The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-01-14

WE HAVE all been IN the habit o
looking upon Gen. Grant as the
stllid sphynx, incapable OF perpetrat
. ing joke, and blind to much that il
going on about him. Nobody ever
thought Of associating him with the
finer things of life. The capture OF
, a VicksbuTg, the grand tour of the
world, q Nicaragua chip canal, OF
, some such mighty matter, best COM
ports with the popular idea of Grant,
But the general has the melloRer
traits in his character. He can really
get down to be funny, and there is q
rich vein Of humor running through
his rough and rugged character. On
the evening Of thu 9th, Gen. Grant
was the guest of the New York City
Press Club at dinner, and very natur-
ally was called upon for speech. AZ
he has in q measure been cured Of
the severe case of tongue-tying to
which be was for so many years sub
iect, he responded. We quote in full:
We all know the CHARACTERISTIC mod
esty of the people associated with the
press. {Laughter.) They never want to
inquire into anybodys affairs Clsughter)
know where they are going Caughter)
what they are going to do iiaughter)-
what they are going TO say when they get
there-and 1 really thought that you
would excuse me this evening. have
been somewhat of reader of newspapers
for forty years. Icould readvery well when
l was 8 years Of sge-And it has given me
forty years Of observation of the press;
and there is one popularity that l have
observed, and that is in all of the walk.
oflife, outside Of the press, people have
entirely mistaken their profession, their
occupation. (LSughter.) never knew
mayor Of city, or even q councilman
of any city, and public officer, any gov
erHment official; never knew a mem Der
Of Congress, q senator, or President OF
the United States who could not be en-
lightened in his duties by the youngest
member Of the press. (Lsughter.l
never knew q general to command bri-
gsde, division, corps, an army, who
could begin to do It as we'll as men far
away IN their sanctums, and often won
deted-I was very glad to hear that the
newspaper fraternity were ready to take
with perfect confidence any Office that
might be rendered to them from presi-
dent to mayor, and have been aston
ished that the citizens have not rendered
them because they know all these
offices would have been well
and properly filed. Uaughter.)
Well, gentlemen, am very happy to
have been with you, and l hope when q
new generation, about twelve years
hence, comes up, that will sgain dine
with the Press Club of New York City
and that 1 will see that those of this gen
Grafton who are SO well fitted TO fill all
the civil offices, have all bsen chosen, and
that there will be nothing left then to
criticise.
This sounds very funny, and as the
reporter has indicated, the gentlemen
present laughed at the proper times
and places. Grant was sarcastic as
well as humorous, and the press peo-
pie also laughed at that. But Grants
little speech proved one thing fully
that the general had felt the infn-
suce Of the press and appreciated it,
power. While pretending TO despise
"them damned literary fellows" he
had to acknowledge that they
were not the useless appendices
to society that he would like to make
it appear. Grant has realized by this
time that to the press be owes his
own late defeat in the struggle for the
presidency; he understands that the
press prevented his denomination
four years ago, and inflicted a death
blow to the ideas of Cae.arism which
had grown so bold in this republic;
he must acknowledge that the press
is the greatest engine for good. and
the most powerful ally of right that |
the world affords. not excepting reli |
gion itself. The little pleasantly that
al newspaper people we're capable
Of filling all the Offices and admin
rtering all public affairs, whether on
Inc field OF battle or in the civil de-
partments of government, was in
tended as joke, and so accepted
by the good-natured listeners.
Grant did not intend it
in the sense that the words expressed. |
He is too wise to Thick tina. the
editor whose study and thought sug-
gest ways for doing things. would
assume that he could do them better
than other men. The editor does not
claim to be the executive, to put his
calm suggestions into practice. but
his knowledge OF men, his research
and bis ability to draw comparison as
10 policies and conduct, give weight
to his suggestions which Bonapsrte,
a Grant, Bismarck and Beacons-
field may not overcome, but must
heed. 1t is also true that when
editors have left the field Of thought
and entered that OF action they were
not the failures that Grants sstirical
words, taken in earnest, would imply.
Il is clear that the press has accom-
plished one thing, namely, the forcing
D! Grant to acknowledge its power,
other8ise he would not be found
stretching bis legs under the editorial
mahogany, breaking bread with the
ignored class, a1d making
he reporters laugh at the evidences
hat he regarded the prees in some
hing OF lis true light.