The Wilmingtonian., 1885-10-31
Wholesale DEFAMATION.

fortune of Gen. Grant to be in command Of
the Federal forces at the time of the col
lapse Of the Southern Confederacy, and as
the opposing forces were equally tired of
the conflict a final cessation of hostilities
was regarded as godsend by the entire peo-
pie, and as General Grant at this opportnne
moment, was the Commanding General he
naturally received the title of the conquering
hero.
The war terminated under Gen. Grantand
no one would detract one iota from the mill
tary record, but the impartial historian il
Difference to the truth, will be compelled to
state that as President Of tho United States,
and as a business man be was a signal fail
ure.
The venality and unbridled iicentiousness
in high places, encouraged by President
Grants administration, is of too fresh re-
membrance to need recalling. After Secre-
tary Belknap had been ind icted for robbing
the Indian agencies he resigned his Secre-
taryshp in order to offset his impeachment.
President Grant wrote this note:-
My Dear Belknap:
81 aceeps your resignation wiM re.
gret."
President Grants order to Gen. de Trio
brand to forcibly eject enough Democratic
members Of the Louisiana Legislature to in
sure Kellogg's return to the United States
Senate, is not only matter Of history, but
tits also the blacklist page of history ever
made by the ruler of Republic. At no
time within the past three hundred years
could king on the English throne have is
sued to one of his provinces, an order like
unto which President Grant issued to Gen.
de Trioband, which would have cost the
king not only his throne but also his
head.
The record of President Grant and the
record of ex- President Grant as a member
of the Grant W ard Combination is utterly
indefensible.
But to return to the Grant-Depew mat.
ter. Gen. Grant stated according to De-
pew, that president johnson in early life
was poor and had been a journeyman tai
lor." 1t is admitted, but is it not equally
true that Lincoln and Garfield, two of the
nobest and grandest characters of Ameri-
can history, were of equally humble origin
as johnson. 1t is true that Johnson's early
life was thorny in the extreme but it lily
---s-.----.---
becomes General Grant to Especially embla-
zon this point to the world when as mat
ter of record U. S. Grants family for a
score of years ate the bread Of charity be.
cause Of the dissoute habits Of the head Of
that household.
The testimony Of those now living who
were personally cognizant OF the history OF
the reconstruction period hurl back with
Indignation the imputaLion which the
Grant -Depew-after .dinner-talll placed upon
the memory of ex-PresidenU johnson.
Ex-Speaker Samuel ]. Randall says
-" must say that I never heard Of the
" scheme of a rump Congress which Mr..
Chauncey M, Depew represents President
" johnson as suggesting or being ready to
adopt saw him almost daily during that
"period and was as intimate with him as
" an active member of Congress of my par.
"ty naturally would be. do not believe
that he or any one else ever thought oil
g such thing, much less suggested that it
twas practical or should be carried out.
Whatever faults President johnson may
" have had, he was patriotic man, who
" had no idea OF going outside the Law to
attain his desires in the reconstruction OF
'' the seeded States"
Gen. Grant charged that President John
son was conspiring to seize the capitol in
the interests of the South, and thus instt-
tute second rebelion-to this accusation
Gen. Sherman has thus replied;
never understood General Grant to
express any fear that Mr.. johnson con
g ternplated any violence. Mr.. johnson
" firmly believed that the constitution and
" the laws then existing were all sufficient
g for the reconstruction of the Southern
States. Congress thought otherwise !
"repeat again that there was no violence
" intended. Everybody was sick and tired
" Of war. Nobody tho 1ght of fighting ex-
" cept on paper. There was no national
"perIl at that time-no more danger than
"there is now"
The Philadelphia Times an ardent admirer
of Gen. Grant says:
mo substantial benefits to the memory
of Grant will result from the Depew letter.
There-is basis of truth in each of the sew
eral points made by Mr., Depew, but it is
well known to the many yet living Witness
es Of the events of that day, that the details
are so highly colored that they are not enti-
tied to credit. 1t will settle nothing in his
tory, for every point made by Mr. Depew is
disputed by well sustained authority. The
/ fact thar Col Fred Grant has endorsed Do