The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-06-23
Ex.President Grant Abroad.

upon ex-President Grant. 1t can
scarcely be regarded as a personal
compliment to our ex-President, al
though the London Spectator did say
that "if General Grant had come to
England before he became President
of the Union, though after he had
achieved his great victories, as the
commander. in-chief of the armies of
the United States, he would proba-
bly, have been regarded with much
more interest and admiration than
he is likely to be now" But we
doubt it very much Oxford would
never have conferred a degree upon
General Grant if his military career
had not been supplemented by eight
years in the Presidency. That VEN
cradle seat of learning paid no such
distinguished honor to General Sher-
man, the successor of General Grant
as commander-in-chief of our armies,
when that honored soldier visited
England. The Presidency lifts the
most commonplace of men into po-
sition of such distinguished consid-
Grafton that he can never again be
looked upon as an ordinary citizen.
Three of our ex.Presidents visited
England after the expiration of their
terms of Office, and although they
were lawyers by profession, and had
been Senators and members of Con-
gress, neither of them was made a
Doctor of Civil Law by Oxford or
any other University. They were,
in fact, the recipients of no more
public attentions than any other
American citizens travelling in Eu-
rope for pleasure. The attentions
showered so profusely upon ex Pres
ident Grant must, therefore, be at
tributed to his being regarded as the
greatest of living military comman-
ders and as the representative of the
country of which he had been twice
elected the President. He was ex-
ceedingly fortunate, too, in landing
in England just at the height OF
what is called the London season,
when notable personages in the Brit
ish metropolis are on the lookout for
lions, and there did not happen to
be anybody else to divide public at
tention with him. He was extreme
ly fortunate, also, in having in Lon
don a Minister of his own appoint
ment who had the means to enter.
tain him in magnificent style that
few of our representatives in Europe
have ever been endowed with, and
who could influence others to follow
his example. The former private
secreta. y of General Grant, likewise,
holds the Office of Consul General to
Great Britain in London, by his ap-
pointment, and he could exercise his
influence to gain consideration for
the man who had rewarded his serv.
ices so munificently. Everything,
in truth, worked together to produce
a popular ferment the higher classes
of Britons for the glorification of ex-
President Grant. The Duke of We'll
lington, representing the greatest of
British military commanders, felt it
incumbent upon him to give the first
dinner in London to the greatest of
American soldiers. Then followed
an invitation from His Royal High
ness the Duke of Cambridge, the
commander in. chief of the British
forces; and then the Prince of Wales,
the heir to the throne, knowing of
General Grants fondness for horse
flesh drove him to Epson; Lord
Houghton, representing literature
and art, gave him dinner and a
ball; the Corporation of London ten
dered him the freedom of the city in
gold snuff box, the only other
American to whom such a testimon-
ial had been given being George Pea
body, who may be said to have pur-
chased the honor by the munificent
sums he gave to the poor of London.
The Queen is to give him reception
at Buckingham Palace, and all of
Her Majesty's ministers, excepting
Lord Beaconfield had called upon
our ex-President to pay him their
respects, and in addition to them
were the Lord Mayor, the Duke of
Argyle, and John Bright. These
great honors were bestowed upon an
American citizen holding no office,
and who but sixteen years ago was
living in ohscurity in an out of the
way town in Illinois, unknown to
anybody outside of his own circum-
scribed family circle. Surely such
an instance of rapid rise in the world
was never before known, except,per-
haps, in the case of that Corsican, adj
venturer, the first Napoleon.
OF course every American feels an
honest pride in the very remarkable