The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1868-03-19
The pages Of Amerloan biography are

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The pages of American biography are
being enriched and illumincd by some
valuable contributions TO that interest
ing branch Of literature. The subject
oft is not DIR. johnson, nor the biog-
rapher Boswell, but they are both,
perhaps, enjoying at this timc,as wide
" extended rotoriety as those very
distinguished gcntleuien did in their
day. Through the columns of the New
York Ledger, Nr. jesse Grant, the
father Of the lieutenant General, is
giving to she world soma interesting
facts in relation to his distinguished
son, not hitherto generally known TO
the American people Mr., Bonner, of
the Ledger, remarkable as he is for his
sagacily in selecting contributors to his
widely circulated hebdomadal, has been
more than usually fortunate in securing
the valuable services Of Mr.. Grant. -
And the subject which the latter has
chosen for his facile pen, viz; tho bi.
ography of his son, is one with which
he may be supposed to be entirely IA.
miliar. '.r
Passing over the period Of Infancy,
(wo use this term cot in its strictly le.
gal sense, but in ne sense ia which ID
is understood by naturalists, } We are in.
trodueed to the subject Of the biogra.
ply, . astub and twist" Of a boy Of
some ten or twelve summers, who, even
at that early age, began to exhibit some
ofthe indubitable signs of future emf.
nence, We find him submitting his
Uranium, that "proud dome Of thought
and palace Of the SOUL" to the manipu.
iations of the phrenologist aud we eau
well imagine the parental satisfaction ut
the discovery that the developments
were such, according 10 the principles
of that infallible science, as 10 give TO-
ken Of promise. The boy, it is said, is
always father to the man" II there
DO nothing remarkable in the career of
an individual, during bis bOyhood, there
is little promise of a very distinguished
manhood. These sure indications Of
future greatness were not wanting in
the career Of our youthful hero. They
exhibited themselves in various ways,
but especially ID his attempts TO manage
intractable horses, aud to ride rcfracto-
ry mules Il might have been foretold,
even at that carly day, that be would
be the very man TO put bit in the
nioath Of a refractory and coptumaciOus
President, and, Rarcy like, to tame him
Down, 50 that Congress might mount
him aud ride at pleasure. The graphic
dclineation Of these exploits of the
youthful Ulysses, is not the least mori.
torioas portion of these biographical
sketches That the writer has success.
fully performed This part Of his task, is
evident, from the effect produced upon
those who read these sthrilling chapters
Of the biography. They are irresistibly
mirth.proyokipg, as the sidc-splitting
responses of some railroad passengers,
the other day syinccd, to whoa they
were read in che car, by one Of their
number. The author Of play may
judge ofhis success, by witnessing the
eaeceof its performance upon the audi.
cnce. BY the same rulo we may Judge
this biography. Net Mr.. Punch him
self could have been more successful in
exciting the risibilities Of the Bull fam.
ily, than Mr.. Grant has been in provo
king the laughter Of his readers.
Other. biographies Of the General, are
about TO Issue from the press. The
chance to turn penny in this way is
too good ono TO be let slip by the
unoney-gettipg Yankees. But the biog.
raphy of the father, will furnish the
text for the others. 1t is Ae biography,
published under the seal of authority /;
all beside it is but the spurious catch.
penny trash of a political campaign,-
To it VIC must turn, for all that is au.
thentic in relation to Gen. Grant, and
we commend it to our readers as spe-
cifc for ct ofthe blues, or an attack
of Indigestion. Rigid, indeed, must be
the countenance that will not relax un .
der its pcrusal.