The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-07-19
From Beecher's Paper.l
PERSONALITY OF THE PRESIDENT

II is always q difficult matter to
convey to the individuals composing
a large and widely-spread population,
clear and accurate notions of the
personality OF q man whom they know
only by his station and official acts.
When he happens to be distinguished
as writer or an orator, he impresses
himself Oh the minds of men, and
aiding their conceptions with por-
traits or occasional glimpses of his
living form, they come to know him
tOlerably well Or, if he possesses
marked eccentricities, the popular
mind seizes upon these, though they
constitute, after all, no essential part
of any mans real strength and but
very imperfect revelations of charac-
ter.
General Grant is peculiarly def.
cient IN these respects. He has never
sought distinction as an author; be
presistently declines to appear as 9
public speaker. His career as an
army commander, though it inspired
his troops with confidence in his
Judgment and determination, could
not arouse that personal enthusiasm
which comes through personal con-
tact. The general of great army
must remsin to most of his subordi-
mates an impersonal being. He is
rather General Orders then General
Grant-unless he purposely displays
himself in semi-theatrical way, af
ter the fashion of Napoleon. This
element is wanting in General
Grant. As q soldier and as a civil
officer, it is his custom to attend to
his business with an utter disregard
of incidental ''effects.''
This is, we think, the reason that,
after so many years of public service,
General Grant is still so little known
TO the masses that all sorts OF accounts
can be freely circulated concerning
his personality. These people who
judge him from a distance by out
ward peculiarities alone do not get
beyond his cigar. II he would only
wear white hat, or swing round the
circle, or make himself personally
prominent, in some way, how it
would simplify the opinions of some
classes now puzzled into abject Gre
dulity of manifold SANDERS, by the
mere lack of tangible data But be-
ing modest and quiet gentleman, he
does his duty and claims a right to
his own private life. while all the
caIicaturists, from Senator Sumner
down, draw pictures of him accord
ing to their own malicious wit. In
all truly civilized nations the avoid
ance of personal display, manly SIM
plicity, and directness are highly
honored. No American President
was ever so absolutely unpretentious,
so simple and modest in his manners
as General Grant.
Under these circumstances, the
evidence of man like Judge Hoar,
of Massachusetts,, should receive con-
sideration. Practically outside of
political struggles and ambitions,
above all suspicion of distorting or
suppressing the truth to suit the ex-
igencies OF political canvass, and
fully qualified by personal knowledge
of the President to speak with author
ity, Judge Hoar declares the de-
scription of Senator Sumner to be
ridiculously by wide of accuracy. He
says:
81 desire to testify that during the
whole period aat at the cabinet
councils, never heard any measure
of administration discussed or con-
sidered except with the single refer
ence to the public good; and when /
remember the simple, direct and
modest man who sat at the head of
the table there, and take up MIR. Sum-
ner's speech, / can but think he is
talking about some one else.'
Even without this conclusive con-
tradiction the stories Of General
Grants enemies refute one another.
1t is impossible that be should be at
once the dull, ignorant, Indifferent
man they represent, and deep, am.
bilious schemer, determined to over
throw the liberties of his country and
subject us to a military despotism.