Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-10-08

men who urged it. | esteem their respect
and confidence more than the nomination.
Second, believe | could have broken up
the solid South. Many lifelong Democrats
in the South had given the strongest assur-
ances of their cordial support, believing that
| could deliver them from the evils of Il solid
South
Third There is another partial reason.
believe that | could have induced from my
knowlege of our consulates, the enactment
of certain laws touching our commerce that
would have given us control of much desira-
BILE commerce. For instance in Mexico, in
stead of dealing with people who use only
slave labor, and receive little or nothing but
sterling in exchange"
Since Dr. Fowler's publication of the con-
versation Gen. Grant has been interviewed
by a newspaper reporter and makes some
corrections Of DR. Fowlcr's statements
Gen. Grant said:
II said substantially up to sixty-four that
didn't suppose Hancock had thought of the
Presidency, but at the Democratic conven-
ton OF that year he got vote, not one vote,
as DIR. Fowler has il, which makes me I'M
ply that he got the support of but one dele
gate, and from that time he had a Preslden-
tial bee in his bonnet. When net him at
forwards his smile was so broad that you
could almost see il when his back was
turned.
"Dr. FoU Ter does not get hold Of The
points ahaHt order No. 40 correctly. l;y
various reconstruction acts in Congress for
consistency's sake, | suppose, stripped me
of all authority over district commanders in
their civil duties. except in the matter of ap-
pointmert and removal of civil officers in
the reconstructed States AS ! was senior,
my authority WAS superior TO the others.
DIR. Fowler quotes me as saying that the
Louisiana legislature passed a law authoriz-
ing the issue of $1,000, 900 of lcvee bonds
This | may have said, but if did it was n
mistake, the amount being $4,000, 900. In
regard 10 the statement also that the Louisi-
ana commissioners agreed to pay Reverdy
Johnson and other lawyers $3.50, 900, stated
what understood. and not as fact with
my own personal knowledge.
The ucNi paragraph Of DIR. Fowler's re-
port is " Idle of the mark am made to
say: lie tJohnson) called Hancock to
Washington 10 instruct him in defeating the
laws o. Congress. |, of course, do not
know WHY johnson called Hancock, | only
surmise. knew Hancock came. A mis-
take also occurs. said Gen. Grant in the fol
lowing paragraph, wherein am made to say
that he (IlaRcock) went South and removed
the government and commissioners that Gen.
Sheridan had appointed. | instantly tele-
graphed not TO appoint TO office any man who
had been removed and give his reasons by
mail for removing the men.
Il said that no man felt more relieved at
the final result at Chicago than myself.
would have declined 10 permit the use of my
name had it not been for the character of the
men who were urging ii but till not think
il would he fair L ward them to do SO. II is
also true, as stated by DR.. Fowler. that be-
lieve | could break up the solid South and
bring about n state of affairs where the two
great parties would lie National parties. |
also thought that my visits abroad and my
study OF the questions of commerce and
trade would enable me TO materially
advance the interests of this coun-
try in commercial sense. Partic-
ularly did think this to be the case with
Mexico which country raises all tropical
products that are in use in the United States,
and Is ready to take in exchange our own
products while in case of many other nations
of whom we buy we are unable to give any,
thing in exchange except sterling exchange.
Gen. Grant concluded by saying that the
article of DR. Fowler, while incorrect in the
points mentioned and some others in which
the inaccuracies were undoubtedly owing to
his not being familiar with the details of the
subject, was as correct as could be expected
considering that il was written 50 entirely
from memory