The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-05-18
Grant in His Element:

A female correspondent of a New
York journal, writing from, Wasl1itig-
+ ton, describes the Presidents new villa
at Long Branch. She says: lff,fGen-
eral Grant has bought a cottage qn,th.e
bluff; and expects 10 remain thrtugh
the season, while the races at the Long
Branch Park Course will rival those
at Jerome Park and Saratoga, In brill,
liancy, interest and the character OF.
its spectators. During the month of
July last, General Grant was negotiat;;
ing for the purchase of Mr.. Howard
Potter's cottage, which is situated
directly on the bluff, about threeJ1uar'
ters OF a mile south of Stetson, House,
and is what is known, as the most ex-
elusive and aristocratic quarter of the
shore. The President had taken Il
plrticular fancy to this house, but Mr.:
Potter, the owner, one of the firm OF
Brown Brothers. bankers, did not care
to sell, and for time it did not seem =.
likely that a. transfer of the propert{
would be made. Mr. Potter Was ut
length, however, induced o take the
right view of the matter and during
the first of August the President be-
:. II. st.-
came the owner, paying Tor the priviliii
eye the sum OF, So l,OJ0, which is said
to- have been considerably. below the
real value Of the place The house.
was built by Mr.. Potter, and finished
in June, 1867" RI
1t has been difficult to obtain an
idea of the man Grant, as he really
il, owing to the glamour of fiattery
that is about him. But there are
situations in which he may be observed
SO as to give one a true conception of
him. Take Grant, for instance among
the chatterboxes of the watering place;
particularly among the horse jockeys
of Long Branch or Saratoga, and you
may see the man in his clement III
Washington he is decidedly out of his
element. The silent fgure-head, ,fset
up in the White House as chief magis-
tratc Of the nation, makes sorry,'
show, because his mind, and education
and. tastes entirely unfit him for the
position he has been strangely enough
lifted up to. Itwas apersonal specula-
ton of the politicians to write the
words 'great man" upon this silent,
commonplace figure, which has 'prCyz
ed eminently succ>ssful-to them.
But Grant is unequal to the situation,
and has wofulIy failed to keep UP the
necessary appearances. Many ordin-
ary men have the tact of gliding their
superfciality, and getting credit for
three times the brains they possess,
but c rant is not one Of this kind-he
cannot keep his insignifcance in the
back ground The country then-ex-
cept that insanely loyal portion, which
allows itself to be blinded to the fact
SO in, tue President very ordinary
man; but yet, from the false position
lie Is in, cannot form a just estimate
Of. his character. Consequently, to-
form such al estimate, he must he
studied away f:om Washington, where
he may throw off this irksome. mask
Of greatness, and be nothing burt
plain Ulysses; and we look to. jenkins
20 give rs some vigorous charcoal
sketches Of the Chief Magistrate, dur-
ng the coming summer, under the e
circumstances -Four or five
columns, for instance. of his talk on
horses, dogs, Gift enterprises, the value
IF real estate in Philadelphia, Wash
ngton, Galena, st. Louis,f etc, wonlf
afford more faithful picture of Grant
than all The chaf that can; be writer
or telegraphed from Washington about
lim.-W hen Grant gets among the
.lnall takers and the horse fanciers of
he watering places, he can. y find his
ongue readily enough, andeis SphYnN
10 longer. Jenkins, do your duty =
Plain Deaer. - '''f''''i,2