The Washington critic., 1888-03-26
WASHINGTON CRITIC
GENERAL BADEAu's CLAIM.
colonel Grant Writes Another Letter
in Reply to Badeau's Latest.

Colonel Grant Writes Another Letter
in Reply to Badeau's Latest.
Another chapter Of the Grant-Badeau
controversy over the book Of the late
General Grant is added by Colonel Fred.
Grant in letter sent to the press Satur-
day night. 1t is in answer to the state
ment of General Badeau, of claim for
compensation for his MD in preparing
General Grants Memoirs, published in
the Sun and other papers of the 2lst inst.
Colonel Grant snvs that the editor of the
sun once We'd IN collaborating, with
another, life of General Grant, which
contained praise that amounted TO
adulation Of the General, and at time
when a person suspecting the latter o
susceptibility to ilattery might have rea-
sonably supposed that sycophancy would
yield reward in high Office; tha
the editor of the Sun, however, received
no office and that for years past there has
been nothing too false or malignant for
him to publish concerning the family
that he has spared neither the children
nor the widow, and that his journal
seems to be the only one that cordially
ana thoroughly approves of General
Bndoau's course.
Colonel Grant denies any designs on the
part of himself or others to deprive Gen
eral Badeau of his just fame or pecuniary
compensation in connection with his
work on the book, as implied In General
Badeau's statement, and he also denies
that he influenced his father in writing
any ofsthe letters published in General
Badcau's statement, and that he (the
Colonell wrote any letters to General Ba.
deau that we're not dictated by his father.
He charges General Badeau with waiting
till the greater part OF the receipts from
tlie sale of the book were in before he
began his suit not daring to as
sert his claim to part of the
authorship, as he does now, fearing that
the proceeds from the work would be cur
tailed and dwindle to the comparatively
small sales of Badeau's own military his
tory. The Colonel denies that Senator
Conkling withdrew from the case because
Of the stand taken by the Grant family,
and adds that Mr.. Conkling was never In
the case. He was merely consulted rs
friend, and he advised the payment of
Badeau as tile easiest way to dispose of
the matter; but the latter insisting on
bringingth the case into court he advised
the employment of Mr.. Seward us
counsel,
General Badeau, the Colonel says,
never made an offer of any sum not con
tingeptnpon his disclaimer of a Joint au-
thoTship IN the Grant memoirs. Mrs
General Grant was willing to pay him
any SUN he asked provided that heract
in SO doing would not be construed as ad-
hitting Badeau's claim to Joint author
ship. Colonel Grant declares that he
himself never favored this, nor does he
now, as he wishes to settle once for all in
court of law the authorship of the
book. The Colonel denies that he pro-
posed to Badeau TO furnish his fathers
Memoirs and let him (the UoloneD sign
them, and IS doubtful If there is
one line In the book in Badeau's
own Language. He reviews at length
the relations between General Badeau
and his father, and claims that his fjlther
and rest of thefamily invariably be-
friended him, while the latter showed
little or no gratitude. He says it Is very
painful to the family TO have the matter
forced upon the public attention, and il
will be u trying ordeal for his mother
and the members of the family TO drag
the memory of the dead husband and
father into court, but they have decided
to leave nothing undone to refute the
claims of General Badeau to the author
ship of the book.
The Colonel here gives the correspon-
dence between Mrs. Grant and General
Badeau's attorneys. One from the latter
threatens to bring suit and disclose GER
tain secrets in connection with the prepa-
ration of the Memoirs unless he receives
10,e00 out of the 100000 said to have al
rtBdy been received from the sale of the
book. In reply to this Mrs. Grant said
iliat she wished ii to be distinctly under
st6bd that any assertion that her late hus-
band desired to have anything in con
neetion with tile preparation of his book
kept secret was unworthy of belief.
anil that nothing would be paid
to General Badeau that could be con-
stTued as "hush" money. Colonel Grant
refers to the payment of the embalner's S
bill by the editor of the SIN and the sub.
sequent reimbursement of the editor.
The Colonel, in letter to Badeau's law
yer, says Mrs. Grant will pay General
Badeau the $4,000 mentioned in mem
orandum of his fathers if he will sign a
receipt disowning entirely any participa-
ton in the work on General Grants book,
of such nature as to be in any degree
essential to its existence III its present
form. In this letter arbitration OH
Badeau's claim is proposed
Here follow number of letters between
Colonel Grant, the various lawyers repre-
scnting the Grant family and Badeau in
which several propositions are discussed
for settlement of Badeau's claim, none OF
which, were agreed upon, because of the
presidency of General Badeau in insin'
uating that a secret existed in connection
with the preparation of the Memoirs.