The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-10
influence. If not an ascsndancy. which at one
time seemed to have Waned

bic, and this recognition was his reward. He sat
as Grants first Secretary of War
No other appointments to the Cabinet were
made known in advance. even to those for whom
| they were intended. The other ministers first
read their names in the newspapers on the 5th of
March. few days before the inauguration
Adolph E. Borie. of Philadelphia, was in
| Washington, and on the Sd Of March he
called on the President-elect Grant had
gwen orders that no visitor whatever should
be received; for he had only few hours left in
which he intended to close his business gen.
eraln-chief. But when Borie was refused
admittance he sent his card to me, and begged
me to procure him two or three moments audi
| ence. He had two friends with him from Phila-
| delphia whom he was extremely anxious to pre-
| sent to Grant, and he promised not to remain
| nor to mention politics. Accordingly l sug-
| gested that as Borie had been so good friend
| he might be accorded moments interview.
| Grant acquesced, and Borie and his friends
| came in. There had been vast deal Of talk in
| the newspapers about a Cabinet minister from
| Pennsylvania, and Grant at once inquired:
well, Mr.. Borie, have you come to learn who
| is to be the man from Pennsylvania Borie
dsclaimed any curiosity. and two days after
ward returning to Philadelphia, he read on the
train that his own name had been sent to the
| Senate as Secretary of the Navy He was ''the
man from Pennsylvania" and that was the first
he knew about it.
| Grant indeed, az this time looked upon Cabi-
| net ministers as upon staff officers whose per-
| sonal relations with himself were so close that
they should be chosen for personal reasons
view that his experience in civil affairs somewhat
modified. If he had served third term in the
| presidency, his selections for the Cabinet would
| hardly have been made because he liked the men
as companions or regarded them as personal
| friends. AT this time, also, Rawlns
was constantly urging that Grant should
| have no men about him who could
| possibly become his rivals. He was
always pointing to the trouble that Chase, and
| Seward and other asprants had made in Lin
| coins Cabinet, and declared that man who
would not subordinate his own ambition to that
of his chief should not be allowed to enter the
| Cabinet Grant never replied to remarks like
these, but he would have been no more than
| human if he remembered them. He certainly
now took no man into his Cabinet whose presi-
| dental aspirations seemed likely to come into
conflict with his cwn.
| And Grant from the first, am sure, desired
| reelection. He did not say so but no man can
| hold the presidential Office and not be anxious
| for this Endorsement from the people. The am
| bition is both proper and ineyirable and Grant
entertained it, like every President who either
| followed or preceded him. l haye however, no
idea that he was planning for reelection thus
| early and he certainly never admitted either
| at the time or afterward that such motives
affected him in the selection of Cabinet minis
| ters Nevertheless, l thought then, and think
| STILL that he was determined to have no rivals
! near the throne
On the 9Th of March the Cabinet appoint
|
| to be Secretary OF State Stewart, Secretary of
| the Treasury; Borie, Secretary of the Navy;
| Cresswen, Postmaster general; Hoar, Attorney
| general. and Cox Secretary of the Interior.
| Schofield remained Secretary of War. 1t was
| soon discovered that Stewart was Ineligible to
| the post for which he had been named. The
| law declared that no person engaged in trade
| should he appointed Secretary of the Treasury
| Grant had been ignorant of this provision, and
| the Senate was equally so, for the nomination
| wac nod II n mi moi Ac
as the disability was ascertained, Grant request
| ed that Stewart should be exempted by Congress
| from the operation of the law; but this the Sen
ate was unwilling to concede, and Stewards
name was accordingly withdrawn. Both Grant
and Stewart were greatly mortified at the result
| Stewart offered to place his business in
the hands of trustees during his entire
| term of Office and to devote the pro
| cerdS to some charity public interest, but
this was insufficient to remove the scruples OF
| the Senate and Grant could not delay the form
| alton of his Cabinet. Stewart, however felt
| sore because Grant gave him up so soon, and
! their friendship was never again so intimate as
| it once had been. The whole occurrence pro-
| voked much harsh criticism. and it said
| that if Grant had consulted men Of civil expert
| ence, and not trusted entirely to his own judg-
ment and knowledge, the blunder would never
| have been made.
| George II. Boutwell, was now hurriedly select
| ed for the Treasury, but he and Hoar were
! both from Massachusetts another change be-
! came almost inevitable Hoar, indeed, remained
| in his place year, aad was nominated for the
position of Chlef-justice OIL his retirement, but
| Senate refused to coufrm him. He naturally dis
| liked to be displaced to make room in another
| department, and his relations with the Presi-
| dent were always somewhat strained. He knew
| from the first that his position was insecure,
and was never the ardent friend of the President
| that as Capiuet minister he might otherwise
| have been. At least so Grant always thought.
| And now. as Wilson declined the position of
| O.
| be allowed to remain. it became necessary to
| find substitute. In this emergency Grant
| offered the place to Hamilton Fish, Of New
| York, and sent Colonel Babcock. one Of his new
! secretaries, to that city with the proposition.
| The offer was entirely unexpected by Fish, and
| at first he was not inclined to accept it. He
would, indeed, have preferred the post of min
! lister to England, and 1t required some urging
| before he consented to enter the Cabinet Thus
| the two most important places in the new gov
ernment were filled by men who had not been
| originally selected by Grant men. however. who
! proved them selves not only the efficient public
servants they had been before, but as faithful
| friends to their new chief as any of his earlier
| or later associates.
! Meanwhile Borie had read the notification of
| his appointment as Secretary of the Navy. and
proceeded to Washington to thank the Presi-
| dent and decline the honor was intimate
| with him, and, knowing his reluctance to &C
| cept the post met him at the station to do
| what could to change his feeling. | represent
| ed the unfortunate condition of affairs, the fire.
quent changes and disappointments, the blunder
about Stewart, the uncertainty about Fish, and
| Cox, and Hoar who had all been taken by sur
| prise and the discredit it would bring on the
new administration if still another Cabinet min
| lister delayed or declined. Borie was personally
very much attached to Grant, and l urged that
his acquiescence under the circumstances would
| be an act of positive friendship He finally
scented to remain in the Cabinet for few
months, until the President could find
cessor without increasing the public dissatisfac-
ton at these frequent changes. OF course it
was his regard for Grant that decided Borie, but
ne often laughingly said to me that but for my
urging he would not have entered the Cabinet
Cox and Hoar also finally accepted the honor
rendered but not until the former General-in-
chief discovered that he could not order eminent
| civilians into Office as he had been used to send
soldiers to new command. He was somewhat
surprised that anyone should hesitate to accept
80. 49,