Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-02-15
saturday Evening, Feb. is, 1879.
FROM CHICAGO.
correspondence ofthe Ledger

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Correspondence of the Ledger
CHICAGO, February Fit was
a natural coincidence that the c%onclu-
sion of the Reno investigation should
closely follow that of the Judge Blod-
gett Enquiry which drew to a finale
last Friday. Yesterday the Reno
matter reached a climax, and ere this
reaches you all the military men of
the noted court will be back, OF on
their way to the Western camps. 1t
is next to impossible to tell how the
inquiry will effect General Reno; but,
by way Of speculation, one might say
that it is quite likely the general will
be censured. [ think this will be
brought about not so much by the
Custer massacre matter, but by the
little affair of 1877 with the wife of
Lieutenant King. You will remem-
Der that he was her charged with
insulting Mrs. King. This taken to-
gether with his assertion while on the
stand in his own defense, that he had
no confidence in General Clusters mil
itary judgment, will have more weight
with the court in making up his re-
port than anything directly connected
with the massacre matter. The sym
patty of the country is most certainly,
aud with just cause, with General
Custer as a grand monument of the
knightly soldier, Consequently it may
be presumed that the court viii teach
General Reno alesson in thus arraying
himself against the countrys verdict
of applause for tho many daring deeds
Of a model soldier and gentleman-the
Murat ofthe American military school
Of course the court action viii
not be made known like that of the
Blodgett findings until after the off
Gals at Washington have passed upon
it.
Richardson and Schmidt, the grand
jurors under investigation for perjury
and taking brides, have been 'honora-
bly, released.
Mr.. f. Whitaker, the biographer
of General Custer, is in the
city. He says he cares little for Reno,
but his object is to yindicate the char
acter of the late lamented Custer as a
brave soldier. He claims that GEN
eral Custer was not a rash, but a very
cautious soldier; and that as to him
being a " disobedient officer, such q
charge is utterly without foundation
Notwithstanding the opinion Of GEN
erals Grant, Terry, Reno, and Colonel
Benteen to the contrary. 1t might be
well here to mention that it was a fact
hat General Grant, as well as General
Terry, did not like the gallant Custer,
and when his death was announced to
the country it was the general remark
that Grants treatment of the fearless
warrior had driven him to do deeds Of
reckless and fatal daring, that the
world might see he was not afraid to
face any foe.
Mrs. Jane g. Swisshelm. well
known in literary circles. and dubbed
the mother of Republication. lee
tured here last night to a meager au-
dience. Her subject was Personal
Recollections. Her discourse was
quite interesting and enlightening to
most of her auditors. She dWelt con
siderably upon her anti slavery record
and lauded such sectional bigots as
William Lloyd Garrison. And she
seemed to think she accomplished a
great feat when, as Washington CORE
spondent of the New York Tribune.
she drew aside the vail from the moral
character Of the great Daniel Web
ster, and laid bare his little " fluid +
foibles. She also paid a grand .
tribute to the late MI. Sumner, and to
Mr.. Burlingame, who challenged Mr..
Brooks for Gaming Mr.. Sumner. In
concluding she gave Cassius NJ.
Clay a parting kick BY calling
him a complete failure as q
statesman or diplomat, as evidenced
by his failure, as she denominated il.
as our representative to Russia. Like
all Others of the anti slavery school.
she had no good word for the South
My only wonder was that she did not
~eulogise John Brown and his murder
GUS raid on Harpers Ferry. Another
thing, she forgot to say something
hard against Roman Catholics, a favor.
lite target for shots of animus. These
personal forgettings' goes to prove
that the lady, who parts her hair a la
male, is getting ready to retire from
public life. 1t is wonder that the
mother of such a monster as Radical
Republicanism has not long since
committed suicide, because Of the in
famous conduct Of the brat.
You remember Joseph st. Petrie.
who recently figured as one of the
principals charged with the murder of
Mr.. Alvira Clark, of LaGrange. a
Chicago suburb, and also Miss Fiji
Benoit, his afhanced, who sat beside
and comforted him during the long
trial. Well, now they are man and
wife. The interesting event occurred
last week. Ii is to be hoped that
their future will be crowned BY happi.
ness.
The cheese-makers of the North
west are here in convention at the
magnificent Grand Pacific Hotel.
The beef exporters of Chicago are
indignant at the recent action Of the
British privy council as to the impor-
tation Of American live beef into that
country. Englishmen here say that
tho reason is that most OF the nrirr