New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-31
GRANT IN PEACE.
BY GENERAL ADAM BADEAU,
XXI.
GRANT AND SEWARD.
Copyright, 1885.

months Of the war Seward raid visit at Grants
headquarters at City Point and while there he told
me story which illustrates more than one point
IN his character. He describing the alarm
AMI anxiety OF the North in the autumn OF 1864
For months Grant had accomplished nothing in
front of Richmond Hood had forced Sherman TO
retrace his stels from Atlanta. and Early had
nearly captured WASHINGTON. The opponents OF
the Government at the North made the most Of
the situation for political purposes. The cleo
tons approaching. and Cabinet council was
held. II was necessary. Seward said. to throw
something overheard in order to the ship.
and Emancipation was to be the Jonah. lie was
selected. he told me. TO make the sacrifice and pro-
ceeded to Auburn. where he delivered the speech
which many will remember Ieopening the whole
question Of slavery and emancipation. when the
states should return to the Union. "When the
insurgents" he said. "shal have disbanded their
armies and laid down their arms, the war will
Instantly cease: and all the measures then
existing. including those which affect slavery, will
cease also; and all the moral economical and DO
ltical questions, as well questions affecting slav
cry as others which shall then be existing be-
tween individuals and States and the Federal Gov
eminent, whether they arose before the Civil War
BEGAN, or whether they grew out of it. will by
force Of the Constitution pass over to the arbi-
trament Of courts of law and to the councils OF
legislation" So spcse the Secretary of State q
year and half after the proclamation Of Enamel
ration had been made.
few days later he returned to Washington
and soon the news was brought Of Sheridans vic
tory at Winchester. Seward took the telegram 10
the President It was long past midnight and
Lincoln came to the door Of his bedroom in his
nightgown. There he held the candle while the
Secretary Of State read TO him the great ntelh-
gence The President was delighted, Of course
at the victory but Seward exclaimed "And what
Mr. President. is to become Of mep' He told me
this story suppose, to illustrate his spirit Of self
sacrifice but when l repeated it to Grant the sol
der looked at the act in different light. He
thought the sacrifice Of principle should not have
been made, and was shocked that Seward could
have thought Of himself in such crisis. But
Seward believed in sacrificing even political prin-
ciple to the success Of a great or the saliva
ion ~ n country He said to me at this time
Nations have never more virtue than just enough
to save themselves"
Grants under somewhat similar circum-
stances was different He often told me of the
pressure brought TO induce him TO sign what was
Known as the Initiation Act. Personal and 20
litica friends OF importance assured him that his
refusal would be fatal TO Republican at the
polls. and although his Judgment was opposed to
the measure he finally wrote out MESSAGE approx
ing the bill He even read the message to his
Cabinet. but in writing and reading it the weak
ness Of his forced reasC ming became more apparent
than ever. He could not bring himself to do vio-
lence to his own convictions That night he tore
up the message and wrote another which contained
the veto that forever defeated imitation
Each Of these men had in his own way accom-
plished great things for the State. Seward
adroit and intellectual stTatecist, born with
the instincts and used TO the arts Of Diplomacy
a STATESMAN who hal aimed at the highest place
but when he failed in his aim had humbled himself
TO take a secondary most in which he conceived
and carried out an international policy for his tri
umphant rival who after the and the
success Of the principles and the party with whom
and for whom he had battled half lifetime found
himself suddenly in the Cabinet Of a Southerner
determined 70 bring the defeated SoutheIners back
TO the position and the power they had enjoyed be
fore they rebelled; and Seward not only acqui
esced in the des!n but aided 1t with all the skill
and intellect he had once employed on the other
side. There was nothing in such a character or
career 10 attract or TO assimilate with Grant who
was by nature blunt and plain in word and act
a soldier TO the core unused to bending when he
could not break and ignorant Of any
means 10 accomplish his purposes but the most
direct and forcibe. Even in war he had been
less Of a strategist than fighter, and he carried
the same characteristics into civil affairs Indeed
whenever later In his POLITICAL career he was in
duced by political associates to lay aside his own
peculiar directness and attempt manpuvring he
failed. His ways were never those Of diplomacy
nor even of legitimate craft. The more of a tech
meal politician ne became the less his hold on
Ia and
When he returned to his native straightforward
NJ and Outsp0kenness his influence and popular
ity were regained Such man could not appre
,ate John~)ns secretary Of State.
Seward had succeeded by temporizing and ne
gotiating by patience and subtle skill. by sub
hitting to what was inevitable and obtaining
whatever was attanable, in at fist postponng,
and at last preventing, the active Intervention Of
England and France in favor Of the South during
the War and he hoped afterward TO secure the
withdrawal of the French from Mexico by the
same means But to Grant this seemed to indi-
cate Indifference to the result and he finally came
to believe that Seward was willing for MAMMALIAN
to remain Here was their first open difference
They were antagonists apparently even in aim and
certainly in means and methods and manner The
consequence was not only u marked divergence or
opinion, but on Grants part, a GOODNESS OF feehn2
that lasted for years and was never entirely re
moved. But though Grant at times could hardly
force himself to be civil. and dislIed even to go To
Stewards house the courteous Secretary kept up
his visits and his compliments.
Mr. Blaine In his Twenty Years of Congress"
attributes to Seward the conception OF Johnsons
entire scheme Of restoring the States have no
knovledge OF my own this point, but Grant
never rave Seward credit for the plan. lie
thought it the child of JohnSon's BRAIN developed
nv the situation in which he found himself-a
h,mb1. Soutberner suddenly raised to position
,,horo ba could dispense essential favors TO those
,,,To had ALWAYS seemed his superfoIs but now
.s,,r,od Finn for their own purposes Grant In his
~Memoirsu speaks OF Johnson as President who
~ first aimed to revenge himself upon Southern
mem Of better social standing than himself. but
an ,ou1bt thcir racoOnition and In "a sbo,+