National Republican., 1880-04-20
GEN. GRAN T IN THE SOUTH.
His Reception as Viewed by a Prom
inent SOutherner.
Respect and Enthusiasm shown to the ES
Presidential New Eiement Drawn out
Tho Solid Men who Can Com
mand Fair Election Want
Peaoo-Grants National
Feelings Appreciated.
An Interview with Colonel Tom ochlotreo.

his home. lie took prominent part with his
fellow citizens of Texas in the ovation to ex.
President Grant when he landed in that state
from his visit to Mexico. Tho Major was also
fortunate in being at New Orleans, Mobile
and other points in the South when the OK
President was received. An ambassador of
THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN, ran across the
"ubiquitOus" Major yesterday morning while
he was breakfasting at Cbamberlin's, on Now
York avenue, and asked:
"Mnjor, hear you met the ex.Prcsidcnt in
the South and helped work up his boom {"
Major-Work up bis boom2 Why, sir, l
have seen public demonstrations in almost
every country in Europe and all over the
Union to eminent mon who havo struck the
magic chord of public enthusiasm by their
achievements, but in all my experience have
never seen the spontaneity that greeted Con
eral Grant at all points ho visited in his late
tour in the Southern States.
Reporter-I suppose the negroes were en-
thusiastic?
Maor-The respect and enthusiasm were
confined to no class or color In each city he
visited he was rendered public banquet and
in every instance they were attended by the
most substantial and respected casses-the
merchant and planter, the farmer and stock
raiser In fact, his presence drew out an olo
ment that has since the war held itself aoof
from public affairs, and made IL possible for
the irresponsible rabble and cowardly Ku
KluX to run tho two parties in those States re-
spectivcly.
Reportcr-Tho kilograms respecting his re.
ccptions have givcn us no indication of what
you claim
Major-The Associated Press reports Of these
Rilairs have been not merely cxecrable; they
have bech studiously misleading and dsin-
genuous, particularly in what they omitted.
The local press of Texas New Orleans, Mobile,
Vicksburg and Memphis, without regard to
politics, have tcemed with pages of details
and columns Of names of tho best citizens
participating in the honors shown General
Grant. Why delegations Of leading Democrats
escorted him, where he received his coored
friends whilst in Now Orleans.
Reporter--Dd not the whites resent his
fraternizing with negroes?
Major-On the contrary, the delegations of
whites and blacks met and arranged u division
OF time between their respective organizations,
so there should be no reason for recrimnation;
In fact, throughout the tour not a single in
stance of incompatibility was exhibited be.
tween the two races.
Reporter-I see tho Washington correspond
ent of New York paper in last Saturdays
issue, iutimates that you represented General
Grant bad got ahead of his rivals, and was
putting in political tour in the south2
Major--I have neither seen nor conversed
with u correspondent since my return on the
contrary, l have pGrsistently refused to ex-
press myself respecting General Grant in the
South to any of the press since my arrival here.
Generals Grant and Longstreet were class.
mates ut West Point, and through their close
relations have for years been treated with
great courtesy by the ex.Presdcnt; therefore
certainly would not have tho bad taste or
bad sense to assume to speak for him when /
have no authority or right to do so.
Reporter-Did General Grant talk politics
BIajor-My intercourse with him was purely
of a social character, and / did not hear him
utter Il word on politics while was with him
He seemed To be deeply concerned for tho
material prosperity of that region, and thought
its good could be effected only by II perfect as
simiation of tho interests Of tho two races
there, intho first place, and the absolute recon.
ciliation of the North and South in tho second.
Roporter-Did he claim that his recollection
would bring this about?
Major-IIe refused absolutely to talk when
his name was mentioned in that connection,
but spoke in tho highest terms OF tho merits
of the various prominent Republicans men
toned as Candidates-in fact. would not per-
nit dsparaging remarks in his presence with
out u rebuke.
Reporter-As fact, Major, do not you, as a
supporter of General Grant resent as insult
ing to public intelligence the anti-third torn
arguments and literature alleged to emanate
from the Sherman and Blaine Bureaus?
Msjor-The methods you speak of arc weak
limitations Of Gramorcy Park politics. and
until 1876 were unknown in party tactics. They
were nearly successful then, because the public
would not believe that Brutus, such as Bris-
tow in the one party, and Tilden in the other
could be found base enough to stab tho CAESARS
of tho respective parties in the back by the
wholesale. Tho people have learned enough
of political anatomy to diagnose the symptoms
OF their favorites when proclaimed unfit for
service, and will not be again deceived by the
crafty and invidous bulletin ORGANIZATIONS
RannrtaP--'Dhnn Nnu 1o mt al, tI,a
sition cause is improved by their bureausP
MaiOr--l know nothing about their methods
do know that the anti-third-torm literature
flooding the country has called forth n uni.
versal protest from Maine to California in the
form of otters to General Grant ropudiatng
the documents and their authors as insulting
to intelligence and patriotism
Reporter-Did not the eX-President express
himself on these aud kindred subjects during
the time you were with him?
AIaior-He did not. Every attempt to got
an expression on them was met with silence,
but / was struck with the precision with which
he went at men and things in the frequent
dcsultory conversations that occurred EN- route,
General Grants three years OF travel have not
been wasted on the external grandeur aud
pagcantry we have read of in his splendid
progress through foreign lands. His wonder.
Iul powers OF quick and retentive observation
have had full play his knowledge of tho ma.
terial conditions of tho so'cnlled common peo.
pie of all nations seems to be more thorough
md exhaustive than of the rulers, emperors,
kings and princes by whom no was so
royalty received, His constant attrition with
great statesmen and ministers like Bea.
cons6eld Gladstone, Gambetta Bismarck,
Prince Yung and Others gave him full insight
into tho mode of government from their alti.
tude, but his own indOmitabe, energetic and
neyer'tirlng disposition sont him into the work.
shops Of the artisans and mechanics, into the
fields and vineyards, into the coal-pits of the
miners and the crowded factories of the opera.
tlves. You ask General Grant what is tho salary
of tho Secretary of State for War in Great
Britain, or tho viceroyalty of India or Ireland,
and he might hesitate for a reply, but ask him
the daily wages Of miner in Cornwall, or an
operative in Manchester, or mechanic at
Kiel or MuIseilles, OF boatman at Hong Kong
or rokio and he will tell you to the hundredth
part Of II cent, and, in addition, what II costs
these same for daily susteuance, clothing,
rent, olo. While in tho South ho utilized
every spare moment in aCquaintng himself
with the actual condition Of affairs in that sec.
tlon. In Texas ho was particularly solicitous
regarding tho early completion of railway con-
nection with our Mexican neghhor us II means
Of building up commercial relations with them.