Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-02-26
ARP AND MRS. GRANT.
Bill Ia Glad TO See the widow wst
coined by the South.
She Is Southern woman-She owned
Slaves Until Abolition-Her Husband
Was Democrat and Arp Re-
msmbers Him kindly.

we are pleased TO read ABOUT the COT
dial, friendly greeting that our people are
giving to Mrs. General Grant. / sysps
thise with her specially because she came
into this sin-struck world the same year
and month that 1 did and was born and
raised in Dixie and inherited about the
same number of slaves that my wife did
and lived off their hire up to the day Of
Lihcoln's proclamation of freedom In
1868, and then lost them and got no pay
for them, just as my wife lost hers. But
there is one little difference Mrs. Grant
Is drawing a pension of 5000 year
and my poor wife isn't drawing anything.
Mrs. Grant is Southern woman and
her sympathies were with our people until
the fortunes of war drifted her lord and
master the other way. A professional
soldier will generally fight for the best
pay and the highest promotion when other
influences are equally balanced; for in.
stance, when he lives along the dividing
line and has interests on both sides of it.
am glad our people honored Mrs. Grant,
for her husband was at the last kind to
the South and dared to shield us from the
tyranny of our conquerers. He had no
revenges, no malice, but acted the soldier
pure and simple. From the day that Lin
coin called him from his brothers lanyard
at Galena he never showed brutality or
hatred to our people. In fact he was nat
urally a kind-hearted man and his COM
rades loved him. Our own Gen. Long
street was his intimate friend in the old
army and helped him win his wife, and
has always defended him. The Northern
Republicans never admired him, for he
was a Democrat and a slave-owner, and
after the war was over he would not let
them confscate our property and grind
us into the dust. Up to this day they
have not been able or willing to raise the
money to build monument to his men,
ory. 1t is curious that Grant and Lin
coin, the two greatest factors in the war,
were men with Southern sympathies and
had Southern wives and who repeatedly
declared that so far as they were con-
cerned the negro was not in it. Lincoln
said that if he could save the Union with.
out freeing q slave he would do it. No
body believes this except those who know
It. The negroes do not believe it. Eng
land does not believe it, but contributed
freely 20 Lincoln's monument that repre-
sents him striking the shackles from the
slaves 1t is astonishing how long 1t
takes to get the truth of history, but
sooner or later it comes out. We are not
lamenting the results of the war, espe-
cially not lamenting the freedom of the
slaves, but we have all these years 'suf-
fered from SANDER and false accusation,
and we rejoice that the truth is gradually
taking hold of the Northern mind. SLAM
der runs race and truth moves slow,
but it catches up. This reminds me that
an educated Englishman told my son that
for all these years he thought our civil
war was between North and South
America
A brighter day is dawning. When we
see New England mills breaking up and
coming South it is sign that their
people no longer believe us to be bar
barians, but are willing to cast their
fortunes in the South. Without cring-
ing to their superior wealth we give
cordial welcome to all who dare to come
/ met a Cape Cod Yankee here who is
as friendly as a brother and is delighted
with the South and her people and re-
grets that he has invested money in
the Northwest. He has purchased prop
erty here and is building winter home
on the bay and the fun of it is the first
thing he did was to dig a cellar. what
Is that for?" said 1. "Well, we always
have a cellar up North" said he. 1--WE
couldent keep house without a cellar"
He has stored apples and potatoes and
turnips so long in a cellar that he thinks
he must have one. Said he would have
it.
from the outer world and is off the great
but when found the visitor
is content. We are all calm and serene
and are more amused than concerned
about politics. If the laws of trade take
all gold to England let it go. Then we
can run silver l reckon. 1 wouldent
issue any more bonds payable in gold.
1t is another miserable makeshift. The
of the national government
has brought about this disgraceful condi-
tion of affairs and maybe a genaral bust
up will help Us. Our government is Just
like a man who is every year spending
more than his income and keeps on bor-
rowing from Peter to pay Paul and CIV
ing another mortgage to make up the
deficit. Legislation won't pay debts nor
raise prices. Then let the old ship run
on to the breakers if she wants to. As
Cobe says: IT'S all optionary with me. /"
Let us swap politicians for New England
mills, as your paper said last week. Poli-
ticians are frauds. Tom Reed tells us
that personally he is for one thing and
politically he is for another That ID
politics. He would see the country damn
ed If it would damn the Democratic party.
Have we no statesmen who will rise
above these petty animosities? Do all
the Republicans want a protective tariff
and a gold standard? Are these strictly
party questions or are they great ma
tional questions? But why discuss the
modern politician, the selfish creature
who will promise everything for votes
Already have they established paternal-
ism as a fixture upon government and
millions are spent to catch the popular
ear and satisfy the popular greed. How
can this government much longer stand
the plunder of her Treasury?
But must stop ruminating upon these
things. They disturb my tranquility. ]