The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-31
THE aTRUTH" ABOUT GRANT.
Incidents illustrating the Charac.
ter of the ex.PresideAt.


ter ef the ex.PresideMt.
London TRUTH
On the whole, Grant may be described
as about the one great gun America has
turned out since Washington-Lincoln,
perhaps and certainly Longfellow, ex-
cepted. He is, moreover, truer exempli-
feation of his country's genius than
either of those eminent men. For the
typical Yankee 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 chairman of
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 Napier, of Magdala. Grant de-
light with Gibraltar, OF which Lord
Napier is Governor, was unbounded. He
liked everything and man about it, from
"his excellency" downward, and said that
no spot in the British empire has made
him understand better the secret of Eng
lands power. The silent warrier, one
sees, can occasionally pay a stately and
graceful compliment.
Grant likes us, on the whole, and is
reasonably proud of his Scotch origin. If
the Alabama business never ended in a
tragic way-which it well might have
the praise is probably due to him. Mot
ley, the American minister to our court,
was all for war, and even threatened it..
Grant snubbed him fearfully and OBJ
served to a friend 81 thought, after that,
Motley would have been man enough to
resign. But Motley took different view
Of the case. He had made what he fam
cied to be great name as an author and
wanted to be chronicled as great dip plo-
matist into the bargain. The mans soul
was absolutely eaten up with vanity
Exempt gratia-and the anecdote is not
altogether out Of place, for we are deal
ing with men and things American
Motley's title as the United States Min
lister to London was chiefly employed in
moving heaven and earth," as a friend of
his told nae, to get himself named cam
bassador." Ambassadors, as every one in
society knows, rank Immediately after
the princes of the blood. They alone, as
the congress of Vienna put it, have the
representative character" Ministers, or,
to give them their full style, "envoys ex-
traordinary and ministers plenipotenti-
ary," are accorded by the courtesy of
England, precedence after dukes. Motley
was once dining at the late Lady Eyer
tons; SO was the Duke of Norfolk. "Shall
l take you into dinner? quoth the Yam
kee envoy to Lady Egerton, who, with an
imperceptible shrug Of tile shoulders, re-
piled, "If you like" How matters were
squared with the premier duke is a fact
of not much consequence; but it is worth
remembering that these are the sort of
men-republicansssin in their own country,
aristocrats abroad--with whom an Amer
ican President has to deal. And Grant
managed them very well. Motley he
summarily recalled when he found that
gentleman would not take a hint. As to
others, it may be born in mind that the
President came very fairly out of the
civil service scandals revealed in 1876.
forgot who was the principal rogue, but
he and every one after him were careful
to say that the President was guiitless.