Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-05-27
AZ Pen Picture of the President-By
HrAc6 Greenwood s- iil -


Z STHoUaH so Quiet and uhdemonstrative,
President Grants manner is not cold.
Though somewhat set and quite reticent
In expression his face is neither hard nor
forbidding. Though his eyes of grayish
blue certainly DO not radiate geniality and
good fellowship, have always seen in
them still and steady friendliness i'm
partial, almost undiscIiminating, but sin
gularly unforgetful His look into your
eyes on a first meeting is clear, direct, but
not piercing. He "makes no deep scrutiny"
into your character, but you feel that he
reads you we'll, as far as he goes, and you
may be sure he will know you the next
time. His words are few, as he has oc-
casionally remarked, and his address sim.
plicity itself. Some one once called It a
courageous simplicity" l don't think
the term suited to him 1t implies too
much consciousness. Franklin's appear
ance at the Court of Versailles was
"coursgeous simplicity" Jefferson's rid
ing on horseback from the White House
| to the Capitol was dramatic simplicity.
But Grant gives no thought to effect
makes no parade of not making parade
In walking he carries his head-that
wonderfully compact, evenly modelled
hepd-slightly forward; and he has in
\ public places an absent yet acquiescent
air, as of one being taken somewhere
rather than of going of his own voIition,
which is usually the case, as he is the most
obliging, informal and unmagisterial of
! Chief Magistrates To me there is some
thing Strange in the ordinary passivity of
such will as his He seems not only a
modest but diffident man. Great heroes
before him have been so. This diffidence
may often be taken for indifference and
| in Ci itu I a.
sure marks of it in his intercourse with
children, for whom he really has the fond.
ness characteristic of Mr., Lincoln He has
no small talk for small interviewers, but
he is not above listening to them, and |
have noticed that they never account him
hard or cold. They have, perhaps, the in
slinct to understand and the grace TO in
terpret that riddle for statesmen, reporters
and fine ladies the. face of President
Grant.
A few evenings ago, as little party of
us assembled to witness some private
the atrcals, of the simplest and most iuve-
nile sort, at the house of one of the
Cabinet Ministers, the family from the
White House called, quite unexpectedly.
On being told what was on the tapis, the
President expressed desire to see the
performance, if the children would not
OlJECbs vi CbuIS6 JIley ulu LlOup0
quaking in their buskins, but did their
best before their august audience, and
were rewarded by Presidential laughter
and applause. Watching our. President
as be sat smiling kindly at that little
comedy, that bit of childish mimic life, It
seemed almost impossible to realize that
he was indeed the great Captain of Cap.
talns, who, few short years ago, was the
central figure in mig hty drama uf battle
whose stage was a continent, and whose
audience was the world. l think we
ought 40 strive to realize this more il
seems to me. there Is too much petty cavil
at this man 5 snon-Observance uf some OF
the small conventionalities which we call
"lhe etiquette of the position;' y too many
newspaper platitudes that he enjoys his
cigar, that he loves horses tbiess him for
that; that he does not make speeches on
all trivial occasions (bless him for that
too y in short, that he does not edo the
department" of his place according to the
aristocratic Democratic theories; that he
is not the President of precedent.
1--WE had eyes and chose him
Let us remember that God gives to one
soul a genius to think and to aspire; tC
another, to do and to be. There is the
inspired prophet brain, which says, 81
see-I believe" )" and there is the imperial
compulsive brain, which says, AZ am
will" Who shall say which is the great
err? Each by a divine law ancient az
time, gravitates TO its tit period and place
Because the night of our tribulation is
past, do not let us cease to thank God fol
the strong hand that upheld and guided
us through its heaviest darkness; above
all, let us not quarrel with that hand if il
takes not kindly to Paris kids, OF if the
grip it learned upon the sword hilt some
times makes slippery, self-seeking politi
, Cal fiagers tingle.