The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-08-10
Is GRANT INSANEf
Strange Rumors in Connection with the
Condition Of the President-Alleged
Softenlng of the Brain-Strong symp.
toms Of that Disorder Manifested.
wa.a,ng.on Correspondence Of dc xsv York Mercury

Ulysses, in the Greek poem BY Homer,
feigned madness, and quite successfully,
but there is every reason to believe our
modern Ulysses is really becoming in
sane. History, of course, names many
monarchs and rulers who became luna
tics, and indeed were 80 long before their
ministers and confdants. discovered the
full reality. There is now no doubt that
George the Third was insane as early as
the beginning of the revolution. Strange
if the second hundredth year of our e1is.
tence should find us in 1876 with q crazy
President, as 1776 found the colonies with
/. a mad king. For several weeks past /
have heard rumors of Grants condition,
but declined to refer to them because
they were vague. However, during the
past few days these rumors have acquired
the strength of positive reports. A
Representatives, Senators and private
citizens, who, since last Monday, have
returned from interviews with the unfor.
.tunate President, all have agreed and
publicly. referred to it as fact, that
President Grant exhibits the most deci-
ded indications of insanity. Baltimore
physician who met him last Wednesday
avers that the President has every symp-
tom of softening of the brain. ~
This is a disorder, las even laynnen
know, that, Like BrighRs disease of the
Kidneys, approaches slowly, and.is often
well seated before the earliest, suspicion
Is entertained of the horrible catastrophe
which impends. General Grant, for some
time past, has been observed to be unu-
suallY impatient Of control, exceedingly
irestive under advice or even suggestion; ;
then to be irritable and apetulant in the
minor affairs of life, and again to become
desirous of silence and solitude, without
even the company of his usual cigar or
the excitement of stimulant.l He is
known to be almost incessantly victim
to insomnia. He gives directions one
moment to counter. md them the next,
and is continually doing the most motive.
less things. His appetite is very capri
cious, and his eyes have assumed that
look of suspicion and distrust which is
always so marked in patients suspected
of having, or known to have, softening
of the brain, and. which is 30 distressing
to his family and friends. Il
It is said that Attorney General Pierre
pont (who studied medicine in Ohio un-
der the name of Munson--and his real
one, by-the-by--for some years after leav-
ing college) was the first to recognize the
impending calamity. He therefore took
the first opportunity of rafting from the
ship and its commander to England.
Otherwise, Il he undoubtedly would have
had break upon him a crazy spasm like
the one which Bristow and Jewell en-
countered. The first radical symptoms
appeared during the whiskey ring trials
at St. Louis. Up to this time Grant had
firmly believed in hisithird term. The
mania undoubtedly did much toward
keeping up; his spirits. He was surroun.
ded by men who fattered him and fed
him on the sauce of vanity almost hourly.
He readsvery few papers, and these were
carefully selected by his household cabi-
net. But it was impossible for him not
to perceive the howls and Drift of public
opinion. He would get up in the night
and walk around w Washington, believing
himself incog.; but he was usually fol.
lowed by two policemen, who hovered
within safe protecting distance. For the
first time in his life he began to be addic-
ted to profanity. In one sense Secretary
| Fish has long been his keeper. Mr.. and
Mrs. Fish, indeed, have been for time
the familiar confidants of Mr.. and Mrs.
Grant. Fish is adroit, and manipulates
Grant without the latter perceiving it.
Mrs. Fish cares for Mrs. Grant in the
way of entertainments, society pesifage,
and the Harper Bazaar business. Fish
also has great tact, born of his knowledge
of society in New York, Europe and
Washington, while Grant was smelling
tanning and oak bark, if not something
stronger, at Galena, and Mrs. Grant was
looking after the growing babies and
visiting her numerous relatives. Fish il
was who prevented Grant from violent
rupture with Bristow months ago, and
when the phrase violent rupture is used
| it is employed with care. Grant would
scarcely speak civilly to Bristow after the
Babcock trial, and when he saw the vote
at Cincinnati, and realized that the Ken.
tucky traitor las for some time previously
he had called him) was likely to get the
nomination and cheat him ont of the
third term, his madness was something
terrible. Fortunately, however, the very
| isolation Of the White House makes it 81
safe a retreat for a violent patient as tht
Flushing Lunatic Asylum would be
The symptoms increased over the Belk
nap affair, and intensified over the Robe
SON charges. ....,
His mania has been that all who ar'
| around him charged with ofenses ar
victims of malice. "Was I not called
cotton thief when in TENNESSEE" b,
wonld exclaim. "Has it not been sait
that even I sold appointments7" Hi
peculiar idiosyncrasy, therefore, Is y
sympathize with Belknap, Babcock, Fish
er, Shepherd, Robson, etc, and to be
lieve that all about him who are regarded
as honest are the conspirators, agains
himself and family. ,aa,.
If Jewell would tell exactly what oc
Cured between Grant and himself, ther
could be no doubt in the public mine
that Gen. Grant ought not only to b
under surveillance, but to be really ex
amined by competent physicians upol
his daily increasing malady. In tn
Jewell matter the symptoms of madnes
and softening of the brain were yer!
marked. One day he was friendly ant
polite to Jewell as he possibly could be
It was, however, only the cunning Q
craze. The next day he abruptly ant
even rudely demanded the resignation
When it was obtained he exulted over
as Sioux would over q scalp.
OBJEcTINe TO A JpRYMAE.-"Arey yo1
satisfied with the jury, gentlemen !" sal