Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-10-17
H.m,,to. r,.h :. e.. Grant.

In the course of an article on General
Grant, Hon. Hamilton Fish says: 20:
He was not Indifferent to pubic CRU. !
cism, but not unduly excited Dy IL. !
never knew him, but once, to De leo IN.
to an action of the policy or e1peolency
of which he had doubt, by the CRU
cism of the press or the public. " wa
not Q very important matter, relating
only to the employment of certain IN
dividual in the conveyance OF message,
whom q hostile journal had b0astIully
said should never again be thus en-
ployed. ;.
Inever met anyone who formed ID
advance better estimates OF electone
that were to take place, than General
Grant. On the evening preceding the
presidential election of 1872, ] was sitting
with him and he gave the probable re-
suit in each of the states. noted it
down and found that it varied in each
state almost insppre ciably.
He was not great reader: he wrote
with fuency, tersely, strongly and with
great rapidity. He was methodlcal IN
his habits and punctilious in the dis
charge of whatever duties might be be-
fore him.
He had nc historical models, but
WORKED OUT HIS OWN COURSE
from his good sense and thoughtfulness
He formed his opinions, apparently
from intuition.
I think he was the most ecrupulously
truthful man ever met. He had little
idea of the value of money and had no
tendency to it's accumulation. He was
lavish in his expenditures and generous
in his charities. He gave to all who ask
ed of him, being often unnecessarily and
unwisely profuse in his donations. l
have not unfrequently known him to
give sums from five to ten times the
amount of what the applicants could
have reasonably or probably expected.
In his family he was the fondest and
most indulgent and liberal of husbands
and fathers. ,sdR
He had a large fund of humor, enjoy
ed good story, and had the faculty of
telling q good story, and of telling it
well. / never heard him use profane
or an obscene word.
The habit of public speaking came to
him after the end of his presidency.
While he was president. on one occasion
q large body of clergymen called upon
and made him long address, to which
he had to reply and which he always
disliked to do. After q sentence or two,
I noticed that his voice faltered, and fear
ing he might be at q loss what next to
say, standing next to him, I caused q
diversion by beginning to cough violent
ly 80 as to interrupt his speech. He
afterward told me how fortunate it was
for him that I had that cough, as he
had
FELT HIS KNEES BEGIN TO SHAKE,
and did not think that he could have
spoken another word.
His Indignation was always intense
against any case of marital in6delity !;
fusing consideration of applications in
favor of an individual of high public
position who lay under such charge.
And once, where q man of much politi-
cal influence, who had been thus guilty,
recommended and was urging upon him
some action, the general remarked, after
his withdrawal: THAT man had better
take care of his own moral conduct than
come and give advice to me on any ques-
ton"
he was strongly impressed with re-
ligioue views, and was firm believer in
the fundamental principles of Christiani.
ty. He was brought up in connection
with the Methodist church, which he at
tended in Washington. On Sunday either
succeeding or preceding-I don't remem-
Der which-his second election In 1872,
be invited his cabinet, in a body, to &C.
company him to the Metropolitan church
in Washington, which he was in the
habit of attending, to listen to a sermon
rom DR.. Newman appropriate to the &C.
,asion. The moral side of questions of |
public nature, or otherwise, whether pre- |
always had influence with him.
Before strangers, or before q large
number of persons, he was naturally in
;lined to be taciturn. But few men had |
more powers of conversation and of mar
alton than he when in the company of
Intimate friends, without the restraints
imposed by plumbers.
HIS MEMORY
vas minute and accurate to degree. He |
vas not fond of talking of the war. or of |
his battles, but when he could be induc-
ID or led to the subject, he would carry
through, giving the incidents Of fight.
at the various stages OF the en-
the location of each division
II separate corps or regiment.
I asked him once General. in case
We should get into another war, how
bout our armies ?s
"Well," he said, Eve have the best
nen in the world to lead them. No three
men living are more capable of leading
n army or conducting campaign than
he men we have. There is q difference
'etween fighting and planning and con-
ucting campaign but there are no
hree men living better fitted to plan
end to lead armies than Sher-I
1sn, Sheridan and Schofield."
I said: "But I hope we may have no
,ar until these gentlemen may be too i
Id to lead our armies. What then ?"
"There are young men coming up who