The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-05
NEW STORY ABOUT GRANT

u uuSe Ac0IdN, DIS tiley Call the PAS
tor of the Christian church at Fitzger-
aid, the new town started by a Grand
Army colony down in Georgia, tells
good story about General Grant,
which shows that the great commander
had a tender heart.
@ @ @
The judge is a southerner, and he
sided with the confederates, but when
the war ended he quit fighting and ac-
copied the new order of things in good
faith.
In point of fact, he joined the Re
publican party, and became a man of
considerable influence in local political
circles.
One of his neighbors was preacher,
who boosted that he was an unrecon-
structed rebel. He was on very friend
ly terms with McGraw, but was al
ways lecturing him for abandoning the
regard it as his special mission to make
it hot for the new convert.
9 g g
The judge stood a good deal, for old
acquaintance sake, and because he re-
ally liked his friend, who was at heart
a clever man with many admirable
qualities.
Andrew Johnson went out, and Cen
eral Grant was elected president, re-
|
support of McGraw.
Shortly after the election the seces-
sion preacher visited his neighbor and
had an earnest talk with him.
Il am not willing" he said. Ito live
in this country under a government
with General Grant at it's head
What do you propose to do?" asked
his friend.
Il shall take my family" was the re-
ply, land settle in Brazil. 1t is a fine
country and slavery is still in exist
ence there. l shall buy a coffee plan
tation and become a citizen of that
country. An emperor like Dom Pedro
is better than General Grant
McGraw argued with him long ant
earnestly, but he could not persuade
the confederate sympathizer to change
his mind.
The bitter southerner carried out hi
resolution. He sold his property, anC
with his wife and children went to Bra
zil, after strongly advising his associ
ates to follow his example.
This voluntary exile seemed to thinl
: that he was doing a very patriotic an,
cOmmendable thing, and he went off il
, a proud and even happy mood.
+ Judge McGraw at that time had no
entered the ministry. He remained q
: home engaged in business and politics
and in the course of time became we
acquainted with President Grant an
a strong friendship grew up betwee
! the two.
. At the end of three or four years ba
: news came from Brazil The preache
/ had beer the victim of various misfol
= tunes. He and his family were mad
:, to feel that they were strangers in
o strange land, and the Brazilians di
9 not treat them well.
= The new settlers were SWindled an
;, oppressed, and in their ignorance {
- the language, laws and customs of tt
. country they had no redress. Shaver
- was abolished soon after their arr
y val, and they had to utilize free negl
. labor.
e The exile worked manfully, but /
lost money on every hand, cOntracte
debts, and finally he was Mortified
. find he was utterly helpless.
= His creditors had no pity. They pc
- secuted the unfortunate man; sold h
- property, and under the law sold hi
=, and his wife and children into pen
- servitude for term of years, or Uni
their Indebtedness was settled.
This was the sad story which can
= to McGraw in q letter stained wi
tears.
Or with the help of God and Gener
N Grant, [ will save those peoplei" e
claimed the judge when he read t
n letter, and he kept his word.
n He went to Washington and called
is the White House.
es Without concealing single fact,
We gave q clear account of the whole ca!
rs The president was frankly told tn
)y the preacher had opposed reconstru
IS, ton and had left the country becau
L. -,.,Io 70 10
Nv willing to live under the administr
ou ton of a Union commander who h
ne received the surrender of Lee at A
ef pomattox, thus compelling the CO
eo quest of the south. He was also tC
Lr- the facts about the mans charact
er birth and family connections, and
OF strong plea was made for his wife a
IN daughters, who had been forced
s. share his hard fate;
ny Tears came into Grants eyes, So
RS the judge in giving an account of
nix interview. land he brought his t
ur down on his desk and exclaimed: 81
d a shame, McGraw, and / am det
We mined to get those people out of tn
Oh trouble
,r Judge McGraw went on to say IL
no the president went to work and c.
ad responded with the proper authorit
on in Brazil, and out of his own priv;
NJ funds furnished the money necesss
les to secure the release of the prison
hit and pay their way hack to their
home in the south, which they reach
It'll at last, broken in health, but hap
to find themselves under the old
lc- which they had once hated q
no scorned.
&c, That's the kind of man CIR;
zen was" concluded the judge. CAS- 81
ng as he understood the situation of
81 old enemy he sympathized with
hi as he would with "a brother, and ne
in rested until he had rescued him fr
M his Wretched bondage He had a
asst heart, and many a southerner found
ng out Wallace Putnam Reed in c
cry cage Times Herald