Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-08-22
Visiting America.


INTRODUCTION TO PRESIDENT GRANT.
The White House has no guard,
not oven a sentry box at its doors.
Everybody may enter freely. Form
erly one might at any time have a
chance to look through all the rooms
in the lower story (the upper stories
contain the offices and private
apartments of the President.) NoW-
adays, only the great hall is constant
ly open to the public. No sentineps
footsteps are tracing the velvet turf
outside the front columns, consequent
ly no Gathering of present arms no
drumming is heard. When you are
among those coming and going at
once, observe sqnare-set gentleman
Of remarkable, somewhat sullen,
yet bespeaking, cOuntenance and an
uncommonly sharp, piercing look,
that instantly attracts the attention.
Nevertheless. this short gentleman
in grey-colored pants, and incessant-
ly putting his cegar, is he himself,
General Z. S. Grant, President of
the United States. Plain and unpre-
tending as the President is in his APP
pearance, so he is in all his manners.
Without any escort whatever he will
take walk in the street of the cap>
itol, or when he has done business,
give Mrs. Grant and her daughter
ride, and, surely, not few are the
eyes turned toward the unaccompan-
led walker or the nimble vehicle,
that amidst its volatile speed is di-
rected with so eminent precision.
The President is very fond of driv-
ing however, did we not pre-
viously know him by sight, it would
never occur to US from his bearing or
attitude, that this is the man, who,
during the four years Of his Presi-
dency, exercises so powerful an in
fuence on the events Of the world.
If we have the good luck TO be ad
mitted to the President, we shall find
him entirely the same within the
walls of his house as when he appears
in public. In his ante-chamber we
meet no uniforms, scarcely perhaps
swallow-tail coat. Some few Secre-
taries sit at their desks, engaged in
dispatching the orders from the
Presidential Cabinet, and besides
them may be found a gentleman, who
especially has to attend to those APP
plying for an audience. Usually also
General Dent is Their, brother-in-law
of the President, and one of the most
attractive and courteous Americans |
have met with All the gentlemen
in attendance about the President,
even those charged with ushering and
introducing the visitors, are-here
on the second floor-clad in q COM
mon daily suit SO are also those
Summoned or waiting to see him on
business, they may be admitted in
the domestic garment they wear at
home. "Full dress" is needed only
for the reception in the lower story.
From the foremost ante-chamber we
are conducted through still room
into a hall-the spacious office of the
President. At the end of long ia
BILE he sits himself, with his papers
before him. He lays down his pen,
and a "glad to see you," hearty
shake of Jour hand, and seat in a
chair by the side of the President, are
the three first movements of an au-
dience ceremony.
Grant, we know, is generally rep
resented as exceedingly taciturn and
reserved, and several curious anec-
dotes are circulated of "silent English
men visiting the silent President"
Still, he may also be rather conserva>
tive. and when | saw him, he grew
even highly communicative, when
the conversation touched on the
Scandinavians-t subdivision into
Danes, Swedes and Norwegians, has
no general foothold among the Amer
icans-and it was a very creditable
testimony he bore to my countrymen
of the three denominations. They
unquestionably belonged TO the best
citizens in the United State. Said he:
"Both from the war period and
his trips around the States, he knew
quite q number of them. He bad
visited hundreds of Scandinavian set
Elements, everywhere observing the
same good qualities industry, mex
haustible energy and frugality. He
had often been glad to see how my
countrymen, coming to America
with very little supply of anything
else but these qualities, had emerged,
and now in many places were settled
as well-to-do farmers" When / oc-
casonally dropped the remark that
the Scandinavian very rarely succeed
ed in growing rich or accumulating
such fortunes as the Germans, the
President replied that in return
"there were also but few Of my coun-
trymen who sank down to helpless
ruin or utter restitution, and this
was point not without importance"
What Grant says, he says in a pc
culiarly forcible and emphatic man
ner. L am sure he speaks nothing
but his true and sincere opinion. If
subject is touched, he does not
choose to enter upon, he knows splen-
didly how to stop short-not turning
off in to nonsensical phrases, but be-
coming as reserved as ever he was
represented.
There is certain sublime simple
ity about an introduction TO the
President, and yet one may chance
to address him at the White House
under still simpler forms than the
above mentioned. / have come here
with letters directed to him, thinking
to deliver them through General
Dent, and the first man l met in the
house was the President himself
coming from his office He identifi.
ed me. l begged leave to deliver
the papers to himself.
GAN right"