A report of this speech was sent by a reporter of the press which totally misrepresented the statement of the President in relation to the common schools. He was made to say—“support common schools and none above common schools.” The journals of the country and college presidents took up the subject, believing in the truth of the report sent out by the press and a long and bitter controversy arose. Professor Leonard F. Parker of Iowa College did not believe that the President’s Des Moines speech had been correctly reported and in order to settle the matter he prepared a letter of inquiry to General Grant and procured the signature of Governor Kirkwood to the inquiry in order to make sure of a reply. The following was received by Governor Kirkwood:
- Executive Mansion, Washington,
- November 17, 1875.
- Executive Mansion, Washington,
Hon. S. J. Kirkwood,
- Iowa City, Iowa:
Dear Sir: What I said in Des Moines was hastily noted down in pencil and may have expressed my views imperfectly. I have not the manuscript before me as I gave it to the Secretary of the Society. My idea of what I said is this: “Resolve that the State or Nation or both combined, shall furnish to every child growing up in the land the means of acquiring a good common school education,” etc. Such is my idea and such I intended to have said. I feel no hostility to free education going as high as the State or National Government feels able to provide—protecting, however, every child in the privilege of a common school education before public means are appropriated to a higher education for the few.
- Yours Truly,
- U. S. Grant.
This letter was published by all of the principal journals of the country, but the misrepresentation continued to be spread by a class of persons and journals hostile to the President. Finally to set the matter at rest with all honest people, General L. M. Dayton, Secretary of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee who received the manuscript directly from the hand of General Grant, as he finished his Des Moines address, called attention to the
