The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1879-11-21

THE LONDON "TRuTH,' ABOUT GENERAL
GRANT.
London Truth, Oct. 9th.

On the whole, Gen. Grant may be de-
scribed as about the one great gun America
has turned out SINCE Washington-Lincoln,
perhaps, and certainly Longfellow except
ed. He is, moreover, truer exemplidca-
tion OF his country's genius than either of
these eminent men, For the typical YAM
kee is Jack of all trades, and has proved an
old proverb false by being good at many
things.
Grant, for instance, has been tanner,
farmer, banker, soldier, politician, and
means to end, apparently, as President of a
canal company. Two things, however, he
is not-neither writer nor speaker, which
is perhaps, the one un-American trait IN
his character. Among the few men who
can manage to make him talk is Lord Ma
pier, of Magdala. Grants delight with
Gibraltar, of which Lord Napier is Coy
ernor, was unbounded. He liked every
thing and man about it, from His Excel.
lency downward, and said that no spot in
the British Empire had made him under
stand better the secret of England's pow
or. The silent warrior, one sees, can oeca-
sionally pay graceful and stately compli-
ment.
Grant likes as, on the whole, and is rea-
sonably proud of his Scotch origin. If the
Alabama business never ended in tragic
way, which it might well have, the praise
is probably due to him. Motley, the
American Minister to our court, was all
for war and even threatened it. Grant
snubbed him fearfully and observed to
friend: 81 thought after that Motley
would have been man enough to resign"
But Motley took a different view of the
case. He had made what he fancied to be
q great name as an author, and wanted to
be chronicled as great aiplomatist into
the bargain. The mans soul was abso-
lutely eaten up with vanity, and the anec-
dote is not altogether out of place, for we
are dealing with men and things American.
Motley's time as United States Minister to
London vas chiefly employed in "moving
heaven and earth, !" 40 friend of his told
me, to get himself named Ambassador. !
Ambassadors. as every one in society
knows, rank immediately after the Princes
of the blood. They alone, NJ the Congress
Of Vienna put it, have the " representative
character" Ministers, or, to give them
them their full style, "lEnvoys Extraerdi- /
nary and Ministers Plenipotentiary, y are |
by the courtesy OF England,
precedence after Dukes. Motley was once
dining at Lady Edgerton's; so was the
Dake of Norfolk. g Shall take you into |
iinner?" quoth the Yankee Envoy to Lady
Edgerton, who. with an imperceptible I
shrug of the shoulders. replied: IF you
like
How matters were squared with the
Premier Duke is fact of not much conse-
Iuencs but it is worthy remembering that
'hese are the sort of men--Re Republicans in
heir own country, aristocrats abroad
With whom an American President has to
leal. And Grant managed them vefy well.
Motley he summarily recalled when he
onnd that gentleman would not take q
lint. AS 10 others, If may be borne in
mind that the President came very fairly
'ut Of the civil service scandals revealed in
S76. ] forget who was tho principal
ogue. but be and every one after him were
arefui to say the President was guiItless.
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