Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-17
I'd EDITION.
--latest 4HleglanS to The Star.
GEN. GRANT AND GEN. BADEAU.


Regarding GRANTS BOOK Made Public
-Badeau In q Very bad Light.
NEW YORK, March 17.-Col. Frederick d. Grant
answers the various stories that have been In cir
culation about the relations between Gen. Badeau
and his father, the late President Grant, by giving
the whole correspondence to the world.
Gen: Badeau was engaged by Gen. Grant in 1884
to assist him In the preparation of his personal
nuensis This Gen. Badeau explains and admits
desire intention or right to claim the authorship
of your book. The composition Is entirely your
own"
Badeau, impressed with the magnitude OF the sale
OF the proposed memoirs and seeing immense
demand upon Gen. Grant to the effect that he
should be paid a certain sum per month and like
wise share In The profits to help the general
build a monument OF enduring fame. The propo-
sition Gen. Grant evidently regarded as q sug-
gestion that Gen. Badeau should practically write
his book and Gen. Grant assume the credit
A SINGING LETTER FROM GEN. GRANT.
Gen. Grant, in a long letter uuder date OF May 5,
1885, In reply to Badeaus proposition, says:
"Since bordering over the contents OF your let
ter, and more particularly over the conclusions
have drawn from it and reflections based upon
what you say, and my knowledge OF your temper
and disposition, | understand the letter better
than you do. have concluded that you and
must give UP all association so far as the prepara
ton or any literary work goes which Is to bear my
SIGNATURE Signature In all other respects ! hope our
always been, pleasant and friendly
You say that am q man Of affairs. &C.,
literary man must supply some deficiencies, and
that you are the only man who can DO IL. II this
Is the case, general, do not want book bearing
my name To go before the world which did not
write } such an extent as to be fully entitled to
the credit Of authorship. do NOT want a secret
stroy my honor II 1t was divulged. cannot think
OF holding myself as dependent upon any person
TO supply capacity which am lacking. l may
fail but Will not put myself in any such POSI-
tiOn."
"You say mo one but rnyselfcan destroy my own
book. II don't help you it Will retain its place,
ior you have neither the physical strength,
&c. In answer to this have only 10 say that
for the last twenty-four years have been
very much employed IN writing. AS a soldier
plans Of battle
nor was assistance rendered. AS President I
wrote every official document, believe, usual
these have been published and widely circulated.
The public has become accustomed to my style or
writing. They know that Il is not even an at.
style, that 1t IS just what 1t is and nothing else II
succeed In telling my story so that others can see
as do what attempt to show win be satisfied.
The reader must also be satisfied, for he knows
from the beginning just what TO expect.
BADEAU's DEMAND ''PREPosRRoUs."
"Your letter affords an abundance Of other rea-
sons why you should not help me in my work
which is to bear my name. But these are sufficient
add only what Is necessary to make part OF what
has been already said plain If others than your
self should ever read this letter. You ask for a
contract and demand 81 900 per month in ad-
cent OF the entire prOfts arising from the sale
OF the work after 1t is put upon the mar
ket This would make you partner with my
family as long as the book found q SALE This is
preposterous. Not for one moment has your
proposition been enter aimed by me. This, with
the statement enumerated in this letter and Others
contained In yours, makes IL impossible for us to
be associated In work which Is to bear my name.
It would be a degradation Tor me 10 accept honors
and profu from the work OF another man. while
declaring to the public that it was the product OF
my own brain and hand.
II write frankly, because want you to know
why cannot receive your services now on any
terms. hope that 1t Will not disturb the rea-
lions which nave heretofore existed between us In
all particulars. l hope sincerely that you
pen the $1,000 TO 10000 a year which you
say you can earn, but twice the larger sum-
Your prosperity In life Will crafty me. You car
always be the welcome visitor at my house tina,
You have been heretofore. This correspondence
between us may be unknown to the world II you
choose do not ask secrecy, but the necessity fol-
Repeating my assurance Of the best wishes FOL
your success In lie and health and happiness tc
the end, subscribe myself as ever.
Your friend and well-wisher Us. GRANT
"P. SIN your letter you speak of a contract
There Is no contract but simply memorandum
gave to you, signed by me alone and was Intended
| TO let my family know what wished in case OF my
death, which was expected, and would prevent
any disagreeable discussion arising about what
should have regarded 1t as binding me. L. 8. e.
| General Badeau accepted the stern letter OF
I for his trunks. In letter taking leave Of Gen
| Grant, Gen. Badeau complained that he had beer
uniust,y dealt with, and stated that he intended
himself ''tO write on the theme which has engaged
| so much OF my life."
ARBITRATION PROPOSED AND DECLINED.
On July IA, 1887, stephen G. Clarke, counsel fol
| Badeau, wrote to II. NJ Alexander counsel for the
| Grants, proposing that the Badeau matter be sub
| mitted to an arbitrator Col. Grant, for his
mother, declined TO submit the matter to arbtra-
tion, saying: "Private arbitratOrs, understand,
have no power to enforce their judgments and any
agreement TO abide by their determination would
have to be enforced eventually at law II
either party should be disposed to con-
slider the conclusion arrived at unjust
apd
Is better, II he thinks ne has any claim, that he
should resort to the courts at once rather than
later.
.Another reason for declining arbitration is that
an impression seems to have been created in sew
eral Quarters-by whom II is not necessary TO sur
considerable extent upon my fathers book.
This impression occasionally finds ut
| terance. No better way OF putting
than litigation in open court by Mr.. Clarke's cli-
ent OF what he conceives to be his claim. My
mother Is 10th TO have her affairs obtruded upon
the public unnecessarily, ana does not propose,
unless forced to do so. 10 make public
the not uninteresting, correspondence be-
tween my Iatner ana General baucau as
TO this claim, but II the latter insists that
he has right In the premises which he cannot set
tie directly and amicably with us It Is very much
the better course, from our point of view, that
those rights be settled In court. / am
very frank to say that the old relations
OF friendship and intimacy existing between
our family and General Is. would make
MS regret, especially for his sake. to make
public the whole history OF his relations to us
during my fathers last illness, Notwithstanding
the fact that since the atterS death Gen. Ba0eau,
In his communications with newspapers, has not
always regarded the strcteSt rules or delicacy in
using information acquired in peculiarly confden-
tial relations.
/ am perfectly willing to discuss In a
friendly spirit with Gen. b. any claim that he may
make for such service as he may have rendered
10 my father In compiling data for the 'PersOnal
Memoirs" Fortunately those services are sus-
ceptible OF proof, and my mother IS will.
ing to allow for them In the most gen.
erSus spirit, without insisting on their
valuation from any business standpoint. But we
do not for one moment admit that Gen. Badeau has
rendered any such service either in quality or
amount as he claims or performed any original
work, or rendered any service that might not have
| been equally well performed by any intelligent
amanuenstS."
IN FIGHTING TRIM.