The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-05-30
THE ATTACK on GRANT.

"who steals my purse steals trash; it's some
thing, nothing.
But he that f,lches from me my good name,
Robs me Of that which not enriches him,
And makes me peer indeed"
Did We believe General Grant In any man.
ner dishonest; did We consider It possible
that to acquire money unworthily he should
lend his name and fame to enterprises aud
transactions, We would not only refrain from
. word In his defense, but be among those TO
condemn unhssitatingly 50 great debass-
ment. For It 10 not only his good name and
fame he carries; his life Is so inwrought
with that Of American achievements and
American history, so identified With that OF
every soldier he led to battle, and that Of
every citizen Of this Republic over whose
destinies he presided for eight years, that his
life, his reputation and his acts belong TO the
country, We would each share bis shame as
We share his henors, and he would be most
reprehensible indeed II BY any act of intent
be should bring the blush Of humiliation to
the cheek Of comrads or citizen. But 1t 10
faith In the man whose fair integrity has
never been justly sssailed, and In his apprs.
citation Of his position before the world, that
leads rs TO resent the light use Of his name
BY the many thoughtless and the malicious
ISLANDERS OF the few vindictive persons who,
when his fortunes are irretrisvably ruined;
when his children are pennilsss, and when
his wife with him insists on yielding up
every dollar Of their property In satisfaction
OF creditors; when distress and grief have
possession Of their hearts and oil the future
IL ciouded, would lay upon him the heavy
hand Of Islander, and take from him and his
their good name and reputation. 1t 10 not
only unjust, but cruelty, msrcilessly wrong,
TO lightly assail . mans reputation. 1t ID
we'll written that the loss Of purse ID nothing
- compared with theft Of good name. Gen.
sral Grant has bsen, - every business man
ID liable to be, unfortunate In business; but
we'll established facts, aside from the general
principle Of giving every man the presump-
tion Of Innocence until proven guilty, should
have shielded him from aspsrsien until Il
was shown that he had done wrong. II 10
Q matter Of commen notoriety that his busi-
ness ventures we're never successful. Il ID
a we'll known that his faith In one hs trusts
ID never clouded. This contributed to his
success In war, and TO the embarrassments
Of his administration In times Of peacs. Sue
cseding his rstirsment from public life, his
sons coming 70 business ysars, engaged in
banking In New York, and entered into part
nsrship with Ferdinand Ward. The Grants
invested all their fortunes In the operations
Of the banks 1t appeared 70 pay well and
they were content. Even atsr It was hope
lessly gone, General Grant borrowed s15o,000
from Vanderbilt TO tide 1t over some pres
sure that was misrepresented to him, and
put that with what had gone before. The
bank failed for millions, and Ferdinand Ward
turns out 10 have bsen an unprincipisd per-
son, who not only deceived bis patrons, but
his partners. His operations carried down
James b. Fish, President Of the Marine Bank,
Who, like Grant, trusted In Ward, and the
bank went with him. Fish intimated that |
be had been encouraged In his confidence BY
General Grant, and would give TO the press
duplicating letters which had passed between
hem. In anticipation OF this disclosure, |
before II was made or there was knowledge |
hat Il would impllcats him, the food Of cen.
lure opened on General Grant. The lettsn |
hat have been DO far published do not sus-
ain even suspicion that General Grant do |
seived or misled Fish, but that he merely
Expressed his confidence In the firm Of Grant
, Ward, = any business man would In I
Bank In which be had confidence, and In