The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-26
Grant Drinking Again.

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Grant Drinking Again.
HE GOES INTO TRAINING FOR DELERi-
Usr TREaIENs. -
{ Washington Correspondence n. 4. World
Last Monday some of Mr.. WASH
burne's friends reached this city from
New York; where they had spent Sun.
day with him. They brought to the
Capital the statement that on the pre-
vions Saturday General Grant was
grossly under the influence of liquor;
they said that parties who left WASH
ington on Saturday night came to
Washbnrne in New York on Sunday
and told him that the President (wliom
they had seen that Saturday, was
maudlin and drunk, SO much SO that
the White House was closed at 2 P. N.
by order of the staff Of generals who
surround the Executive, and also BY
order of Doorkeeper Dent; his poor re-
lation. tsg sa
Forthwith Washbnrne's emissaries
brought the news back to Washington,
and told it to more than one Demo-
cratic correspondent here in hopes
they would telegraph it. They all
knew it to be lie, because till 4 p. IN.
of that day the President received cal
iers with perfect propriety, then rode
out with his wife and children in an
open carriage, entirely sober and only
tired. This incident shows the animus
of the politicians of his own party to-
ward the President. This report, too,
was fortified with all the circumstances
calculated to make it appear true
Men came and said that they had seen
the facts which they fabricated.
This incident betokens-T have req
son to believe It was invented bt
Washburne himself out of his knowl-
edge OF its possibility in the case OF
Grant-the intensity and uhscrupulous-
ness of the war to be waged on the
President by his own party. The
most Trustworthy advices are to the
effect that these attacks on the Execu-
tive are telling on the man. He is be !.
coming crusty; suspicious; norose, and
chronically unhappy. His body and
mind are both suffering. He finds the
Presidency too large for him. That is
the whole matter. His health is not
good. He has had to slut up shop six
times already in as many weeks. He
is losing flesh. Visitors are complain
ing Of his brusqueness; and many OF
them of his temper.
Every day at four O'Clock he runs off
for ride and smoke, and he has Who'll
ly stopped receiving visitors at nights.
These he spends with his household In
the private family rooms of the Exec
utive Mansion. The few admitted
there speak of him as giving the ap-
pearance of being thoroughly tagged
out BY each days round of work. He
smokes incessantly, and sits for hours
with his little girls hand in bis own.
not saying word, ard never rallying
except his wife makes it a point that
he shall.
And now for four years the President
is faced by the distrusts, the .iealousies
and the hates which has mingled poll
cy OF nepotism and neglect in regard
to appointments has shown. Will he
stand iii That is a question which
every one asks here and nobody an
swers.
There is no question, however, that
no one hearing the abuse and seeing
the work which are heaped upon him
can fail to pity and not envy his lot
He is credited with q gigantic policy
of annexation and aggression, and, at
least, a couple Of foreign wars are laid
to his intentions. have reason to be-
lieve that there are people official,
/" near" to him who entertain Ties,
designs, and that he is fond of thor
too, and would at once consider Them
ut his entire lack Of civil conrape an.
his daily crushing cross Of civil labo,
allowed him time. But il is eert.;.
that he finds the toll and trouhle :
affairs, as they now stand and as the,
hourly oonplicate, too much for him.
Congress gone and nominations over
he may be less llampered, or At los,
less exposed 10 the litosaf ~c-