The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-07-31
Whose Friends are his Foes,

No man has suffered more on account of
his friendships than President Grant. This
misfortune, however, results rather from the
prominence of elements in his character
which are generally admired than from such
as are regarded as defects. Gen. Grant has
always stood by his friends while under fire.
The fiercer they have been assailed the closer
he has stuck to them. This results in part
from what is called his stubborness but more
from his belief in the Integrity of the men
who have won his friendship. Honest HIM
self but charged with all manner of duplcity,
he naturally infers that the same charges
when made against his friends, are false.
Since the time he became prominent as
soldier, his character, motives and acts have
been assailed until he has come to accept
SANDER and detraction as the portion of every
man who occupies prominent public posi-
ton. Outraged himself by the basest caum-
nies, he has turned deaf ear to the charges
made against his friends. More than that;
the wrongs he has suffered have had .enden-
cy to make him the champion of such of his
friends as have been charged with irregulari-
ties.
One of the most unfortunate of the Presi-
dents friendship and the one from which he
will suffer most in the public estimation is
that which he manifested fo- Gen. Babcock.
In the war he was a member of the Presi-
dents staff. He there gained Gen. Graut's
confidence and esteem. When be assumed
the duties of Chief Magistrate, Babcock be-
became his confidential secretary. OF course
Gen. Grant could not believe that Babcock
was the INSCRIPTIONS and unworthy man he
has since proved to be. When, therefore, it
was given out that Babcock was indicted for
connection with the whiskey frauds, the
President could not believe that the man he
had known so long, was knave. Conse-
quently when Babeock denied it aud his
friends pursuaded him that the conviction of
Babcock was part of conspiracy to con-
meet the President with the whiskey frauds,
he quite naturally although unwsely took
side with his private secretary. In so doing,
he was led to do things which at least place
him in a false position. He would not
believe the testimony against Babcock. To
the President it was conspiracy in which
Secretary Bristow and Mr.. Wilson were
engaged TO crush Babcock, and as his
enemies intmated to involve him. The
breach that occurred between him and these
officials was the natural consequence. The
| extraordinary letter sent to district attorneys
| respecting the testimony of men accused or
convicted OF the same crime, was another
| result. The attempt to try the matter before
military court was still another The com
munication of the character of the testimony
| and the names OF witnesses against Babcock
| by the President to him of which Mr.. Wilson
complains in Lis testimony, however mex
| cusable, may be accounted for on the score of
thePresident's belief in the conspiracy theory.
There is no doubt that the President would
| even now be the. firm friend of Babcock had
| not the faithessness of the man been made
as clear to him as midday in the Black Fri
| day affair." When the President learned Bah.
| cocks true character he abandoned him, and
| as far as could be, the friendly relations he
| tween him and Col. Bristow were resumed.
Between Mr.. Wilson, whose testimony has
recently been published, and the President
there are unfriendly feelings. The President
has been misrepresented to Mr.. Wilson, and
| Mr.. Wilson's friends have done their part to
make the breach wider. Nevertheless, Mr..
| Wilson takes occasion to give the President
the credit of acting honestly if not wisely, as
the following paragraph from his testimony
| shows:
81 attribute it to the fact that he believed Babcoek
to be innocent, and so believing he could not svmna-
thze with the prosecuting officers, or with the Secre
tary and myself with the part we took with refer
ence to BabGock's case. My own Judgment is that
whatever differences arose between the Secretary
other, were due on the Presidents part to miscon
eeption of the motives and purposes which actuated