The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-08-16
GRANT AND BRISTOW.
The President On Wilson's Tes-
timOny.
BabcOck and RIack Friday.

NEW YORK, Aug. 15-Reports are this morn
ing published of an interview with President
Grant at Washington yesterday, in which he
explains Is relations with Secretary Bristow
and Bluford Wilson.
Bristow's Resignation Never Asked For.
He says that there were many misrepresenta-
tons made in connection with official commun-
ications between himself and ex-Secretary Brs-
tow and ex-S0ictor Wilson, and as an illus
tration of this, he states that he never asked
for the resignation of the former, but that
three several times when he voluntarily propos-
ed to resign and was urgently anxious to do So
he, the President, prevailed upon him to stay
in Office.
Once Secretary Bristow insisted upon the &C.
ceptance of his resignation because, he said, he
could not undergo the ordeal of experimenting
another discharge or cut down of Treasury en-
ployes: and for the third time he rendered 1t
and fixed the date of its occurrence, as he would
like it to be on June Goth, because that was his
44th birthday, and he said that he would be
glad to close his official duty on that day.
On the second occasion the President prevail
ed upon Mr.. Bristow to remain because new
order of things in the Treasury Department
was about to take place with the substitution
of silver for fractional currency, and he thought
it would need his supervision.
So far as anything had been ELECTED in the
congressional examination bearing upon him
self or any attaches heretofore of the White
House, the President was willing to leave the
whole matter to the judgment of the country
from the testimony given by ex-Solicitor Will
son. before the congressional investigating COM
mlttee
Babcock Not Concerned in the slack Fri
| day Operations.
In relation to that point of Mr.. Wilson's tes-
timony which charges Gen. Babcock and GeD.
Porter wit b being concerned in the Black Fri
day speculatons, the President says that he
once put roll OF papers in the private drawer
of his desk and subsequently took them out
and handed them to his son, who was acting as
his private secretary for examination. The pa
pers, he found, when reported upon by q. S.
Grant, Jr, did not show that there was any
connection whatever between Gen. Babcock
| and the Black Friday affair at the time stated,
Domingo, and as for Gen. Porters connection
| with thel Black Friday scandal, he could not
| find that he had ever bought a dollars worth
of gold in his life, but he had bought small
pieces of property on Washington Heights
New York city. through or in connection with
General Butterfeld, which, from all he could
| learn, was perfectly honorable and straight
| forward transaction.
| When these many and frequent reports were
made about those bearing intimate official rea
| ton to him, it was natural that he should &C
| cept them with great caution and suspicion, but
| he always signfied in the most distinct auG
emphatic manner that he did not desire that
| any person, no matter how high an official he
might be- even ii he were one of his own init
mates, should enjoy immunity from response.
bility or escape punishment for wrong doing il
| 1t were proved upon them.
| At first, when hints were made to him he
| was led to believe that they meant Mr.. Casey
| and others. He was told by those attacking
| Gen. Babcock and Gen. Porter that the facts
| would be given by Gen. George 81. Sharpe,
Surveyor of the port of New York, and thost
papers examined by young Grant were left by
| him, but at no time did the President stand in
| the way or intimate anything bat his strongest
desire to have full, earnest and honest exam
ination and prosecution of any wrong doing
among his friends.
Grants Opinion Of BristOw.
As for Mr.. Bristow. the President added:
l Notwithstanding the doubts and expostula.
tons of my friends, I always regarded him witt
the fullest confidence, good will and respect
but my friends laughed at me when I gave il
finally as my opinion from facts that informa
| ton brought to my knowledge by persons whom
1 thought reliable, that there was conspiracy
on foot in which he took part, pertaining to thu
Presidential candidacy, and regret the CON
clusi0D forced upon me now that there was
more than seeming truth in the superstition
The President, speaking of himself, SAID thai
| the question of his own integrity or probity a.
it might be judged now, or in after years, never
gave him an emotion Of concern, at least in the
way of doubt, because he knew that he haG
ever been impelled by proper motives and hi
did not believe there was the slightest thing tt
the contrary on record.