The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-11-24
The Ex President Defends Him
Self.
From the sunday Murcury Nov. 1s.

\ reportsr called upon sen. Grant
a. hi, Office in Fort Sherman" .
Wall street. and inquired OF him IS to
TIE truth Of the story. The ex-Presi-
dens replied CURLY, but indignantly,
that theIe was nor an atom Of truth IL
it. Questioned a. to his rumorei
financial relations with Senator Cha1fcc
Ii IS 4 lie"
A Republican who was with Grant
~hea he first sax the article. aud wh2
called his attention to il, said to the
reporter: = asked Grant wheeler liz
had read a Washington letter III tae
TrtEuao which bal reflected upon him
self. lie said he had not. | handed
him the paper and called bis a~tteatiou
to the closing paraghTaph a. embracing
all that VS. Or special interest. lie
sat down, put On hHs speCtacics 1T q
fresh cigar, rud then began to read.
leisurely. every Inc and word. had
always found him a man whom moth
ing could disturb; bat now, for the
first time. saw him upset. As lie
went on "ith the reading his face grew
pale, his teeth were clenched, and his
hands quivered with rage. | never
saw a madden man in nv life. Three
o. four times he brought hi,creat hand
down heavily upon the desk before him
and declared with hoarse en- phasis
that it was a lie, every word Of it.
After he had read the entire article he
asked me if be might have i. bst
changing his mind, returned it, saying
he would buy a Tribune. | know the
author and the source IF bis inspiration.
That letter did not come from Wash
ington," continued the .Uurcuty infor
mant, Il believe, myself, that Blaine
wrote it.
The correspondence has his ear
marks throughout. 1t j. evidently
written by some one who knows some
thing of the presidents intentions and
future Cabinet plans. Certainly the
man who concocted it is Thoroughly
posted in State Department, matters,
and knows what missions and consulatex
are now vacant or will be available
soon. No n except somebody who
had to do with diplomatic matters could
have inspired this correspondence.
For these reasons | don't hesitate to
say hat Blaine wrote or inspired the
| IItJnne article. He was a. the Fifth
Avenue Hotel the day it was written
aud the day it appeared, and this coin
cidence is at least remarkable. You
see, BlsiRe wants his revenge for being
forced to leave the Cabinet. Il &C
knowledge remarked Grant, that /
have said that [ wanted to see Blaine
out of the Cabinet, and | do wish it.
He is bad mans He has shown him
IL - TC Ma, ,+l,,
wants to have the res pect Of the mass
of the people, he cannot too soon rid
himself Of this demagogae. | ana glad
to know that he is to 60, and | would
just as lief that everybody should know
my sentiments on this subject. He
thinks to take = double revenge for
his dismissal from Office by attacking
the President over Grants shoulders.
This is his favorite method of warfare.
He never dares to speak out openly
and boldly, but he crawls up to an
e.eny's back in cowardly fashion and
stabs him from behind. The soos-r
nan as that the better. No matter
who succeeds him, a verse mar cannot
be appointed til the position
Il asked Gen. Grant why it was that
the Tribune lent itself to such a method
Of warfare. He said That is the most
Interesting part of the affair, and | re
greet that [ do not feel at liberty to
speak of it just now. [ can only do so
in self-defence, as it involves others.
This much | viii say, however. During
the past six weeks certain friends or
the Tribune have been to me repeatedly
to ask my good Offices to intercede for
them with President Arthur. These
gentlemen said that the Tribune people
desired to place themselve, in harmony
with the President, as they had been
with Mr.. Garfield. In case this could
be done, they are ready to desert the
Half Breed flag, and to give the Ad-
ministratien their most cordial and
hearty support. 1t was a complete
surrender-unconditional, indeed. Al!
that they wanted was to be recognized
at Washington-that and a share of
the loaves and fishes. [ suppose. The
details of this matter, if published,
would be anything out agreeable to the
paper that has lent its colums for Mr..
Blaine's assault upon the President and
myself, and if the attack is repeated
they are likely to be given to the
public
AT this PointI asked the e1-Pre.i-
dent whether he had taken any steps
to bring about a reconciliation. No
sir, he replied, with an emphasis that
fairly startled me. Do YOU think I
eoald do anything for a newspaper thai
eoolly proposed my assassination p
'Here Grants rage reached a high
pitch, and hif foot came down with a
pressure that made the pens dance or
his desk"