有关与英语学习计划的诗歌

VOICEONE:

　　THEMAKINGOFANATION--aprograminSpecialEnglish.

　　(MUSIC)

　　UlyssesGrant

　　UlyssesGrantwaselectedPresidentoftheUnitedStatesineighteensixty-eight.GrantwasthemilitaryheroofAmerica'sCivilWar.HeledUniontroopsoftheNorthtovictoryoverConfederatetroopsoftheSouth.

　　Grantwasextremelypopular.Buthewasamuchbettergeneralthanpolitician.Aspresident,itwasnotlongbeforehegotintotroubleinthebattlesofpoliticsandgovernment.

　　I'mFrankOliver.Today,LarryWestandIreportonthefirstadministrationofUlyssesGrant.

　　VOICETWO:

　　Grantresignedfromthearmytorunforpresident.However,heranonhisrecordasawinninggeneral.Letushavepeace,heoftensaid.Andthepeoplebelievedhewouldguaranteepeace.

　　Infact,Grantguaranteednothing.Asapresidentialcandidate,heofferednonewnationalprograms.So,aspresident,hehadnonewpoliciestocarryout.HehadfewstruggleswithCongress,becauseherarelyaskedCongresstodoanything.

　　ManyeventstookplaceduringGrant'stwoadministrations.Butheusuallywasnotinvolveddirectly.Hehadproblemsonlybecausehewaslinkedindirectlytothemenwhowereresponsible.

　　VOICEONE:

　　OneofPresidentGrant'sfirstproblemswascausedbytwoofhisfriends.Theytriedtotakecontrolofthegoldmarket.ThemenwereJayGouldandJamesFisk.Bothwereextremelyrich.

　　GouldandFiskdevelopedaplantobuyalargepartofthenation'sgoldsupplywhenthepricewaslow.Theywouldholdthegolduntildemandgreatlyincreasedtheprice.Thentheywouldsellitandmakealotofmoney.

　　Tobesuccessful,theyhadtopreventthegovernmentfromsellinggoldonthemarket.Governmentsalesofgoldwouldkeepthepricedown.So,GouldandFiskurgedPresidentGranttostoptheTreasuryDepartmentfromselling

　　gold.Grantrefusedtogivethemafirmpromise.

　　VOICETWO:

　　ThetwomenbroughtoneofGrant'srelativesintotheirplan.Theypaidhimtowritealettertothepresident.Itaskedthepresidenttohaltgovernmentsalesofgold.

　　AmessengertookthelettertotheWhiteHouse.HethensentatelegramtoJamesFisksayingtheletterhadbeendelivered.Thetelegramsaid:Letterdelivered,allright.FiskthoughtthismeantthatPresidentGranthadagreedtohaltgovernmentsalesofgold.Sohebeganbuyinggoldinhugeamounts.

　　Fiskwaswrong.Thewordsallrightmeantonlythattheletterhadbeendelivered.TheydidnotmeanthatGranthadagreedtotheplan.Infact,Grantdidnotagree.HeorderedtheTreasuryDepartmenttosellgoldtoblocktheattemptbyGouldandFisktocontrolthegoldmarket.

　　VOICEONE:

　　TheresultwasthatJamesFiskandJayGouldlostagreatamountofmoney.Sodidotherbusinessmenandbankers.ManyAmericansblamedPresidentGrantfornotactingquicklyenoughtostoptheactivityofhistwofriends.

　　ConcernaboutGrantgrewafteranotherincidentwasreportedattheNewYorkcustomsoffice.TwoofGrant'sfriendstherebecameinvolvedinaplantogetmoneyfromimporters.Theyusedtheirofficialpositionstoearnhuge

　　amountsofmoney.

　　VOICETWO:

　　Grantalsowascriticizedforoneofhisfewindependentactionsaspresident.HetriedtobuytheDominicanRepublicintheCaribbean.

　　Theislandnationwasruledbyadictator,BuenaventuraBaez.BaezwassodishonestthatthepeopleoftheDominicanRepublicwerereadytooverthrowhim.Beforethiscouldhappen,heofferedtosellhiscountrytotheUnitedStates.

