The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-28

tacks man it's very hard to get nd of it. So |
sent for Jones-he was the marshal for the
Northern district of Illinois, and he Knew Grant
wel-and asked him. continued Mr. Lincoln,
HAS General Grant got tho presidential bee
in his bonnetp
"No, Mr.. President said Jones to me. Gen
eral Grant has but two ideas. Tae first is +" out
down the rebellion and the second 80 san pm Pm
reelected President of the Ta 60. ~ 90 %
'na sS POM yoa 0An .e sure
lat. coin threw himself back in his chair
az said:
''"That statement to Jones is a great relief
to me-"
You have said Mr., Young that Mr.. Greeley
disliked General Grant because he was soldier.
What were General Grants feelings towards Mr.
Greeley9"
THE first time Mr. Greeley ever met General
Grant was at a breakfast which / gave to bring
them together, at Delmonicos, in Fourteenth
street l have forgotten who else were present
only Badeau and Tribune friend. as | remem
ber but [ remember the whole conversation
during breakfast was on farming. The first
question Mr., Greeley asked Grant was where he
had served in the early part of his career. The
General said, think, that he had been stationed
in Oregon or California, and the conversation
ran on the capacity of that country 10 raise
wheat. This was subject with which General
Grant was thoroughly familiar
General Grant tried very hard TO become a
friend of Mr., Greeley, and, as l know, went out
OF his way to make Greeley his friend He
recognized In Greeley a splendid power in our
politics, and he wrote me almost a pathetic ap-
peal in regard to the relations he wished to have
with Mr.. Greeley. | have this letter among my
papers. The two men had many points in com
mon. There were no two men who could have
been better friends than Grant and Greeley They
were both Wings. l read Mr. Greeley General
Grants overture Of friendship and esteem, and
said:
$ There is no reason why, with this offer from
General Grant you gentlemen should not be the
best of friends. You going to Washington,
and if you will see General Grant it will end in
friendship that will crafty you both and be to
the interest of the country
'He said he would go, but that he had no hope
the point of sympathy between them would ever
be reached He went to Washington TO attend,
| think the funeral of Congressman WalbridGe.
He met General Grant, but they never became in
innate and know that until the time of his death
General Grant lamented that they never had
that understanding which should exist between
two such characters
'Mr Greeley was much greater man than
the country ever understood He has suffered
from the misfortune of editors and actors, and
has been forgotten-like Edmund kean and
Garrick. He was thoroughly honest strenuous,
bold intensely believing in his convictions and
if | could recall any fault in his character it
would be that he had the peculiar ambition that
comes to most men who rise from poverty and
humble ife-a desire for official recognition and
power"
II suppose you must have known the elder
Bennett"
II first saw Mr.. Bennett in 1864 when I came
to New York with a message to him from Mr..
Forney. Mr.. Forney had some ideas about be-
ing member of the Cabinet of Mr. Lincoln.
and there were good reasons why he expected
such recognition. L came to New York at his
request to Mr. Bennett l was introduced
to him by the Hon. John B. Haskin. the member
of Congress from Westchester county. Invent
to Fort Washington one snowy night and saw
Mr.. Bennett for the first time. From that
began acquaintance thut lasted until he died.
He was then an old man of nearly seventy, with
a curious humor He talked until late in the
evening. He had an interesting Scotch accent
He told me about his early days and about his
first editorial, on the battle of Waterloo. in
Scotch newspaper, and remember he impressed
me combination Of Horace Walpole and
Cobbett He was to me always very kind. He
had the genius of journalism, a streaming hu
NOR, fine head utterly Indifferent to public
opinion and political relationships, profuse in
personal courtesy. and with strong admiration
for both General Jackson and General Grant
Il Der when General Grant came to
New York, in 1869 or 1870, he said to me: Il
: owe a great deal to Mr. Bennett He has treated
me with kindness from Fort Donelson down |
wish I could make some return; but he wants
no Office. takes no part in politics, asks for no
appointments, despises patronage, and | cannot
do anything for him. | ought to do something
to show my appreciation of his profound and
perfect support ! said to him:
g You can only do one thing for Mr.. Bennett
Mr.. President Go and see him.
Horace Porter, l think it was, was with the
President, and he said: Yes, Mr.. President, |
don't think you can do anything better than call
or him
.Igave him Mr.. Bcnaetts address and General
Grant went with General Porter and sent UP his
card He thanked Mr.. Bennett for his uniform
and strenuous support, general and President
and said he knew he could not return Mr., Ben
nett any Office, or dignity, or courtesy that would
10 ~ 6n bod
say to him that he was not unmindful of the sup
port he had always received from the Herald /
saw Mr.. Bennett that evening and he referred to
the visit They had talked a good deal about
Jaskson's administration. Mr. Bennett said TO
me that he had told General Grant no man had
had such an influence in the country since Jack
sons time, and General Grant would have his
perfect and assured confidence as President.
General Grant was afterwards extremely solicit
Gus TO give Mr.. Bennett some indications of the
appreciation he felt. But that was out Of the
question. Mr. Bennett would accept nothing
from General Grant, except the assurance of his
personal friendship and regard, and so it con-
tinued to the end of his life"
what do you think of the elder Mr.. Bennett
as Journalistic
II think, taking the whole history of journal
ism into consideration, Mr.. Bennett was it's most
original, daring and audacious example His in
dependence his courage, his honor, his know-
edge of the world, were remarkable. He brought
into journalism the principles he had learned as
a boy from Cobbett. He tried to control events
He made the paper he founded the embodiment
of what a journal should be.
II suppose, Mr.. Young in your life in Europe
you must have met many men worth remember
ingr'
Eyes, was two years in General Grants com
pany, when he travelled abroad, and that gave
me opportunity to meet nearly every sover-
eign and statesman of distinction in Europe and
Asia"
"You have met Bismarck"
Eyes, several times. [ met him first with
General Grant and several times later Bis
marck is towering, proud, dominant charac-
ter"
How did Bismarck impress your
81 think that the personal impression Bismarck
makes justifies his great fame. l remember
General Grant saying TO me on his return from
his tour around the world that he had met four
really great men-Bismarck, Beacons6eld, Gam
beta and Ii Hung Chang, the Grand Secretary