Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-04-18
GEORGE ID. PRENTICE.
A Vindicatton OF His Name by q Life.
long Personal Friend though
Political ODpOnent-He was
Pure Patriot and an
Honest, HardwOrL-
Ing Journalist.


wether was intimate with George D. Prem
tice, though opposed to him. 10 the latter
part OF 1861, or early part of 1861, about
Christmas. Governor Meriwether was passing
down Jefferson street, when James Guthrie
passed In carriage and beckoned to him.
''He told me" said Governor Meriwether to
the Courier-J journalist yesterday, she was
going to call on an old friend at the LOUIS
vile hotel, and requested me to get in The
carriage and go with him. In riding down
the street he informed me that he was going
to see ex-President Pierce, and that General
Pierce was at the Louisville hotel, registered
under fictitious name. On retiring to the
room Mr.. Guthrie remarked that he had
brought me with him; that if his commune
cation was OF so strictly a confidential nature
as not to permit a third party to be there |
would retire. General Pierce replied that he
was glad that he had brought me with him,
for had been a confidential, officer under his
administration, and he knew | would be dis
Greet about matters. He then informed Mr..
Guthrie that he had visited several members
of his late cabinet to see if they could not
put stop to this-the late war. He then
produced the written outlines of this peace
convention. He asked us how we liked it,
and both of us assented to the proposition
1t was suggested that should call upon Mr..
Prentice, tnen editor of the Louisville Jour-
nal, and John Il. Harvey, then editor of the
Louisville Democrat. and show them the
proposition and see whether they would agree
to support it, and also the ground of neu-
trality. Both of those editors promptly
agreed to do SO, and it was agreed that print
by ladies and gentlemen throughout the State
of Kentucky, praying that Kentucky might
take the grouad of neutrality between
the north and the south. | re-
turned and informed them of the
result. 1t was arranged that l should write
to certain persons in Indiana and Mr.. Guthrie
should do the same, in order to get Indiana
to take the same ground. That evening |
visited Judge Read, of JeffersonvIlle, Indiana.
He adopted the policy at once, and agreed to
write to the prominent men and politicians OF
his acquaintance In Indiana. On my return
to the Louisville hotel it was agreed that MIR.
Guthrie should write to Hon. Jesse D. Bright,
senator during Pierce's administration. 1t
was agreed by the three at the Louisville
hotel that the proposition should be made by
me, though it emanated from General Pierce.
''It was also agreed that Judge Read in
his letter should request his friends to answer
to me. Several If the prominent men of
Indiana did so, asserting to the proposition.
About tue middle of January, 1861, Gov
ernor Magotfiu assembled the legislature of
Kentucky In extra session, and /, being
speaker of the house of representatives, could
not very we'll submit the proposition to the
legislature, but l did suggest it to Mr..
port; to Mr.. Jacob, of Oldham; Judge IN
derwood, from Bowling Green; Judge SImp-
s)n, of the Kentucky senate, and others.
Judge Simpson introduced a resolution to
appoint delegates to the convention which
was to meet in Washington. Governor
Charles A. Wickliffe, James B. Clay, General
William y. Butler, of Carroll, Hon. James
Guthrie and Governor Charles Morehead were
appointed among others. They proceeded to
Washington, but accom- plished nothing.
During the summer of 1861, | went south,
and while in Richmond it was suggested that
should induce Mr.. Prentice, for moneyed
consideration, to throw mis- paper and infu
ence for the south. l do not feel at liberty
to mention their names. | informed them
that | would not do it; and, moreover, that
it was useless to hy to influence Mr.. Prentice
by such a consideration, as he cared nothing
for money. On my return home | found that
Mr. Prentice had taken ultra ground in favor
of the north, and l had taken more decided
ground in favor of the south; hence we had
but little intercourse during the war
after the close of the war, Mr.. Prentice
was taken sick on a visit TO his son Clarence,
who lived on the Ohio, about ten miles below
Louisville, where he died, about two miles
below my residence. | frequently visited him
during his sickness. In every one of these
inter views these subjects were canvassed by
US. In the last interview, shortly before his
death, he spoke to me about the charge
made against him that the north, not the
south, had bribed him to take ultra ground in
favor of the war. He appeared to be sensi-
tive on the subject OF the bride alleged to have
been received from the north. He informed
me that, on the breaking out of the war, the
paper had lost its subscription in the south
entirely and in limited extent in many of
the western States, and that the firm was on |
the point of bankruptcy; that he had visited |
the north for the purpose of raising funds to |
sustain his paper; that large contributions |
were made to him, not to brlbe him to take |
the course which he did, but to cover the |
losses which he sustained during the course |
which the paper mad taken, and to sustain the |
paper for the north, and he asked me if his |
memory should be assaulted if would not vim |
dictate It, | promised him | would do So |
Here, l apprehend, is where Calvert saw the |
money. He never alluded to any bride from |
the south, because there was. then no such |
charge against him. This was the last inter- |
view l had with him during his life
81 feel it incumbent upon me to make this |
statement IN vIndicatlon of life long per- |
sonal friend, but a political opponent"