　　WhenGrantreceivedtheoffer,hesentaWhiteHouseofficialtonegotiatewithBaez.TheofficialreturnedwithatreatygivingtheDominicanRepublictotheUnitedStatesforone-and-one-half-milliondollars.Grantimmediately

　　sentAmericanwarshipstotheDominicanRepublic.HewantedtokeepBaezinpoweruntilthetreatywascompleted.

　　GrantaskedtheSenatetoapprovethetreaty.Manysenatorsopposedit.TheysaidtakingcontroloftheDominicanRepublicwouldcosttoomuchmoney.TheyalsosaiditwasabadideafortheUnitedStatestotakecontrolofanynationinthecaribbean.

　　PresidentGrantwenttotheCapitolbuildinghimselftourgesenatorstoapprovethetreaty.Hiseffortsfailed.Thetreatywasdefeated.

　　VOICEONE:

　　Grant'sbiggestnationalproblemwasthepoliticalsituationintheformerrebelstatesofthesouth.

　　AftertheCivilWar,mostsouthernstatesweregovernedbyradicalmembersoftheRepublicanParty.Radicalssupportedcitizenshiprightsandvotingrightsforblacks.Inthelateeighteensixties,theradicalsbegantolose

　　power.Manyfailedtobere-electedtostateoffice.TheywerebeingdefeatedbycandidatesoftheDemocraticParty.Democratsdidnotwantblackstohaveanyrightsatall.

　　VOICETWO:

　　ThefirstradicalRepublicanstolosepowerwerethoseinVirginia.Thechangetherewasmadepeacefully.Notsoinothersouthernstates.InTennessee,Georgia,andNorthCarolina,Democratsusedthreatsandviolencetowin

　　elections.TheircampaignsoftenwereledbymembersoftheKuKluxKlan.

　　TheKlanwasasecretorganizationofwhitemen.Membersbelievedwhitepeopleweregreaterthanblackpeople.Wearingclothsovertheirfaces,klansmenbrokeupradicalRepublicanpoliticalmeetings.Theythreatened,beat,andkilledblackstokeepthemoutofpolitics.Theydidthesamethingtowhiteswhotriedtoorganizeorhelpblacks.

　　VOICEONE:

　　Beforelong,KuKluxKlangroupswereformedineverysouthernstate.Byeighteenseventy-one,radicalRepublicancongressmenweredemandinganewlawtodestroytheKuKluxKlan.

　　Acommitteeheadedbyradicalswasnamedtoinvestigateklanactivitiesinthesouth.Thecommitteeheardreportsoftheklan'sbrutalacts.Ithelpedprepareabilltocontroltheklan.Aftermuchdebate,Congresspassedthebill.

　　Thenewlawgavethepresidentpowertodeclaremilitaryruleinthesouth.DemocratschargedthattherealpurposeofthelawwastokeepradicalRepublicanstategovernmentsinpower.

　　PresidentGrantdidnotwaitlongtousehispowersunderthenewlaw.HedeclaredmilitaryruleinalargeareaofSouthCarolina.Thousandsofpeopletherewerearrested.Theyweretriedinfederalcourts.Juriesweremadeup

　　mainlyofblacksandradicalwhites.

　　VOICETWO:

　　Thiskindofjusticemadesouthernersfeelevenmorebitternesstowardthenorth.ItalsoangeredanumberofmoderatemembersoftheRepublicanParty.TheysaidthefederalgovernmentshouldnothelpradicalRepublicans

　　stayinpowerinthesouth.

　　SomeofthesemoderateRepublicansbrokeawayfromPresidentGrantandtheradicals.TheycalledthemselvesLiberalRepublicansandformedanewpoliticalparty.Theyheldtheirownpresidentialnominatingconventionforthe

　　electionofeighteenseventy-two.

　　TheynominatedHoraceGreeleyastheircandidate.GreeleypublishedtheNewYorkTribunenewspaper.

　　VOICEONE:

　　DemocratsbelievedtheironlychancetowintheelectionwastosupportthenewLiberalRepublicans.Sothey,too,choseHoraceGreele