those
attacking General, Babcock and Porter that
facts would be giveo by General George II.
Sharpe, Surveyor Of the port OF New York,
aud those papers examined by young hlr.
Grant were II b, him, but AT % tine cid The
President and IN the way or Intimate any
thing but his strongest desire to have full,
earnest and rest examination and rosecut n
oil any wroog1oing amJng his friends
As for Mr. Bristow, the President added,
Notwithstanding the doubts and cxpostuatioDs
of my friends, | always regarded him with the
fullest confidence, good will and respect but
my friends laughed at me when | gave it finally
as my opinion. from facts aud lofo:matioL
brought to my knowledge by persons whom
thought reliable, that there Was consp racy
90 foot, iD which he took part, pertaiung to
the Presidential candidacy and | regret the
conclusion forced upoo me DOW, that there was
more than seeming tru 10 the suppostioD.
The President ended the conversation, which
,opJ,,o,,3 h,s uurpsarunI nd