The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-02
Mr., Grant, Thus Far.
From the N, Y, World,

From hte ~, Y. WorId.
The adulation bestowed on General Grant
by persons of social pretensions in the Eastern
cities, who ought to have been above such
fawning sycophanoy, inspired the object of
all this servile flattery with such an immode-
rate conceit of himself that, when he came to
the high Office to which he had been elected,
he was as ship in gale without rudder or
ballast. Whoever administered most to his
vanity by words or gifts had most Of the con-
fdence of the President-elect. When he
wrote and delivered his inaugural address,
we do not doubt that Grant really believed
he was equal to carrying on the executive
department of the Federal Government
alone. To be sure, this insane condition of
mind was made possible by his downright
ignorance. He had never read any books
since he left the narrow, one-sided, and ele-
mentary education which is all that is fur
nished at West Point. 1t would be safe bet
that never in his life has he read the Consti-
tuition Of his country from beginning to end.
He knew nothing of what is on record about
the trials and difficulties which have always
beset him who would make a great and good
civil government. OF the commonest nara
tives of English history he was altogether un-
informed. His mind was blank in respect
to the inner working of the machinery of
the Government of his own country in those
crises in which Washington, Jefferson or
Jackson stood at the helm and gave direction.
This deplOrable destitution of knowledge
on the part of Grant was cunningly ex-
plotted by all sorts Of people, and the victim
| got at last into such a condition that
he was unhappy when removed from the
| titillating fattery of these selfish men and
| women. AS a consequence, when informed
by committee of Congress of his election to
be President, he babbled foolishly about his
own personal headship Of the administration;
how he should remove his own appointess, if
they failed to suit him, as readily as those OF
his edeoessor-clearly intimating that he
would rid himself at any moment of Cabinet
minister who should give him temporary dis
satisfaction. 1t never seemed to occur to him
that such language could not be safely used
about men who had achieved sufficient emf
nence TO be really fit for heads of departments.
NO man, great and able, would consent to take
Leading part in the administration OF Pre-
sident who felt no more interest in his own
appointees than in those of some one else,
This pretension and vainglory on the part of
Grant filled rejecting people with painful
disgust, and made 1t clear to them that such a
President would not only fall into the hands
OF cheap and worthless persons, but would do
things disgraceful and stupid which would in
due time have to be undone.
The World was one of the first to foreses
and fix public attention upon inevitable
events. Republican journals, true to the be-
hests of partisanship, either could not or
would not see, and 80, like the Evening Post.
Tribune, and Times blundered on-in the
Stewart business, for example-without a
theory or plan of their own, but vainly look
ing TO Grant for leadership. AS was to be
expected, after the effect of delusion is
gone, some of these Republican journals are
now peltiDg with stones the idol which,