New-York tribune., 1888-03-25

his litigation with tho Government when M Alex
action, hs promptly deeiinsd DO A. ths same
time Ae offered 70 act in friendly spirit % - 70 sduss
the matter Without that publicity which was inevitable
should It into COURT aad which would certainly lead
in the absence cf thorough explanation, to some mis-
understanding with farmlnded and honest men. and 70
fAse accusations from the malignant and disappointed
Tho correspondence accompanying this statement VIII snow
that tie family Of General Grant appreciated the KIND
and friendly spirit manifested by Mr. Alexancef and that
l. realizing that no is the best Judge OF his own
dsputa accepted suggestions oven when contrary 70
my own feeling and Judgment
MR. CONKLING's RELATION TO THE CASE
At point IL proper to notice the allegation In
tho twentieth paragraph that Mr. Conng Withdrew from
the suit after refusal Of further extension OF time to
answer This Is On utterly wanton msstatement intended
to create the impaon-and that impression has been
widely circulated the prsss-that Senator Conkling
Withdrew from the case" because dissatisfied with tho
stand taken by General Grants family.
This II false. Mr.. Coakling never in the case
merely as counsel lie ono Of my fathers dearest
and valued friends and for that reason as well as for
his sbiues the lawyer Of all others to whom my
mother would naturally resort for friendly advice In time
of need He colncded with Mr. Alexander I'm the opinion
which confess not mine that the better way 10 ais
pose Of this tier would be to give Badeau money as
that seemed be what he after providing he would
make dsclamng oil joint authorship. and he
favored settlement e. 500 and afterward OF his own
accord added $500 to the amount to which my mother
assented He permits to say that said to him then
correspondence dscoses that the question OF the
to be paid Badesu was no factor In this discus
sion the one consideration never TO lost sight Of being
the vfndicaton Of my father from even the insinuauon
that his book not his own.
When It became evident however that nothing cxeeps
litigation and publicity through the would satisfy
the author address," Mr. ConklIng did not decline
counsel for mother, but considered that In
view of the negotiations which had taken place during the
time supposed that litigation might be pre-
vented 1t would be better that the attorney OF record
be In any
with that sense OF proprety which has always dstln
guished him. said TO that he thought that neither he
nor Mr.. burlington, both OF whom have stood In such
close Intimate relations with the entire family Of father
as necessarily TO view all matters In which they were az
fected with strong bias Of personal friendship should
conduct this gaon but that 1t should be entrusted to
Mr. Seward an honored friend Of my father and gen.
tleman consplcuousy cool and Judicial mind whose re-
lauons with other members Of the family although cor
dial had not OF such long standing and extreme In
tmacy make him share necessarily their views where
tho affected by strong personal feelings
And my mother, recognizing the wisdom Of Mr. Conk
lng's suggestion. and remembering with gratitude the
Great service rendered by Mr. Seward TO MY father at
the time OF the Grant Ward failure services modesty
and quietly rendered that his nams was scarcely men
toned elton with them before the public, ac
cepted with greatest pleasure Mr. Conklings opinion
and solicited Mr. Seward attorney and senior counsel
to assume the condct OF tho And IL Is only just
TO that gentleman that he has In this as In every
other instance. deprecated the ventilation In inc news
papers Of matters pending before the courts THINK
however that even is convinced that II ever ease
Justified departure from the strict and decorous RUE In
this regard IL Is this in which dead fathers honor
has been assailed before the world by his most trusted
intimate whom he hid often benefited at the expense
OF personal criticism.
LETTER LEFT BY GENERAL GRANT
Concerning a letter to General Badeau which was
written by General GraDt eleven days Dooro his ueath
Colonel Grant says
As 70 the letter left by General Grant to be sent to
General Badeau under certain conditions to which refer
ence made In paragraph IL Of the Adiress IL mas
been used with the authority oi my fa'hef ian'y
threat Its proviso Is not In the Terms sAtea W
General Badeau Is the such as he has any rsh
demand The letter was written eleven days oeiof'
my fathers DEATH at period OF keen physical sunerlhs
and when the Of General Badeaus letter OF may
made his anguish greater than that o the oody
IT, was shown only Mr. Alexander because that gentle
man was acting already explained In the capacity "
friend Of all parties and not as legal adviser OF any
one. Mr. Alexander will confirm m In the statement
that whether 1t should be sent not was matter en-
rey In my discretion and that In exercising that dsere
ton have not been unkind to General Badeau
Concerning General Badcaus book. Grant In
Peace Colonel Grant whites In this way
In paragraph eighteen the author Of the Address"
saws in substance that Mrs Grant and her family inen
tionsy prevented the publication by Messrs Webster
Company OF series Of newspaper articles complied by
General Badeau in book entitled Grant In Peace.
This Mrs. Grant and her family were asked II
they would crcse the manuscript OF this book ana ei
nate such parts they disapproved Of This they ex'
pressy refused to do and frankly svowcd their dsapproval
of the entire performanee Mira Grant considered that
General Badeau IN these articles had been guilty OF gross
breaches confidence and Of untustable attacks upon
persons whose families her husband and herself had
been brought into most intimate relations officially and
personally whom they regarded friends and held In the
warmest esteem.
Neither she any Of her family would undertake
revision when doing 80 would necessarily imply upon their
81,
those relations Of friendship and intimacy that they have
always endeavored preserve honorable and invtose
MRS. GRANT WRITES TO MR. WEBSTER
The following will show exactly the position Mrs
Grant did take In this regard:
Charles L. webster
intend to publish Gensra nfs B,dsau BOOK
snes 70 70 resr erSs SSs es wiring and %
inform you positively that must not refuse to publish
ts That S On and
your business TO suit yourself and w not Dc made To
Sp'hSlPlS yours r9r vsry ey truly, D. GRANT
The Implication In various parsrrophs Of the address
that Messrs. Conkng and Alexander offered General
Badeau anything Ike hush money! Is falsehood which
viii not coroboratei by those gentlemen themselves.
And In like the implication In the seventeenth
paragraph that ofer was ever made 10 pay General
Badeau any contingent upon his disclaimer OF
Joint authorship In the book Is untrue The only eues-
tons ever discussed. By Mrs. Grants authority
were what would ne sufficient dis
claimer OF joint authorship. whether Badeau
letter OF May sufficient In form for that purpose,
and whsther It's effect hoc not been nuhed By his sub
scquen OF July 2e and his claim made through
his attorney In this regard Mrs Grant willing to
accept the views Of those gentlemen who kindly under
took the cruel ordeal Of testyins IN
law-court the painful events connected with the
last days OF her husband She was willing TO give
Badeau all money asked providing only that In
ng shs Did b. construed In the slightest
degree admitting his pepostercus claim to Joint authorship
in the book 1t will be seen that eventually Bsdeau re-
rused even sign tho statement drawn I'D by his own
attorneys when Mr. Seward deci1ed that it would be
sndieiont dlsavOwsl.
individually, favored any payment to Badeau
except after iuiclal quad ldii!a settlement Of the
natter because firmly convinced that IL the money were
paid to him would only accept It and then with
his claim I'm the public press. that, he would
leave papers TO published after his death asserting
this claim and Intended give him that me for which his
entire correspondence shows him morodly desirous
,-fstto rhe t,for 4.