Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-29
GRANTS CHARACTER - IsARaATE-
ING FOR 0FFTrE


pointed him, publishes in the Washington
Sunday Chronicle Of Feb. 25, remarkable
article, In which be divulges the manner
and the conditions upon which Grant was
brought forward as the Radical candidate
for President. Forney states that on his
return from Europe in 1867, he found
"Andrew johnson doing his level best 10
destroy the Republican party" and he con-
fesses that the chief hope of the Radicals
"was Republican candidate for President
who could secure a majority of electoral
votes" He adds that johnson had so ut
terry demOralized politics as to make it an
even chance as to whether the Republicans
could elect anybody" Forney confesses
that he saw enough to convince him that
unless the Radicals "could secure some
good strong name the Republican party was
bankrupt" 1t was in this dire extremity
that the Radicals were casting about for a
man who could be elected-not a man Of
great and pre-eminent abilities and who
would honor the country in his elevation,
| but q man, no matter If he be simply a
figure-head, so he could be elected. Forney
SAYS he met ChiefJustice Cartier, of the
Supreme Court of the District of Column
bia, and Hon. John NJ. Thayer, then a
Senator in Congress from Nebraska,
in Washington, when they said TO him:
1Why can we not make Gen. Grant the
! Republican candidate for the Presidency
/ everybody is for him; his star is the star Of
victory. There are two things necessary
| bis own consent and an approved Republi-
can record. Now, will you not apply
| yourself to thorough examination into the
! political declarations of Grant since he left
Galens as volunteer against the rebel
| lion ?"
Forney rehearses his answer now appar-
emily more for the purpose of impressing
Grant with his powers as President-maker
than anything else. He says:
81 answered with perfect frankness, that
l had had quite enough to do with making
! Presidents. Ihad assisted somewhat in the
making in the election of James Buchanan
| in 1856, and had contributed to the nomin-
| alton of Andrew johnson as the Republi-
| can candidate for Vice President in 1864;
and that, with my experience of public men
| generally, did not feel warranted to I'M
dertake such a task but the earnest ap-
! peals of my good friends prevailed, and
retired to my rooms on Capitol Hill, and
prepared the ive-column article which ap-
peared in the Washington Chronicle and
! Philadelphia Press of Nov. Z, 1867. After
it was in type Senator Tbayer and myself
called upon John A. Rawlins, chief of Gen.
Grants staff, and read it to him. He in
stantly advised that it should appear
the very next Gay, but answered that Gen.
| Grant was not a candidate for Presi-
dent and did not desire to be, and if
/ | printed i without authority there
was little doubt that some superserviceable
politician would call upon him and ask him
| if lie had been made a candidate with his
sanction. He will, of course, reply that he
never saw the article till it was in print; and
| so all your schemes TO make him President
will gang gley." Then Rawlins took it
| in to Gen. Grant, and stayed quite long
! time. When be returned he said: "Gen.
Grant is quite pleased with your statement
of his political record, and surprised that he
/ proves to be so good Republican" Upon
this hint printed. But this is not the real
! point. My misgiyings were correct; tor on
that very Gay an elaborate dispatch was
sent from Washington to the Boston Post
stating that ga distinguished friend Of Gen.
Grant had called upon him with the article,
and inquired if It met his approval or was
published with his sanction. He promptly
denied all knowledge of the publication, and
expressed his indigestion at the liberty
taken by his selEstyled friend who had con-
c0cted the article in question. In speaking
of the Hon. E. B. Washburne, who would
like to be considered the conscience keeper
and guardian Of Gen. Grant, the latter eX-
pressed his detestation of Mr.. Washburne's
patronizing airs, and said be could not I'M
/ derstand why he was so constantly annoyed
by his presence, as he had never known Ar.
Washburne before the war, and that Mr..
I Washburne knew quite as little Of him."
/ The dispatch concluded as follows:
1.-the report Of the conversation l Oh
tanned directly from Gen. Grants friend,
/ with full permission to publish the same,
/ that the country may know how far the
| Radicals are authorized to shelter them
/ selves from the storm under Gen. Grants
! wing.
II Immediately telegraphed 10 Washing
/ ton. and got the following authorized con-
/ tradictiOn Of the dispatch in the Boston
! Post :
.'Gen. Grant expressed neither indigna-
1 ton nor annoyance at the appearance Of
( the article in the Chronicle and The Press,
nor did be intimate TO any one that it mis-
represented his political position AS to the
remarks attributed TO him relative to Mr..
| WaShburne, they are so prlpably untrue as
10 stamp the character of the entire dis
patch. Gen. Grant has never uttered
word aeaiUst Mr.. Washburne which could
have afforded the slightest foundation for
these atrOcious statements. Gen. Rawlins
says that the sentiments attributed to Gen.
I Giant in the Chronicle are undoubtedly
those be has held, and holds still, and he
asserts unequivocally that the italicised
words, Introducing his own words, are
! true"
There appears TO be something malicious
in this publication. If Forney had been an
enemy of Grant we should have set it down
that he was endeavoring to show that the
latter was the unreliable, untruthful man
President Johnson had found him to be a
few months later. Forney took the pains
to make Grant responsible for bringing for
ward his own name as the most available
Radical candidate for President, and now
he reproduces the proof TO show that Grant
promptly denied all knowledge of the pub
LEGATION" of the article in the Washington
Chronicle and the Philadelphia Press Of
Nov. 7, 1867, when his attention was called
to it the morning of that day, notwith-
standing Forney had sent him the proof Of
the article before it was published. 1t viii
be seen that this denial by Grant of "all
knowledge of the publication" as reported
by the correspondent of the Boston Post, is
not denied in the authorised contradiction"
which ForRey subsequently obtained and
now publishes. Here Forney exposes
Grant as pl wing the very same game with
him that be did with President Johnson
This may not have been Intentional but
Fomey knows he has Grant in his tolls,
and he intends to set him up or down as It