349. ULYSSES S. GRANT Fine content A.L.S. on the blank leaf of a letter sent to him, 3pp. overall, [New York], Dec. 8, 1881, in which Grant replies to a letter complaining of government employees writing articles defaming the ex-president and his administration. The letter, penned by one Lewis Buckner, is 2pp. 8vo., was written from Washington on Dec. 7, 1881 and reads, in part: "...I enclose you a slip [included] cut from the Louisville Courier Journal...The writer of the article is a Mrs. Snead...She has a daughter, who sometimes writes for the same paper...these two women are now employed in the Treasury Dept., and have been ever since Mr. [Benjamin] Bristow was the Sec'y of the Treasury. They have persistently abused you, Mr. Conkling, and Gen. [Chester B.] Arthur, until he came to the Presidency. These persons are but the instruments of Justice [James] Harlan...[they] have made it a point never to omit to say anything disrespectful about you...". On the attached leaf Grant responds with a veiled hint that he may arrange the termination of the commentators: "Dear Judge, I send you this letter & enclosure confidentially. I know the character of the letter written by the two women Snead...but I did not know they were receiving pay from the Government in addition to what they make as correspondents. I venture to say they return but little service to the Government for what they receive...". Light soiling and a marginal tear to Buckner's letter, Grant's reply on the attached leaf is very good. $1,000 - 1,500