The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-08-08


CATION, and specie payments must be re-
stored as speedily as practicable. He
constantly urged this policy, and firmly
resisted any course inconsistent with it.
He vetoed the Initiation Bill in April, 1874,
setting forth his reasons clearly and en-
phaticaly. In singing the Resumption
Act, January, 1915, he sent special
message to the Senate, not only express
ing his hearty approval, but urging the
adoption of measures to prepare fully for
the change.
By the beginning of 1875 the effort to
maintain the policy of civil service reform
was virtually abandoned. The President
in December preceding made final APP
peal toCongress to give outthe sanctioned
law to the rules and definitely to provide
for the permanency of the system. but
without avail. lie subjected himself to
hostile criticism by not showing in the
higher appointments that regard for the |
principles of the system which its friends
considered essential, and iii some meas
ures he was held responsible for the fail
ure. In June, 1864 Mr.. B. II. Bristow
had become Secretary of the Treasury, |
and instituted policy o! reform in the
administration Of that department. In |
May of the following year the investga-
ton of frauds in the internal revenue
service culaimated in the seizure of IA
number of distillers and rectifying houses
in St. Louis, and the arrest of the gov
eminent supervisor and special agent
there, who were convicted of completely
Ill the frauds. The chief Clerk of the
Treasury Department and the Presidents
private secretary were indicted, the for
quilted. At first the President had fully
| sustained Mr.. BristOw's efforts, and
urged him to ''let no guilty man escape;
but when his trusted friends came to be
involved he seemed to interpret the &C
| ton of the Secretary as purposely hostile
| to his administration and in the interest
of his own (the Secretary's) political
| advancement, not admitting that those
whom he had trusted had really betrayed
| his confidence. The difference with Brls
tow resulted in the latter's resignation
| in June, 1876. Already the scandal of
| Secretary Belknap's impeachment had
been added to the burden upon the ad
ministration. When the Secretary's con-
duct was first exposed and resolution
| of impeachment had been offered, the
President promptly accepted his resigna-
ton. which raised a serious question as
to the Senatc's jurisdiction of the case,
and probably prevented conviction.
Previous to these untpward events
| there had been talk Of General Grants
third nomination by the Republican
party, but other asprants began by this
time to gain confidence, and the anti
third term agitation was begun, first tax
ing form in a declaration of the Repub-
lilan Convention of Pennsylvania in 1875.
General Grant wrote letter at this time
declaring that he never sought first or
q second nomination, and did not want
| third. He would not accept it "unlcss
| it should come under such circumstances
as to make it an imperative duty-cir-
cumstances not likely to arise" The d.
signs of rival candidates and the purpose
of the anti third term movement were so
aided by the scandals of the Whiskey
Ring and the Belknap disclosures that
the name of General Grant was not pre-
scented in the Convention Of 1876. Dur
ing the canvass he contented himself " it'll
giving directions for the preservation of
order in the South, and the enforcement
OF the laws. In approving the Electoral
Commission Bill, he submitted a special
message urging the necessity of ''perma.
nent general legislation to meet cases
which have not been contemplated in the
Constitution and laws of the country"
On retiring from the Presidency Gen
eral Grant set out on an extensive trip |
abroad Stopping for brief visit to his
old home at Galena and social enter
tainment by friends in Philadelphia, he
embarked from the latter city on the 18th |
of May, 1877, for Liverpool. He spent
some weeks in England, and returned |
thither after a trip through Germany and |
Switzerland into Italy. Alter visiting |
Scotland and the north of England, he |
started for France and the Mediterra-
mean, extending his travels to Egypt and
the Holy Land, visiting Rome and Con-
stantinop!e on his return to the Cont
nent. He next spent some months in
northern and southern Europe. and re-
turned to Great Britain, near the close
of 1873 for the purpose of visiting Ire
land. Near the beginning of 1879 he
passed through France, and embarking
at Marseilles for India. After explHing
that land he passed through Burmah and |
Siam, visiting CT ina and Japan, and
crossed the Pacific, arriving at San Fran
CISCO September 30, 1879. Everywhere
he had been received with the highest |
tokens of admiration, being the guest of
rulers and civic bodies, and attending in,
Vulnerable receptions and banquets. 1t
was almost continuous ovation, such as
no private person probably ever before
enjoyed. On his return to this country |
he made his way by an irregular route
through the Pacific and Western States
TO the East, arriving near the close of
the year. In the early part of 1880 he
made trip through the Southern Allan
tic States, visited Cuba and Mexico. and
returned by way of Galveston and the
Mississippi Valley. During his absence
the question of a third term was again
agitated, and the OK Presidents ardent
political admirers made Il determined eff
fort to secure his nomination by the Re-
publican Convention of 1880. The other
aspirants, however, had gained strength;
the anti third term idea was not without
influence, and tho old causes of discredit
were not wholly forgotten in the glare of
the attentions General Grant had re-
ceived as the most distinguished Amer
can living. Though he had the solid
support of BOG delegates out of 1876, he
failed of the nomination, and subsequently
gave his support to Garfield.
In the latter part of 1850 General
Grant made his home in New York. He
has become interested in railroad pro-
jects in Mexico, in the interoceanic canal