Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1870-08-25
A. n. Sfaphens ON Grant.

-" = PhSAo
View from a Secession stand
point of the War between the
Estates" Vol. IL. 1.-THE last) has just
been issued. It is marked by all the
distinguished authors acuteness,
vigor, and inconsistency. We eX-
tract from it his Impressions of Gen.
Grant, founded upon two days init
macy preceding his famous confer
ence with Messrs. lincoln and Sew
ard in Hampton Roads, February,
1865. Mr.. Stephens says"
4 was never so much disappoint-
ed in my life, in my previously form
ed opinions, of either the personal
appearance or bearing of any one,
about whom l had read and heard so
much. The disappointment, more
over, was in every respect favorable
and agreeable. / was instantly
struck with the great simplicity. and
perfect naturalness of his manners,
and the entire absence of everything
like atfectation, show, or even the
usual military air or MEN of men in
his position. He was plainly attired,
sitting in a log-cabin busily writing
on small table, by a kerosene lamp.
1t was night when we arrived. There
was nothing in his appearance or
surroundings which indicated his
official rank. There were neither
guards nor aids about him. Upon
Col. Babcock's rapping at his door,
the response, ''Come in, was given
by himself, in a tone of voice, and
with cadence which / can never for
get.
His conversation was easy and
fluent, without the least effort or re-
straint. In this, nothing was so
closely noticed by me as the point
and terseness with which he express
ed whatever he said. He did not
seem either to court or avoid cOnver
sation, but whenever he did speak,
what he said was directly to the
point, and covered the whole matter
in few words. I saw before being
with him long, that he was exceed
ingly quick in perception, and direct
in purpose, with vast deal more of
brains than tongue, as ready as that
was at his command.
We were here with Gen. Grant
two days, as the correspondence re-
ferred to shows. He furnished us
with comfortable quarters on board
one of his dispatch boats. The
more became acquainted with him
the more / became thoroughly i'm
pressed with the very extraordinary
combination of rare elements of
character which he exhibited. Dur
ing the time he met us frequently,
and conversed freely upon various
subjects, not much upon our mission.
1 saw, however, very clearly, that he
was very anxious for the proposed
Conference to take place, and from
all that was SAID L inferred-wheth
er correctly or not, do not know
that he was fully apprised of its
proposed object. He was, without
doubt, exceedingly anxious for a
termination of our war, and the re-
turn of peace and harmony through
out the country. 1t was through his
instrumentality mainly, that Mr..
Lincoln finally consented to meet
us at Fortress Monroe, as the cor
respondence referred to shows.
But in further response to your
inquiry, l will add: that upon the
whole the result of this first ac-
quaintance with Gen. Grant, begin
ming with our going to, and ending
with our return from, Hampton
Roads, was, the conviction on my
mind, that, taken all in all, he was
one of the most remarkable men i
had ever met with, and that his ca
reer in life, if his days should be
prolonged, was hardly entered up
on; that his character was not yet
fully developed; that he himself
was not aware of his own power,
and that if he lived, he would in
the future, exert controlling infiu-
ence in shaping the destinies of this
country, either for good or for evil.
Which it would be, time and circum-
stance alone could disclose. That
was the opinion of him then formed,
and it is the same which has been
uniformly expressed by me ever
since"