National Republican., 1878-09-10
THE E"ENTRAvAGANCE" OF THE "GRANT
REGIME"

One of the most frequent exaggerrtiops
Of fact to be met in the columns of the Op
position press is contained in the allusions
to the riotous and ektravagant style of life
in Washington during the GRANT regime,
as they phrase it. These exaggeralons
have become matter Of habit with the
writers TO whom we refer, and have been
accepted by the public as being based in
part, if not in whole, upon the truth. For
example, we copy the following from the
Democratic Waterman, a rural journal, pull
lished ut Bellefontaine, Pa:
For some reason GRANT and MosBy are par
ticular friends aud during the formers term
as Chief Magistrate the dashing bushwhacker
had good time. His legs were frequently to
be seen stretched under GRANTS mahogany
and his stomach rejoiced in the good things
with which 1t was filled from the Presidential
table. His pocket, too, was benefited by the
favor of the Chief Executive, and altogether
his lines were cast In pleasant places When
GRANT left the White House, Colonel MosBy
wept-hguratively speaking, at least-because
he saw the boHbO's departing aud his sump.
tuous living about to end.
We have no idea that the Watchman
writer knew he was lying when he wrote
the foregoing, and therefore acquit him of
any responsibility for his falsehoods except
that which attaches to an eager willingness
to be deceived by uutruthful tales about po-
litical opponent. The truth is, Colonel Mos
BY's spockets were never benefited in any way
by General GRANTS friendship orhim. That
they were not is perhaps his own fault, be-
10 l.. lynntyn tl,at h. I..,1i,.I
eral GRANTS hands an offer to render the
Government certain necessary service in the
line OF his profession rs a lawyer, for which
lie would have been well paid and that he
was in the habit of stretching his legs
under GRANTS mahogany" is rs
untrue a. it is an unyracefll figure OF
speech. The "JonJons" alluded to are
therefore myth Of the writers own oon-
juring.
But the whole tenor Of the foregoing quo
tation is in keeping with the exaggerations
to which we refer. The idea conveyed is
/ that General GRANT was q wasteful and ex-
| trayagant liver, whose main happiness con-
sisted in eating, drinking, and making
/ merry with his friends while he iilled their
purses with the public funds. Nothing
could be farther from the truth. In
no private family in the country
were the strict propreties Of life more
closely observed than in that Of General
| GRANTS during his Presidential terms
Open us the Chief Magistrates life neces,
sarily Is at all times to public gaze and in-
quiry, aud pursued as he always was by
! the prying, sncakng spies Of the so-called
/ Independent Press, he WAS naturally on his
guard; but, besides this, he was, and is yet,
a man of decidedly domestic inclinations,
and, whatever may be said to the contrary,
OF plain and simple tastes. Even the
stories of his oxtravagant regard for horses
were exaggerated, and his famous four-in
hand, his trotters and his stables wer'
written up or written down, under inspira
tions or with design to make newspape
sensations that robbed the accounts of much
plain truth. In fact, and in short, thers
was nothing pharisaical about him durins
his successful career In Washington; moth
ing " convey truthfal impression that his
"head had been turned by his great and
uuexampled successes IA military and
civil life; and not the slightest
foundation for these wild stories o.
extravagant and wasteful living. Hi
dress was always plain and substantial