The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-11
GRANT AND FOSTER.
The Scope of the Formers BOok-Incidents in
the Life of General j. w. Foster.

lay evening l called upon John Straiton, prob
ably the chief cigar manufacturer IN New YORK
not knowing that anything had happened IN ms
place, and he quietly informed me that he had
discharged all his hands more than 2,OQO IN
number week or two previous he mad as
charged about 100 persons. Said he: This dis
sharge is not permanent matter but unit! we
ind out Just what this treaty is we do not pro
pose to buy any more tobacco"
1t was the following morning that met ten
era Grant, and in few sentences of converse
sion | said to him: Il see that MIR. Foster mas
made the Spanish treaty."
General Grant replied: III have not seen TIE
treaty. but do not think shall favor 1t II IL Is
what expect it is-a treaty in which the con.
sessions are made by one side" General Grant
has fine healthy skin, strong, rich brown halr,
the alert and lion look we all are familiar with
who have talked with him; and he told me that
he was writinEhis memoirs. SAID he; L nave 10
get up pretty early III the morning to 90 to work
Said |: General, do you dictate any por
lion of that workp
NO said he. but think that some parts of
it / could make better if did dictate them"
intimated in minute that he could easily
get a secretary. General Grant sad: but l
could not afford one"
This book of General Grants ought to be
really great performance, not merely IN the
style but in the moral strength of the statements
coming from a man who is both chivalric and
courageous.
The same afternoon met Mr.. Chaffee the
first senator from Colorado, and the delegate
who Brought that Territory into the Union, and
l said to him: Are you going to Colorado sooni
Eyes, am going this evening"
Are yourunnng for senator out thereT
nat if Secretary Teller is candidate. If he
wants TO come to the Senate | shall not make
any contest against him"
Said |: MIR Chaffee what kind of remi
niscences is General Grant writingi"
II understand" said Mr.. Chaffee, that he is
writing his recollection of his career between the
surrender of the confederate army under Gen.
4 IL. Il Iii ksn,l, 1,,,fVa
tstration.'
All who were present applauded this selection
of Grants career the most needfu to be por-
trayed. Said Mr.. Chaffee: a never knew Gen.
Grant to be so interesting and original as when
reviewing the events OF Johnsons adminlStra-
ton. A great many things happened at that
time, when was delegate in Congress, that |
knew nothing whatever about, and Grant Is IN
formed about everything"
Gen Grant preserves the homely simplicity of
his eharacter-that which has so much attached
to him men of all parties who have had the
pleasure of his acquaintance. If he had been a
successful man in business, | have my doubts
whether he would have retained as many friends
People would then have said: Grant is a man
of talent and ought to have succeeded at any
thing
But 1t was his fate to be the victim of the most
remarkable swindle in the business history of
the country, and the depth of his distress was so
silent ard profound that the meanest enemy
was moved to pity When he was public man,
and his critics and disappointed contemporaries
stabbed him, he took it all without a murmur,
but these last injuries came from his own house
hold-young men who supposng that they had
business grasp, were made the unconscious &C
tors in delusion. The brave old gentleman
looking around TO find some place to catch hold
Of and support himself for the first time re
fiected that he had possessed career and that it
might be interesting to the people. Consequent
ly Grants book will be due to his dstresses, and
TO them it might Justly be dedicated.
In this book. now being written by his own
hand. posterity viii see the most remarkably
simple man modern life has ever shown. Born
about 500, he was almost forty years old before
he had any success at all He had no vices in
early life, but he did have temptations, and they
were unable to break down the iron fabric OF
his constitution or the iron simplicity
and purity of his character, He seems
to have been made poor on purpose to
give him the grasp of fortitude and perseverance
which be so ahundantly displayed the mag
ni6cent theater of the young American Cont
nent, and which he enhellished painter on
the globe ever embelhshed some great cathedral
with his paintings and statuary. Yet no great
artist ever more truly represented the spirit of
the Christian religion in his victories. They
were for man and his salvation Not all the
Apostles who came from the feet of Christ ever
wandered so far in their attempt to overturn old
paganisms and put the genius of humanity into
the laws and institutions of countries as Grant
fighting for the slave
John w. Foster who has made the Spanish
treaty, is .variously considered at Washington
City. | had the pleasure of knowing him about
1861 That year, if l correctly remember l
went to Evansville to lecture. 1t was of the
queerest towns | ever visited, being farther to
the south than any place | ever lectured in
There were some excellent people there, men
imbued with the Kentucky chiyalry and sin
certify of character and many of them thor
Oughly ingrained with the ideas of Northern
progress.
remember attending wedding at tho town,
where some beautiful girl had been won by
groom from Kentucky. Foster then owned the
Evansville Journal, which had pleasant office
recently built on street leading to the river
He asked me to come to his house and spend the
night, and there something diplomatic and
imperative about his invitation which drew me
there perhaps against my will He also wrote
to me afterward to write him a "News-carriers'
Address" and although never did such thing
but three times in my life for some reason or
other | wrote the address. poor it may have
been. Perhaps this same quality in the man has
extracted the treaty from the Spanish.
Some years afterward, or about the time that
Oliver P. Morton came to the United States Sen
ate, l saw a in the street-cars and other
places around Washington City whom l thought
must be John w. Foster. This man never
spoke to me, seemed to have kind of
pale eye, and | concluded finally that
/ was mistaken i'll the man. Yet. after good
many years. when it suited his purposes. he
came up and spoke to me. am not in the
habit of treasuring up sights, when it was, per-
haps, my duty to have addressed the sup
posed friend. He invited me to mis- house, at
Washington City and some time later met him
at Grafton, w. Va, after | had been caught in
the Western freshets on n similar lecturing ex-
petition Some friends OF mine had special
car on the train, and at their request brought
MFR Foster in, and he addressed me especially
with reference to the injuries, false claimants
and others were doing to the Mexican govern
mont and people. He had been in the mean
time our minister to Aexieo and had also been
our minister to Russia, and possibly to Spain.
/ do not much like to see American ministers
become the agents of the governments to which
they go at our own capital. Yet it is probable
that we take too harsh a view of lawyers
rights Ipresume that Mr.. Foster is a lawyer
The juvenile view is often the honest view; that
which astonishes the boy perhaps ourrages the
man After our government had sent man to
some other government to attend to its business
should think good feeling, or at least consis-