Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-25
The Presidents Habit. and Surround


rather than supporter, of his administration.
Besides, heretofore | have always felt repealed
from him, personally, rather than toward him"
But" continued this gentleman, warming up,
the Infamous campaign of SANDER and abuse
which has been waged against him has made
me feel often during the last summer as if l
should certainly rush up TO him and embrace
him whenever might meet him"
Thus this man, who is by no means senti-
mentalist, but who is fully accustomed to the
rough roads of American politics, gave express
sion to a sentiment that is very rapidly growing
here, even among those who have always OPP
posed Gen. Grant and his administration,
The planters and the cultivators of the crops
of ISLANDERS which the opposition press exhibit
day after day, are at length beginning to reap
the whirwind of popular scorn.
And the reaction here is not merely thing
so hidden that search must be made for indica-
tons f its -Xistence; but a matter of which
all fair minded are fully aware. The readers of
the Washington correspondence of the Gazette
need not be told that criticism of the Grant adj
ministration has found place in it for two years
past far more frequently than praise. But now,
when fair and honest criticism of the acts of an
administration give place to personal abuse
and to abuse founded almost wholly upon false
hood, a writer for the daily press would be
false TO every sentiment of manhood if he did
not use Whatever means were in his power to
expose what is false, TO correct what is so tor
tured as TO serve all the purposes of falsehood,
and to do at least simple justice to a man sus-
tanning the relation which President Grant
does TO the public.
His own mouth is shut No matter how thick
the balls of SANDER fly, he must rest quiet, and
trust to those who choose to aid in turning
them aside.
Now, Washington correspondent, who re-
mains at the capital during an entire admins
tration, must of necessity become acquainted
with the undercurTent of gossip, which runs so
strongly through both political parties. For
six years Gen. Grant, as an officer of the army
as president, and as Il man, has been some
what prominent parsonage in Washington Cir
Giles, both official and social. In all that time
not particle of evidence has ever come to the
Washington office of the Gazette, whetherin the
form of gossip or of more definite charge, that
connected Gen. Grant personally with any dis
honest transaction whatever. In the multifari-
Gus operations of the government with which
the; departments are always burdened there
have been under his administration, as there
always will be under any administration, claims
worked through by various means, which at
times seemed tainted with corruption; but evil
dence to connect the president with them, even
remotely, has never been forthcoming.
In spite of the countless charges with which
the land is filed, the fact remains that here in
Washington, swhere their truth or falsity can be
best tested every fair man, of either party, will
answer promptly that he believes Gen. Grant,
personally, a thoroughly honest man.
Since he first came here, in all his intercourse
with his fellow men, whether official or social
he has constantly been the same quiet, modest,
mild-spoken, unrufied gentleman. And to fully
appreciate such a statement as this, the reader
must try to picture to himself the crowds of
office seekers, the pressing duties of purely
official life, the countless political quarrels
which are laid before him, and the ten thousand
trials Of patience with which the American dem
ocratic system makes it possible TO bore and
harass a president. That he does thus bear
himself in this straightforward, unassuming,
always dgnifed, and decent way, is the simple
fact.
As to his habits, there is one charge that, in a
letter of this character, ought not to be ignored
1t is widely asserted that President Grant is an
incorporate man. This is the mildest form of
the charge; its other shapes are worthy of those
who originated them. Since he entered the
white house his daily life has not been passed
behind veil. His opponents have had as free
access to him as his friends. Is it hardly an ex-
aggeratOn TO say that he lives continually under
the eyes of those who, to say the least, would
not hesitate to take advantage of what they saw
wrong, so far as to report it. When in Wash
lngton his daily habit is 10 take a long walk
through the avenues. During the fashionable
season he is nearly every day present either at /
reception or an entertainment of some sort
And yet, though his life is thus laid open to the
public, there has never been the least evidence
presented in Washington that President Grant
Of liquor,
For effect, among the plain, common sense
people, who make up the great mass of the
thinking public, the white house has been rep
resented as a sort of kingly establishment,
wholly out of keeping with all ideas of Ameri-
can simplicity.
Those who know the executive mansion as it
is, know that considering the fact that it is the
house which the nation furnishes its president,
it is plain as building, and only plainly fur
nished There are score of white houses in
the country, and plenty of private houses that
excel it in architectural display, in convenience
and in furniture. Below, in the public part of
the house, are three attendants to show visitors
through the parlors, and curb the American
propensity to clip off specimens of lace from
the curtains in the East room. These three at
PENDANTS compose the entire down stairs force
Of this kingly establishment Up stairs the
president has a reception room, where men and
women OF all nationaliteS and all grades in life
are received and treated politely by Gen. Dent
The secretaries have working rooms, and be-
sides these the entire up stairs force is made up
Of about three messengers and doorkeepers
Here, except on cabinet days, the president re-
eeyes all who choose to come, or all who can
be received during business hours And this
great ariStocratic establishment is reduced, in
fact, to place where any well. behaved man,
woman or child, white, black or Indian can
enter, without even knocking or ringing bell
the afternoon, the year round, except on Sun
days; can range through the parlors, the sit
ting rooms and the reception rooms, without a
word from any attendant, and, if there is any
reason for it, can see the president, too in their
turn.
The universal testimony of those in public
and social life here, who have personal know-
edge of the matter is, that the family life of the
president is very beautiful. With very few ex-
ceptons he spends his evenings at home and in
the family circle. His wife, though meeting all
the requirements Of her position, does not as
sumo TO lead in matters of fashion, and his
children are everywhere spoken Of as totally de-
void OF the assumptions which would naturally
be expected of young persons occupying their
position.
There is no private establishment in the land
more quiet and orderly upon the Sabbath than
the White house. The business offices are closed,
and the house is not open in any part to the
public. The president and his family are regu-
lar attendants at church, and the outward re.
spect which he shows to the Sabbath he does
exactly what so many thousands of his country
men, who are not church members but church
goers, do, and he does it in the same unosten-
tatious way. Yet, Notwithstanding this general
order and simplicity of conduct about the
White house, the attempt is now making, by
those who should know better, 10 show that
Gen. Grants whole course as president is such
as 10 unite the entire religious community
against him. Such is the substance of the late
diatrihe from President Mahan of Oberln
And yet, if he had only ordinary information in
regard to the condition of affairs in Washing
ton, he would have known that at no previous
period of its modern history have the chief men
in power, from the president down, been more
generally men who are regular attendants upon
religious services on the Sabbath, and who pay
so much outward respect to what all society,
either religious or non-regious, comedies to the
Sabbath. The fact is, there is not more quiet
orderly city in the land than Washington is on
Sunday, and the fact is that the government in
the persons of its officials and in the absolute
suspension Of all its business, makes il SO and
keeps it so.
Just now the democratic journals are pleasing
themselves with very well written account of
Gen. Grants stables. The letter in question has
much truth woven in with materials not alto
gether finished The part omitted is just what
is needed to destroy the effect which the demo.
crallc journals are attempting to produce by
their illusions to the letter.
The fact is that the new state department site
embraced that occupied by the stables attached
20 the White house-not Gen. Grants stables
for he has none, but the stables which belong to
the White house as public building. The com
mittee of public buildings and grounds, in
recommending the appropriation for the new
building, and every member Of congress in vot-
ing for it, knew that it involved a removal of the
stable. majority of the members OF the proper
house committee saw the plans for the new sta
bles and approved them The president never
saw them, and was not consulted by MIR, Null
lot In upI In In =