New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-03
a RECENT TALK WITH THE PRESIDENT.

| CHEERFUL MOOD.
Mnrat Hastead, OF Cincinnati, is now in the city
and TRIBUNE reporter conyeISed with him at the
! brevoort House yesterday afternoon.
Il was in Washington Thursday evening"" said
Mr.. lialstead, and called at the White House.
The President was out dining; at quarter to /
O'Clock met the fostmastcr General al the Airing
ton House. who sale he had just left the President,
who had gone hon c; that he would lie up for some
! Tine | walked over to the y hit lIoUsn and the
| President care down to see nc in the Blue Parl0r
and we had cony arSation lasting nearly an hour.
lie expressed confidence in the greatness anl
triumphant future of the Republican party; said
that he thought the personal cmbarrasSlcnts into
which the party had fallcn, the complications
arising from various personal Influences would
presently pass away, and that he expected a long
| period of success anG glorious achievement for the
party. He inquired about affairs in Ohio, and was
gratified at my statement of the conviction that
while il would he necessary to make IA serious
! struggle in Ohio, there was doubt rs to the
result; the reelection of Foster assured though
II was necessary that the people should lie aroused.
He naturally inquired to public impressions with
| regard to the Administration. and | assured him
| there could &c no better canpaign speeches than
the recitation of the achievements of the several
| departments under his Administration, and he was
pleased aud satisfied with the statement The
large business success of the Treasury Department
the difficult and striking work of the Postal Depart
nent' and the business interest taken by the State
| Department in commercial matters which was
highly appreciated by the merchants Of the country
We're all mentioned.
A good deal was said of persons and of their con-
| neetlon with affairs Among others, he spoke Of
General Grant in terms of great personal respect and
| kindness, and regretful that there had been
some misunderstanding. and stated the substance of
his letter to the General which has not iccn pub
shed. He had written that hc certainly would
not discriminate against anyone who had been
friendly to the Third Term neither could he dis
crIminate against one who had opposed the Third
Term, especially as he had done himself upon.
principle. The President said great deal of inius-
tee had been done Secretary Blaine in the gossip
that had been circulated about the country a good.
deal OF which must have been invented. Secretary
Blame had not troubled him with intcrmrddling i'm
the affairs OF other Departments. The President
sad that at the first meeting Of the Cabinet the first
thing he said when they sat down at the table was
Now before any personal application could be
made from his remark, before it meant ANYBODY he
desired ii TO be understood that the harmony of
their working together depended upon a rigid
respect that each member might have for the
duties and the snscepibities of the Others and it
would be well to draw the line that no one should
undertake to exert any influence outside of his own
Department. There general assent TO that
and nobody assentcd positively or more
coIuldliy IMAM secretary Blame. and he had lived
up to it. Ii was not true that the nomination of
Robertson was made at the suggest on of Secretary
Blaine, who did not know that he intended 10
nominate Robertson until he had done So"
"Two or three times within the last year. con-
tinued Mr.. lialstead, have had something to say
to the President about the state of his health and
tho Importance OF taking care of himself. H. was
looking exceedingly we'll Thursday nieht. better
than had seen him for some time, and in response
10 the usual inquiry as TO how he was he said That
he Was feeling quite well that there was nothing
the matter with him; that singular rs it misht
appear, he had got we'll during his wifcs Illness
that before she was taken sick. he had been
bothered somewhat abont the state of his stomach
ana the base OF his brain and the top of his head
but as soon as the shadow of her danger fell upon
him, he had forgotten all about himself and in for
getting TO think about his stomach or his brain for
the two weeks that he knew that his wife was
dangerously III, he came to find out that there WAS
nothing the matter with him at ALL and he con-
sidcred his health simply robust If one. he said
could only unsolf himself, and rot think obout
ailments, 1t would be sovereign cure for many ills
lie was anticipating great deal of pleasure from
his tour in NcwEngland. He Mad cnjoycd exceed
ing'y his stay at Long Branch and thoupht he was
gong to have a very nice time in Ncw-Enplopd
and upon the whole in a more cheerful mood
than he had been at any time had seen him SINCE
lie thought his wife going TO be able to 90 with
HIM to New England but was not absolutely cor
tam OF tnat he said that he had eXpectations tho,
she would be able to go, and she was anticnotng
the Trip with great deal Of satisfact, on Ir he
iound, however that she was on u strain at all and
could not endure the travel and the racket alon,
where ne was, she would simply 90 to the ouictcst
piace thcy could ind for her in the White Nonn
Jams IL was thought that the change from fine SEA
ar 10 'ho mountain air would affect her fayorahlv
ne inquired after friends, and spoke Of the general
P"'i'cs OF the country with great freedom lie
spoke about the issues AT the Chicago Convention
anu at Albany, and was thoroughly alive to all tln
great AFFAIRS IN which he had partcipatcd or which
were dependent upon his action and seemed 70 feel
the ground more firmly under his feet and to have
i" h'sher uegree OF confidence in himself aud a
higher sense of the commanding STRENGTH or Iii
position than he had ever had before
" 1t IS curious. bnt going ont of thc door oftcr
pidding hlm good night, thought | rccopniyed tLc
lace OF the watchman there and stoppcd and sand IN
MN: Were you not here in Iincoln's time 2 and ha
said. Yes, was. / said You were often urooo,, |
"oout iAhcolh were you not" He answered Yes
many times have walked with him in the night
over to the War Department. He went over nj :
O'CLOCK and then again at | O'clock There wcre |
more trees fhc path then than there are nov, onI
was often very uneasy about him. ana took goal
care to walk between the President and the +ros
SAID What is your position here nowr He said
am on the Metropolitan Police force and there s |
Hctail mere said, Well, n great deal deno,ds
upon lhe welfare OF the President; don't bc c,ro
ioSS' 'hcre are great many curious people i'm This
COUNTRY ana II were here should feel like kern
ing pretty sharp lookout The officer soiJ
mere Is good lookout here sir, but | sunnosc |