Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-06-05
MARY CLEMMER ON GRANT.
From the Independent.


the manipulations of politicians have
lifted him into hero in the minds of
those who know him least, only prove
how marvellous are the powers of the
human Imagination.
Fatally, for such glamour, | know
Grant well. 1t was my misfortune to
live for eight years in the very thick
of his civil administration. 1t was
impossible that should be mistaken
in its character. An Administration
more corrupt never cursed country.
This was true while Grant himself
was, at least, negatively an honest
man. He did not pick and steal him.
self, though he harbored and trusted
thieves, He had that overweening
love of money, of all that money
brings, that nearly always marks the
man deficient in the native power of
money-winning. Such men poverty
makes sordid. The man of substance,
the natural money-getter, the sous of
inherited fortune, are the ones who fill
his Imagination, make his chosen So
ciety, if not his trusted friends.
Such men were always nearest and
dearest to Grant. Stolid as he seemed,
stubborn as he was, all discovered the
unerring nerve in him which thew had
but to touch to hold him forcver-the
nerve of his inordinatc self-love. Its
all absorbing activity did not prove
him to be by nature selfish beyond his
kind. Condition and circumstance
had quickened it to preternatural
acuteness. The man put off, batiled
by fortune, is the man whom sudden
success overcomes. He is the man
who never learns the highest and
finest use of power As President of
the United States such a man was
Ulysses Grant. The sycophants, The
place-seekers, the place-keepers who
surrounded him, despite his reputation
for pugnacity, found it perfectly easy,
by feeding his vanity, to hold this man
in thrall.
They told him that he was the
greatest soldier that ever lived = that
he was the final star in the triumvi-
rate that was to blaze for all posterity
Washington, Lincoln and Grant
that empire was in his destiny, and
that he was to live and reign chic"
if not of Europe, of the United
States. 1t was as agreeable as it was
natural for him to believe all this, to
gloat and swell with self-importance
in the belief. In its full acceptance he
left this country, expecting as his right
that all Europe would uncover and
bow before him, the chief of the west
ern continent, over whose United
States he was yet again to reign and
rule to their ruin. As have written
before, Grants tour through Europe
and around the earth was decided
upon and prearranged by the manipu-
lators of his "third term" before he
left the White House or the city of
Washington. Among many letters
received from men since | wrote first
of Grant a. a candidate for the third
term, is one from Presbyterian clergy
man in a city of Iowa. He addresses
me in that curious tone of mingled re-
spect, cOndescension and authority in.
digenous to the Presbyterian ministe-
rial mind when directed to one of that
portion of the human family whom
even St. Paul evidently did not al
together understand, dispite his assump-
tions and very excellent advice.
The clergyman tells me that /
"should have said less about Grant or
n great deal more"
/ differ from the clergyman. as /
should, doubtless, in his conduct of
prayer meetings" though | myself
"never" speak in any meeting what
soever. Deficient as it may be in
quantity and quality, seem to have
said enough about Grant TO have stir
red considerably the minds of my
brethren. Let me now confess to
these perturbed beings, including the
Presbyterian minister, that | say as
little as possible about Grant. not
wishing to talk about him or about
any man whom it is beyond my power
conscientiously to praise. The clergy
man points triumphantly to the fact
that Hamilton Fish's praise of Grant
has great weight with the public mind.
Well, the public mind" would be
less moved by such praise were it as
we'll acquainted with Hamilton Fish
and Ulysses Grant as am.
Hamilton Fish is gentleman by
inheritance, birth, breeding-the most
of n gentleman Grant ever had in his
Cabinet. A family more refined and
praiseworthy than his never graced
public life in Washington. Amid
crowd Of plebeians and pretenders,
their grace and simplicity was as con.
spicuous as it was solitary. Yet
Hamilton Fish himself is man of
the world--a bon Uipdnt. While he
far transcribed Grant in inherited
=. e. l.n- L.