Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-11-08
A Visit to Mrs. Polk, OF Nashville.

Correspondent Cincinnati Enquirer,l
| expected to see in Mrs. Polk, the
widow Of the tenth President, feeble
old lady, from whom the world had
grown coldly away; who would be com
pletely lost in the fog of universal for
getfulness, but for the rare grandeur
attaching to the name Of her illus
trious husband, But the citizen who
showed me the house rendered the in
formation, shes as lively as a crick-
ct, and emphasized with that laugh
so peculiarly African. The house in
which ex.Prosident Polk used to live,
and where she yet lives, once in the
outskirts; but now enyironed by busi.
ness blocks and busy streets, where
the noise Of perpetual footballs never
ceases the quaint residence that
might be mistaken for almost any kind
OF a public building, has been so often
described that repetition would be
superAuous.
After sending my card, the room to
which | was conducted to await her
coming, might have been mistaken for
an artists studio. The wall was
adorned with some royal paintings;
much Of the furniture was of the sub
stantial make Offifty years age, but the
apartment was furnished with elegance
and taste. The venerable lady APP
peared with stately, but elastic step
and in her cordial greeting there was
a touch of magic. | was delighted to
find her faculties unimpaired and her
recollection of the brightest years in
American history as clear as bell.
1t is not difficult to understand even
now how Mrs. Polk gave additional
luster to a most successful administra-
ton. IF ever l travel" she said, II
will surely visit Washington. 1t is
associated with all my memories that
are most pleasant. l lived there
during the fourteen years of Mr..
Folks Congressional career. The
country was wonderfully prosperous,
making its greatest development; the
Oregon question and the questions
eliminating in and growing out of the
Mexican war were all amicably set
tied, | recollect, with rapture. When
your countrymen," she continued,
while her eyes sparkled with pride,
become history writing and his.
tory reading public, full justice will be
given to the administration Of Presi.
dent Polk. Ii will appear especially
bright. The breakers it avoided,
the molding of public senti
ment, the wise shaping of government
and cur judicious extension of our
territory will all appear in bold re-
lief"
Speaking Of the assassination of
President Garfield, she said: 1T is
seldom in the history of the world that
so cruel an act has occurred. 1t is
inexpressibly sad. To hear the
avowed cause of his death, to examine
the motive Of that miserable creature,
the assassin, freezes US with horror" "
| alluded to the strong expressions Of
sympathy which came from the South.
'The Southern people" she respond
ed, "are of strong and noble impulses
they are Americans. We have a
united country, and have had since
the surrender, which was in good
faith"
"Do you think the Southern people
feared those who combatted President
Garfield, within his OWE party2"
Fear exerted no influence in the
expressions and sentiment of the
Southern people. They were over.
whelmed with sorrow and shame, in
which possibly entered to a certain
degree feeling Of disgust, that tn,
President Of the republic-theil
country-should have been strucl
down in so wicked and brutal {
manner"
After bidding Mrs. Polk and he
niece, Miss Childers, adieu, the write
strolled for few moments through
the grounds, read the inscription upoI
the vault, and then stepped upon tn,
street, feeling that Nashville was
real pleasant place to spend a pleasan
day.