The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-26
A Hot-Scotch Talk by Grant.

1dln'T inc Scolcn mist OF inc scotch
whiskcy has had curious effect upon the
only living cX-Prcsidcnt Of tho United
States. An ambassador Of our esteemed
contemporary, tho Hcrdh, who was re-
Gently permitted to ride in the PULLMAN
ear that conveyed Gen. GRANT and JESSE
Roof GRANT over a Scotch railway, reports
an astonishing change in the character Of
GRANTS conversation. Formerly, he was
not accounted garrulous. His private likes
and dislikcs, his opinions and intentions, he
brooded over and kept to himself. In his
most communicative moods he said little
that FASTENED the intcrNicwcr's pencil or
gratiiied the curiosity of the reading pub
lie. There is something in. or of, or about
Scotland, however, that lOosened the larynx
of Gen. GRANT, and he poured into the ample
ear Of the Herdh ambassador stream of
political comment, o; personal criticism.
and of tender condolences. that would have
made BADcoCK or Boss SHEPHERD doubt
the evidence of their senses had they been
there to hear
Gen. GRANT Informed the ambassador that
he now considered himself private citizen.
and wanted nothing whatever to do with
politics. He proposes TO stay abroad "until
after the exciting scenes that will surround
the test of Mr.. HAYES s policy" for two rca-
sons: He wants to Danish politics from his
mind until everything settles down. and he
knows that If he were at home he "would
be charged with having a land in every
kind of political mau0uyring." whether he
really had or not. 81 can say for one thing.
however, added Gen. GRANT, THAT II |
were at home, should exert my influence,
us far as l could exert it, in aid of Mr.
HAYES plan of reconciliation" This is so
magnanimous that it almost seems like hot
Scotch magnaninity. For eight years
GRANT had every opportunity to inaugurate
the policy which he now praises but didn't.
He dcspisedit ii, and whenever anybody urged
him TO adopt it, treated them with con-
temptuous silence.
From HAyEs's Administration the OK
President naturally passed to the subject of
nausea. He expressed great surprise that
he had latterly been exempt from the dis
agreeable malady known rs scasickness.
" | say it is singular" naivcly remarked
GRANT, because from the 4th OF March t.
the 18th Of May | dincd formally with friends
every day luncllcd 81. and sometimes took
two lunches the same day. ! MougM cds
a good subject for scdsicAaess, and expected
tie motion ul the ship would turn me- inside
out; but was not sick a minute. A. mat
ter oi fact was disappointed This eoni-
dencc, again, ON II matter SO Intimately
delicate, sounds very much like a hot Scotch
confidence.
In the further course of this remarkable
conversation, Gen. GRAST informed theat-
tontive ambassador that hc considered
haud7hahng great nuisance, and thought
the practice ought to he abolished In
lsGj," ho said. quito patActicaily, d" it wa
awful with me; thought could hardly
survive the task. II not only makes the
right arm solc, hut it shocks the whole sys-
tenn, and units a man for writing or attend
ing to other duties. II dcmoraiizcs the en-
tire muscular and nervous systems None
but strong man could 20 through a- much
OF it a. | did in 1860" 1t may be added that
all Of these remarks on tho evil effects Of
handshaking APPLY with equal force to the
not less pcrnieious and GcmoraIling hot
Scotch practice.
Gen GRANT described NOTIFY as Il Every
honest gentleman" who could nevertheless
be upon occasions trcachcrous sneak.
carrying ont Mr.. SUMMERS ideas in regard
to the Alabama matter, he felt insultcd 81
went over to the state Department, he says,
land told Gov. FISH TO dismiss MOTLEY at
once. ! WAS very angry indeed, AMI | have
been sorry many Il time since that | did not
stick 30 my d"tcrmnation.' We do Gen,
GRANT IT," Justice to believe that except
under hot-Scotch conditions it would be inn
possible even for him to speak Of the dead
join LoIHEoP MOTLEY a. lac is reported to
have done.
Among The other scraps If information
and opinion with which the travelling OK
President favored his interviewer, we learn
that CHARLES SUMMER was mot n truthful
man that CARL ScHvRz is Il "humbug,'
rs Mr.. HAYES will find out before long that
the Republicans will elect a President in
1850; and that he, Gen. ULYSSES 5. GRAFT,
does not care for party. "Thc people of the
United Statcs," cloquently remarked the
cX-Prcsident, "bciovc in the republic
Their flag is to the fore, with strong arms
behind it always, and they are sentimental,
loyal, and brave. They Will never elect
high official except upon Il commOn-scnse
basis II appears that this tribute to the
sagacity of his fellow citizens was not ill.,
tended by Gen. GRANT to include the Demo-
Gratis, who "always do some silly thing
that drives thinking pcoNe from their ranks
at the last moment. The modern De-
mocracv," said Gen. GRANr "always do it,
1t has made me smile frequently as have
thought of it,"
The aroma Of hot Scotch that porvades
the entire interview. "A portion of which we
print elsewhere, irrcs5tihly compels the
conclusion that Gen. GRANT had been think
ing Of the modern Democracy before lie be-
gan to talk
Compliments 10 the Regular Army.
If Gen. MCCLELLAN, in his recent article
in UUp0's Mugdcmc, had confined himself
exclusively to the professional argument
aud reasons for increasing the armyby two
thirds Of its present maximum, his zeal in
behalf OF a cause with which, from his past
career as a soldier he may bc said to he
personally identified, could be easily UNDER
stood and excused. Both sides are entitled
toa fair hearing, and the final decision will