New-York tribune., 1885-09-20
GENERAL GRANT.
JoHN A. KAssOTS "REMINISCENCES.
I,onnriahk 1898.

e,.h his Secretary of War, General Beknap.
proy 60 that time owing to my distrust OF the IN
sv.nces which surrounded him, had not been 10
.,,o White House for long period. The Democrats
had Gained possession of the House OF Represents
,;ves and great efforts had been made TO una cor
..,,,;on in General Grants Administration. The
.ttacks upon him had been very bitter, and yet
,bav had traced no wrong doing. or countenance OF
wronp doing in public life to General Grant hiil-
self. ! knew that of the committees ot the
Vonse presided over by the Hon. Heister Clymer oil
Pennsylvania. were pursuing an investigation with
closed doors, touching certain transactions OF tue
War Department Enough OF these TRANSACTIONS
leaked out to interest very much as 10 me result
aud TO create anxiety. On the morning OF the oay
!, WHICH their report was made, was passing
through the lower corridors of the House Wing OF the
Capitol. when / met Mr.. Clymer. with whom my
relations were very friendly. hurrying along in
great state of excitement. with his writing finger
covered with ink to the fist joint. said to HIM.
Mr. Clymer is it true that you are going to report
IN favor of the impeachment of General Belknap Z"
lie responded Don't ask me, my dear fellow; our
proceedings are ordered to be secret and hurried
along away from me in n very excited state HIS
manner and his inky finger told me oil that " as
necessary for me To know. This that the re-
port would come in that day impeaching General
Belknap for high crimes and misdemeanors. i'm
mediately went up to the House floor. and then
called carriage and hurried to the White House
10 see the President. General Grant was at
luncheon, but aim Ost Immediately came into his re-
ception room with smiling. unconcerned express
sion of eOuntenance.
7 said to him, General Grant, there is no doubt
your Secretary of War will be brought before the
House this morning for impeachment on account of
.ho post trauaactions and L have called to
say this TO You aud to INQUIRE il there any informa
zion YOU can give me- which ought 20 know in con-
nection with the debate which may spring up on the
subiectr His countenance immediately became
serious and he said. I" l know but little about it.
GeneIal BellInap came to me about 10 O'Clock. III
very agitated condition. and said that he was
charged with having an interest in the Pos-irader
sbips under his control and lie could not allow my
Administration to suffer by his presence IN the
Cabinet aud he rendered his resignation. spoke
sone words to him expressing my regret, etc., ana
he bnrst into tears His resignation was written in
n few words and / indorsed some kindly expires
sion of regret upon it in accepting IT, and he lett
NO."
had some further conversation on the subject,
hut no further facts could be learned, and |
bastened back to the House. The report came III as
expected. and was read in the House in the
every word of the evidence. and in my Judgment it
utteriy failed to prove the guitof General Belknap.
There was "missing link more important
than that connecting the ape with humanity.
There was an utter failure to show his knowledge
OF either the original transaction, or OF the sources
of the moneys which arose from It, The evidence
did show that knowledge on the part OF Others
who availed themselves of their intimacy with the
Secretary for personal profit. Both at that
time and in subsequent conversations.
General Grant had expressed dis
belief in the knowledge of the transactions on the
part of General Belknap and placed the guilt where
all those who were impartial and had knowledge OF
the crcumstances.tDot at that time and since,
have placed It. In conversation with General Grant
ppon that subject, obtained my first personal ap
precation of his moral courage, his personal up
rightness. and his sympathy with those whom he
believed to be unjustly suffering.
Bat il was at a later period, during my occupa
ton of the post of Minister at Vienna, that be-
came much more intimately acquainted with Gen
eral Grant In that long journey which he made
around the world, he arrived az Vienna in the sum-
mer when very few people in the government. or i'll
society," were present in the capital and was
my guest We had long drives together.
and often sat late at night discussing
recent events in America while smoking our
cigars. On one Of these occasions said to him.
q General don't know if you observed IL. but III
the two OF three years OF your second term. paid
no visits to the White House. have often wanted
10 tell youswhy. 1t was at time when n certain
class of men seemed to have gained exclusive pos
session of your ear and seemed to bar access to all
men of my way of thinking, who would have been
clad TO give YOU their views for what they were
worth IL was not from distrust Of yourself but Of
the influences which surrounded you recolleet
this observation, which he made in this connection
. | entered the White House as President without
any previous experience either in civil or political
life. thought could run the government OF the
United States "a did the staff of my army 1t was
nv mistake and 1t led meuto other mistakes" Tins
was said with the simple honesty Of child. and
with a straightforward sincerity that afterward
led me TO say that if General Grant should have
third term of the Presidency, IL would be, IN my
iudgment the most perfect administration we had
ever had. | believed this because he was not so
obstinate as to be blind to his previous errors. and
with the lapse Of years he had prOGted BY his re-
Election. as much as if he had been criticsing the
ad administration of another man.
Bnt. beyond even this, he interested me in an
other conversation. / said to him, "GeneraL l
know in modern history OF no act OF n Gre aumir-
able civic courage among public men than your veto
OF the lnliation blJ. some Oh YOUR sbrohsosV anu
best friends in Congress had committed their fort
unes and their regulations TO the passage Oh that
bill. and did not dare to hope that it would re-
ceive vour yeto.n He was pleased with this refer
ence 70 the event ana said 81 will tell yeu about
that had watched the progress of the debate but
declined whenever it was subject of conversation
{, express any opinion upon the merits of the BILL
After il was passed and came to my hands, many
influential members of the Senate and House
came to me TO discuss it and to urge my ap-
proyal of it, So also many Senator'S and members
on the other side opposed it, and hoped for its dis
approval told none Of them what my inclination
on the subject was nor did bring it to the atten-
tion of the Cabinet for several days. Final action
had TO be taken within the constitutional period
believed at first that could approve the bill upon