"By so doing we should honor ourselves in our to-be national horse, through 

 three of the greatest names our country has possessed. 



"First comes that of General U. S. Grant, known and respected by all of the 

 nations of the earth, also loved by over fifty millions of people as no other great 

 captain ever was. On the maternal side we have the General and ex-President in 

 Jackson, who knew no fear; and in Henry Clay, a statesman without a peer. It is 

 a singular coincidence that we should have these three immortal, national names 

 attached to representative horses direct from the primitive horse, and independent 

 of any other nation, from which and upon which to found and create 'The National 

 Thoroughbred Trotting-bred Horse of America," General Grant, Andrew Jackson 

 and Henry Clay. 



"Another disadvantage we have labored under: A sporting nature has grown 

 and been cultivated by our young men during the war, which settled largely on trot- 

 ting horses. The demand for trotters was great, with prospective large returns 

 from their breeding. Hundreds of gentlemen of means, but in every other way un- 

 fitted, purchased land and began the breeding of horses. 



"Brood stock was selected by prejudice or fancy, without cultured ability for 

 understandingly investigating the reputed breedings, through which to rate blood in- 

 fluences for desired results. In short, the name was the governing power, blood 

 and breeding being of minor importance. 



"Horses of all classes were exceedingly scarce, and the demand was so great 

 that venturers in breeding, in haste to get rich, thought more of prospective large 

 money returns from their investments than of future advantages to the country 

 through improved blood values. Prejudice swayed the breeding and buying public, 

 so that after twenty-five years of unparalleled production of horses, as to numbers, 

 we find the country flooded with mongrels, scarce worth the raising, and from which 

 we are unable to select a reliable, self-sustaining, reproducing type. 



"Our constant importation of stock horses from France, Scotland, England, 

 and even German-Prussia, has not mended matters, but has still further mongrelized 

 our bloods, because we have used them for crosses, rather than inbreeding each type 

 to itself. 



"If the different horses we continue to import have special merit to warrant 

 such importations, why not breed them pure; then with our superior advantages in 

 soil and climate, eclipse our cis-Atlantic neighbors in the growing of their own types? 

 Poor America ! When will she arise to the privilege and dignity of breeding her own 

 national type? The National Journal advocates of a name, seeing the mistake they 

 had made in so strongly sympathizing with public prejudice in favor of that name, 

 now began to print 'cross and out-cross,' which was soon taken up by the people, who 

 wanted to know what they should 'cross and out-cross' with. This was soon fixed 

 for another deal, and the theory of thoroughbred running-horse blood was blazoned 

 on the 'out-cross' banner. By using it, the broken-down race-horse stallions, also 

 weeds from that type, would be got rid of among the unsuspecting yeomanry, only, 

 however, to entail another drawback to successful breeding of a 'national horse.' 

 And thus the attempt by a single individual for good general results became a most 

 stupendous undertaking. However, my faith was great, for I did know; and the 

 resolve being made, I did begin; believing there were plenty of men in the country 

 who would co-operate with me in this attempt. 



"Kentucky had a great prestige in her brood mares, and sporting journals harped 

 the string, 'cross and out-cross,' urging the use of broken-down thoroughbred run- 

 ning horses as stallions. 



"That others valued Arabian blood as I did, v/as evident from occasional impor- 

 tation of it; but in no case can I remember their use being credited. From 1840 to 

 i860 I knew of quite a number so imported, two standing at Boston, three in New 

 Jersey, three in Maryland, two in Virginia, and four in Kentucky. 



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