The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1888-03-24
BADEAU REBUKED.
Proof That Gen. Grant Wrote His Own
Memofrs-The Late President Scorned
Badeau's Offer to Prepare the Work
An Unprincipled Proposal.

New York, March 17.-Col. Fred. D..
Grant answers the various stories that
have been in circulation about the re-
ations between Gen. Badeau and his
father, the late President Grant, by to-
day making public the whole corre-
spOndence.
Gen. Badeau was engaged by Gen.
Grant in 1884 to assist him in the prep
aration of his personal memoirs. His
work was to be that of an amanuensis
This Gen. Badeau explains and admits
III one of the letters, when he SAYS: 81
have no desire, intention or right to
claim the authorship of your book The
composition is entirely your own"
After Gen. Grants sudden relapse in
1880, Gen. Badeau, impressed with the
magnitude of the sale of the proposed
memoirs, and seeing immense gains,
made, as appears in the correspondence,
a demand upon Gen. Grant to the
effect that he should be paid
a certain sum per month and likewise
share in the profits to help
the General build monument of en-
during fame. The proposition Gen.
Grant evidently regarded as a sugges-
|
~ write his book and Gen. Grant as
sumo the credit. In a long letter under
date ofMay 3, 1885, in reply to Bade8u' s
proposition, Gen. Grant says:
''Since pOndering over the contents of
your letter, 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
reparation of any literary work goes
which is TO bear my signature. In all
other respects | hope our relations may
continue as they nave always been,
pleasant and friendly.
You say that | am man of affairs,
etc, and can tell a simple story etc.
You imply that literary man must sup
ply some defc encies and that YOU are
the only man who can do it. If this is
the case, General, l do not aUdnt book
bearing nly name TO 90 before the acOrid
,0hicb did not 2Crite to such an eEte7lt as 10
be fully entitled to He credit of authorship.
do not 2Cant secret bettCesn me and some
one else Uhich 1cottLd destroy my honor If il
acere diruiged. ! cannot think of holding
myself as dependent on any person TO
supply a capacity which / am lacking.
| may fail, Int | will not put myself in
any such position.
''Your letter affords an abundance OF
other reasons 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 a part
of what has already been said plain if
others than yourself should ever read
this letter. You ask for a contract and
demand $1,000 per month in advance
until the work is completed, and 10 per
cent. of the entire profits arising from
the sale of the work after it
is put upon the market. This
would make you partner with
my family as long as the book
found a sale. This is proposterous. Not
for one moment has your proposition
been entertained by me. This, with
the statements enumerated in this letter
and others contained in yours, makes it
impossible for US to be associated in a
work which is to bear my name. 1t
would be degradation for me to accept
honors and profit from the work of
another man, while declaring to the
public that it was the product of my own
brain and hand.
81 write frankly, because | want you
to know why cannot receive your SER
vices now on any terms. | hope that it
Will not disturb the relations which
have heretofore existed between us in
all particulars. Your prosperity in life
Will crafty me.
This correspondence between us may
be unknown TO the world if you choose.
l do not ask secrecy, but the necessity
for publicity will not occur through any
fault OF mine. Repeating my assurance
of the best wishes for your success in
life, and health and happiness to the
end, | subscribe myself as ever,
"Your friend and well wisher,
'tIT : GRANT -