The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-23
PRESIDENT GRANTS ADVISERS.

The Washington correspondent of the Bos-
ton Herald writes:
The two men who have been more intlu-
entail than anybody else with Grant, since
Rawlins died, are Gen. Babcock, his secre-
tary (reputed to be worth a million of dol
lars, and the partner of the President in va
rious financial operations), and Boss Shep-
herd. The latter has been for the past two
years a particular tavorite, and if the secret
history of the White House could be told, it
would probably appear that Grant has cared
more for him personally than for any man in
the country. Not only did his great execu-
tive powers and the grandeur OF his scheme
of local improvements impress the President
very tayorably, but he was socially very
acceptable to the President When
the District ring broke down, the Presidents
sympa,hies We're with Shepherd so completely
that he became more friendly to him than
ever Indeed, he made Shepherds case his
own and befrlended him in every possible
manner, even appointing him one of the new
Board of Commissioners last spring, when
the District government had been legislated
out OF existence. It has been evident all
along that, however odious Shepherd might
have become outside OF Washington, the
President regard for him was undiminished.
1t is true that he failed to save Mr. Mullett,
remain in Office, and Bristow was very en-
phatlc. Being so powerful as he is, it was
not strange that Mr. Powell Clayton should
have enlisted his aid in behalf of His sinking
political fortunes. How ready the President
still is to obige him the country has seen. 1t
seems We have President who is even ready
to stnltty himself to oblige friend
qualification is the only word which COM
petey describes the action of the President
in this case, and there is no doubt that the
explanation gwen Is correct enc SO far as it
goes The Arkansas message was written at
the request of Mr.. Shepherd. 1t would be
fortunate for General Grant and for the coun-
try if this strange and contradictory commu-
nication to the senate were simply freak of
the Presidential mind, and if there were not
too many indicati ons that he is pursuing a
line OF policy which made it only too easy for
hlm to conform to the request of Shep-
herd and Dorsey in this case There is every
reason to believe that Grant is now listening
TO more reckless aud violent counsels than
have ever been poured into his ears in the
past years OF his administration that
the number OF bad men, extreme
men. desperate men around him is
constantly increasing, and the number of
decent, wise and honest advisers constantly
growing smaller. Some Of the worst men of
the party, as old newspaper readers know,
have long been very much at home at the
White House. The number, or the proper
ton of such, believe to be increasing. 1t is
not necessary to beat about the bush to dis
cover why this is so. There may be innocent
and trusting patriots in the rural districts who
still believe that Gen. Grant is not determined
to be again a candidate for the Presidency.
There are none su h in Washington. 1t is
noteworthy that the question of whether he is
=
lately so generally discussed in the news
papers, has almost ceased to be a topic Of re-
mark. Very little is said about it here now,
and the reason is that it has become settled
conviction in the minds Of all, nearly all,
that Grant is bent on % third term.