Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-08-04
0bc Cantaster 1ntelli9e,,fcr.
LANCASTER, AUGUST 4, 1856.


The story goes that Colonel Frank A. |
Burr, who is writing an interesting and
valuable book about General Grant, wrote
asking Parson Newman to furnish him
an account of the death-bed scene and that
he enclosed $3.50 remuneration. The par
son accepted the work and the money,
which latter he treated as retainer, though
he had not witnessed the death. If
this story is not true it ought to be. 1t is
at least characteristic of one the most
obvious and transparent of the many
frauds and humbugs who had for many
years hung to the skirts of General Grant.
If Newman will only take the money, and
write nothing the publishers, Colonel
Burr and the readers of his book will be
fortunate in escaping such blot.
1t is almost impossible to believe that
any such man could maintain himself for
30 many years even with man of the
simplicity which was General Grants dis
tinguished Characteristic. Few men did
more to discredit General Grants civil
career than this clerical mountebank.
Fastening himself upon him soon after he
became president, he simply used his
clerical position to promote his own selfish
ends. His sermons were always travesty
upon religion, ard his methods disgrace.
He became the originator, the abettor, or
apologist for everything bad in the politics
of the reconstruction period, and finally
used his clerical influence TO secure his own
appointment as an inspector of consulates''
"a position for which he had no fitness.
But even Newman came to the end of
his string after time. The retirement of
General Grant from the presidency took
away his only source of power, and
! he was compelled to look around him
After drifting about for a time he went tC
New York, took off one coat and put or
another, and 10! he stood out transformed
from minister of one denomination, into
minister of another. Soon his new con.
gregation began to tire of him and it wa:
not long until he had involved himself in {
i,smost disgraceful squabble. Thus another
/. was lost and Newman cas-
bout him again. About this time til,
81 Arng rich son of California politician
A funeral sermon was wanted ant
<ssakssSewman furnished one to order, which, il
it had been pronounced over the body O
Julius Cesar, would have been th'
most fusome fiattery. But all the sons o.
rich men do not die, nor can poor people pa.
extravagant rates for funeral services. S,
Newman again cast his anchor to the wind
ward.
About this time General Grant fell i'll
and Newman hastened to New York. Her
heagain foisted himself upon the man he ha,
done SO much to discredt. And from tina
day to this he has been able to thrust hi
noisome parsonage before the public. Lout
and vulgar, he has hesitated at nothing
which could bring him into notoriety. AL
ways mountehank, he has made religion
byword and has been able by his inheren
! lack of taste to bring discredit upon grea
sorrow.
For General Grants death there is uni
versal mourning and for his family univer
sal sympathy. But these can not be made
to include such man as this. 1t is time
something was done to relieve the country
of the only discreditable feature. Let hin
deliver his sermon, when and how he may
This much can scarcely be hindered now
But, this done, it is to be hoped that somt
sort of retreat may be found in which thi!
disgusting person may bury himself forever
from further view.