The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-15

Reconstruction was dying hard. The
government at Washington losing
sight of the common order of nature.
had invented in its southern policy a
partisan scheme whose enormity could
not survive the normal growth of the
age. History, has established many
gross falsehoods which must be left TO
the alembic of civilization to separate
from the facts of human endeavor.
General Edmund w Pettus was chair
man OF the state convention of the new
democratic and conservative party and
lit was he who moderated and regu-
lated the tone of that noble body of
citizens. All the leaders and practically
all the constituency had been trained
in the trials and Universities of the
armed conflict. Armed, they had been
too much for General Grant in the open
field and fair fight disarmed, they
" ere now nearing the day of their self
redemption from President Grants uses
of civil authority, unsurpassed in its
subservient adherence to the remains
of despotic rulers of antiquity
David P. Lewis was elected COVER
nor of Alabama and President Grant
was reelected to his office on the same
November day, 1872. On the thirteenth
day of December following, Senator An
thony from Rhode Island, republican.
moved that the Senate establish new
standing committee, to be known as the
Committee of Investigation and Re-
trenchment." The committee would In
yestigate and report on such subjects
as the Senate might from time to time
refer to 1T.
| A lately detected incident in the pub
lie situation was the connection of GER
tain officers of the internal revenue,
stationed at St. Louis, with the White
House. and the contribution of those
officers, reaching about s1,000,o00 to
the campaign fund of the party that
had just filled the presidency with Its
candidate.
| When General Grant was besieging
yicksburg he became greatly attached
personally to Brigadier General Nc
Donald. In his first term in the Presi-
dency he sought for a post of patronage
to bestow on this friend. After con-
snltation the two men decided upon the
office of internal revenue collector, the
| headquarters at st. Louis and the ter
| ritory includin gall the area of the val
| ley of the Mississippi river from Chi
cago to New Orleans. All the liquors
| and tobacco of that immense commerce
in those subjects of revenue fell under
| the inspectors supervision in that great
reach of territory. The consequences
was General Mcdonald handled great
sums of public money.
| General Grant still owned the farm
he had once occupied some dozen miles
/ from St. Louis. In his first term he,
accompanied by Mrs. Grant and Secre-
| tary of the Treasury, Borie, went to the
city for the purpose of visiting the
/ farm, operated under his direction,
where he reared fine horses. Mcdonald
and his assistant in his office. young
man, Joyce by name, called on the
| President in the parlors of his hotel the
ev ening of the day of his arrival. Next
morning the President found pair OF
matched horses, worth $4,000, and buggy
waiting his pleasure to drive himself,
/ as he was noted horseman, 10 the
| farm. The pair belonged to General
Mcdonald Upon his return from his
drive the President assured Mcdonald
that he had been on the lookout for
Just such a pair of light harness horses
and authorized him to purchase them
! when found at a limit not to exceed
$500.
Mcdonald, on a salary of $4,000 and
Joyce on $500, at once resolved to send
the $4,000 horses to Washington as a
present to the President They pur-
chased a buggy of becoming style TO
go with the horses. They procured TO
be made on their order the harness
needed All the mounting of the har-
ness was gold washed. They bought
the handsome whip on the market and
| had solid gold bands made TO replace
| ThaX obtained n
| special freight car and filed 1t out with
padded walls and other appointments
of safety for the horses. on the car
they placed horses. buggy. harness and
a man to care for the property. The car
and contents were consigned TO the
President at Washington. Later Nc
Donald visited the President and was
invited by Mrs Grant for an afternoon
drive The gift horses were used and
Mrs. Grant employed the opportunity
| to assure her companion, the donor, or
the Presidents preference for them
over all others In the White House
| stables
The agitation In the Senate and in
the press led to a judicial proceeding
Mcdonald and Joyce and three other
citizens, one an editor in st. Louis, were
sentenced to the penitentiary.
In all the session of Congress of the
year 1872, prior to the election, violent
debate prevailed In the enorts 10 en-
act race equality legislation to secure
the southern states for Grants re-elec-
ton. Knowledge of these events is es-
sential to an understanding OF the
things that followed in Alabama.
Several months before the state cleo
ton. federal troops were stationed at
various points This interference was
I'm the interest of Senator Spencer,
whose six years term in office would
expire March 4 1873. To retain the
nlace he must secure the legislature
He was supported by the national ma
chinery that controlled the Grant
campaign. Besides, on his own account
he derived from the government funds
I'm the hands of the internal revenue
Officers the Mobile custom house and
the postmaster at Mobile large sums.
The climax of systematized poliu-
ton of elections and INSCRIPTIONS
prostitution of public office was
reached in the election of Governor
Lewis.
In this election year, 1872, man calling
himself James S. Perrin came from the
west to hold federal office In Alabama
by the patronage of Senator Spencer. tie
stopped in Monroe county and spencer
=