Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-13


are not slow to act.
should have been sorry to bid fare
! we'll to the United States without going
TO saluts ihs great man, and so l re-
questsd the Senator from Mass achusetts,
4Ir. Chsrles Sumner, 10 present me to
him. Circumstances were very favora-
bic to me. Two days efterW6rd / met
the General at the house Of the Senator
from New York, Mr.. Morgan, who hsd
invited some Of the foremost citZ ms of
the country 10 & gala dinner.
Since the days of TaileyraId, who said
he had found in the United States thirty
two religions and a single dish, the Amer
ieaus have scarcely made any progress,
SO FAR az culinary matters are Concerned.
Nevertheless, We remained st Senator
MoTgsn's house for three long hours at
the table, as il behOOves guests invited
TO this kind OF semi-official feasts.
During the whole OF that time the
grest man Of the DAY, whom people tried
70 make talk2tiVe, and who, for that
reason, perhaps, no longer drinSs any
thing but water, had not opened his
mouth except at very rare intervals.
Grant, no doubt, thought of all the past
dinners which he hsd been made 10 un-
deTgo, and CT those which were in store
'or hin. At the close Of the banquet the
Prussisu Minister, for the purpose Ofren-
dering this melancholy feast more cheer
ful, said TO ths future President that, at
the Inauguration on the 4lh OF March,
US age permitted to the happy President
to embrace the prettiest girls Of Wash
iGgtOp. 81 shall do it II Congress per-
mits il, replied the General lacOnieally,
but, happily, stluding to the Tenure-of-
Office Law, which had been passed
against President Johnson, and which
renders the chief of the Union depend
ent upon the Senate for portion Of his
official acts.
Il was at the end of this dinner party
that had the honor OF being presented
to ths General. BE held cut bis hand to
me according TO the American fashion,
and sat down By his side. I should
have PROBABLY remained sitting there up
- the present time, hadI waited on the
the General to speak first.
So l opened tbs conversation, and told
him I had recently visitsd the Pacific
Railroad, tae country OF the Mormons,
the silver mines Of Nevada, and ths gold
digEingg in California. | gave him to
understand how much &tsreat hsd ia
ken in ell tbs great and curious things
which I had seen, and freely expressed
5he admiration which l entertained for
America in certain respects.
Tbs G5GerSs drawing all the while a
few clouds AA his cigar, and slipping
the coffee which had been served to him,
interrupted nae repeatedly for the pur
pose Of informing me that he bad also
VI iited the same places. But during the
y sle Of our conversation not 8 d Der Of
bis fzce viorsted; his mask remained
impsnetrabge his cOuntenaEce, with the
rough, Angular features, was rigid and as
if pstrifisd. He is 2 man who never
laughed since his BIRTH" said Wash
ington lady Of Kim.
1 gzzed Ia profound emotion at the
heal l had before me. Is that tine face
OF vulgar man, destitute of worth and
talent; and should people have been mis-
taken in regard to him, as some persons
have asserted?
Ne, this man Of the rustic appearance,
with the lGsterless eyes, with the dense,
closs-ccop2ed beard, with the bsonzed,
slightly red face, is by no means an or
dinsry man he is, perhaps, man Of
genius, who viii ssuouish the world, His
mead is large and square; it indicates
meditation, calm ness, and even little
obslinacy. Tais President of the United
States possesses the first merit Of states
men, thst OF reticenee, that quality so
who gOvera nations, and which Motley,
the historian, one of the most illustrious
authors Of the United Ststes, prizes so
highly in the character of the great
Stakeholder, William the Silent.
Wnen l had taken leave Of the Gene
ial, l had the honor OF bsirg presented
tO Mrs. Grant. 81 am q poor Western
wOma9," she said to me; fortune has
overtsken us; we did not ruqfRfter it,"
| admired this simple womsps with her
buTgner-like manners, but full Of COM
non sense and tact, and whom her sud-
den elevation had not caused to lose her
balance. l was told her husband con-
suited her when the Presidency was Of
fsred to him.
Grant, who is not yet forty,six years
old, hesitsted, inesmQch as he preferred
q life of quietude to the political agita-
tions which he fOressw. at the people
come TO you, you can hardly refuse"
said his wife to him. The tulfiilmsn
OF duty should precede all other things"
Aud Grant accepted the proposed csndi-
dacy. A touching harmony in this DEM
oeratic family, where the good sense Of
the wife comes to the assistance of the
husband. II am enjoying my last hours
OF repose,n said Mrs. Grant to me.
my duties as the Presidents wife will
begin; then l shall have no more leis-
ure, bat shall be constantly occupied.
want to do nay whole duty"
Such is the consort of the 1lustrious
citizen whom the popular will has placed
ST the head Of the greatest Republic on
earth. Sac is worthy Of her. husband,
and worthy Of the country which elected
him. Gen Grant, l believe, will fulfill
the expectations which are entertained
la regard to him. Taciturn Is he is, he
succeeds a regime o. bsbbleTs. Modest,
upright and honest, he and the men
whom he will appoint will take the places
Of superciliOus, corrupt and mendacious
fellows, the scan Of the world of politi-
clans. The Union had need OF such
rspresent ntatiye. Never, since the days Of
Washington, had 50 great q character
bsen found. Oae might have despaired
Of the Republic, ia seeing the mire iato
which she was plunging. After the
fathers OF the country, the Adsmses, JEFF
feTson5, Msdisons and MoaToes, came
to Websters, Ciays, Calhou1s and r w
dolphs, all OF them great orators, and
mostly distinguished statesmen, although
their views we're widely divergent. AT
ter them came nothing, or, at any rate,
il was but at rare intervals that q noble
figure, such ss that Of President Lincoln
for instance, made its appearance.
Oa9 OF the facts which strike the sb.
server most painfully in the American
| Republic is the little interest which the
good citizens take in the management of
| public affairs. They leave il in the hands
OF tae politicians, who discuss and settle
everything In the bar-r00ms, or in the
open sir, aod DO with them az they
please Ths honest eitizsns have to
make their fortunes in a different man
nes, aud do not concern themselves-
very unfortunately, I shink-about the
manner in which the country is gov