Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-28
An Interesting Conversation.

There is in the last number of Lippin-
colts Magazine curious but rather in
teresting article, which contains what
purports to be report OF private con-
versation between Mr., William d.
Howells, the novelist, and Senator Ing.
alls, respecting the President. Mr..
Howells says little or nothing that
the public is specially interested in,
but Senator ingalls, gives his i'm
pressions of the President very freely. In
view of the fact that the Senator is one of
the ablest of the Republican Senators,
and seldom says pleasant things of
political opponent when he can say un-
pleasant ones, his opinion OF Mr.. Cleve-
land can hardly fail TO have certain
amount of interest.
The Senator's first impression of the
President appears to have been obtained
at the latters Inauguration This I'M
preston he thus states: SIT was some
thing to see man who had never been in
Washington but once before enter the
Senate chamber with perfect self-posses-
sion, in company with Mr.. Arthur, that
polished +seli-poised gentleman. TIE
leading men of the nation we're present.
The galleries were full OF distinguished
people. Amid such surroundings he
coollys took his seat beside Mr..
Arthur, 53wth every eye, every
opera-glass centred on him. He
looked neither embarrassed nor nervous
in the least, Henever moved during that
half-hour OF preliminary exercises, not his
hand, not his foot; ne did not wink oftener
Than usual; he might have been bronze
for any effect the inspection seemed 10
produce. He then moved out to the
front, where he took the oath of office and
delivered the first inaugural L ever heard
pronounced without manuscript. He
stood there and delivered that harangue
of dogmatic platltudes without any at
tempt at oratOry,"
The self possession OF the President and
his apparent confidence, in his ability to
prove himself equal TO the occasion ap-
pears to have impressed the Senator quite
fayorably. He says that "the fact that,
in the few months Of intense of excitement
between the time of his election and IN
auguration, ha should have gotten that
speech lnJO MS HIUu 80 as 10 give IL
calmly before that vast multitude, whom
no man could number, was to me mex
plicable."
That the President ia a perfectly SELF
reliant man and is alone responsible for
all his acts, the Senator has no doubt. In
fact, he states 1t to be his belief that the
President has "no intimate friend, no
counsellor. no adviser"
1t is probable that the Senator's belief
about the President, relying wholly upon
himself is true, and this self-reliance is
one Of the reasons doubtless why the
President is not as popular as he might
be with Congressman. II he were to con-
suit them more they would show more
appreciation OF him, even If he did not
follow their advice.
What Senator Ingalls, SAYS OF the Presl.
dent is calculated to leave a favorable
impression OF him, and if so strong a
political enemy and so severe critic
as Senator ingalls, is to entertains
favorable opinion of the President,
it is but fair to conclude that the great
majority of the people not only have con-
fidence in him but have a high appre-
citation of his fitness for the office he fills.