River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-03-29
FRED GRANTS REPLY.

FRED GRANTS REPLY.
His Answer 20 the Letter of General
Badeau Regarding the Authorship of
His Fatner's Book-airs. Grant willing
to Pay Badeau, but Not as "Hash
Money"
NEW YcRK, March 26.-Colonel f. ID.
Grant MAKES public a very long statement
in reply TO General Adam Badeau's address
TO the Ams rican people upon the contro-
versy which has arisen between General
Badsau and the family of the late General
U. s Grant as TO the services rendered by
General Badeau in connection with the
writing of the Personal Memoirs of u S
Grant
In relation to the letter which General
Badeau wrote to General Grant. asking
compensation at the rate Of 81, coo per
month and 10 per cent of tue profits OF
the bOok-the answer 10 which WIS lis dis
missal in letter which General Badeau at
tributes to Colonel Grant it being in his
handwriting, with General Grants auto
graph ut the end--Colonel Grant says:
General Badeau handed his cruel letter OF
May 10 General Grant on the day OF its date
in Mrs. Grants presence but not IN mine, and
Immediately left the house, returning on the
9Th. General Grant read Z, and when
came in was agtated and trembling.
He unlocked the drawe. OF o bureau where
he had placed II, and taking the letter
out handed it 10 me, saying: Read
this and tell me what you think Of 4.
did read 1t and said that thought it despica-
BILE. My father then. without any suggestions
from me, began 70 write the answer with his
own hand. beng so weak that he could not
write more than few mes without stopping.
He answered one point after another and gave
me the sheets OF his manuscript, and when he
had finished ! copied them and read the copy
10 him. he directing changes and corrections. +"
Colonel Grant adds that this demand of
General b ldeau was a source of grief and
annoyance to his father for the remainder
OF his life Further on Colonel Grant says:
"The statement OF General Badeau, in the
twenty first paragraph, that / ever proposed
that he should finish my fathers memoirs and
let me sign my name 10 il is an unqualified
falsehood"
Again he saws:
at can not be too often repeated that had
General Badeau been willing 10 accept the sum
of $4,000 for his services as an anlanueusis
upon the first 42l pages, or about one-hall OF
the first volume Of the Personal Memoirs as
10 which his services were rendered, such as
they were, he would have been paid the fun
sum OF $1,000 So
In another place he says;
"In the twenty-seventh paragraph of his
Address 10 the American People, General
Badeau states that General Grant has con-
fessed 10 putting his name unwittiugiy to an
important 4ocument. II IS true that
General Grant did sign a letter placed be-
fore him with false representa- ons as to
its contents. More than half his life had been
spent in executive positions requiring him to
intrust matters Of detail to subordinates, and,
moreover, trust was instructive to his loyal nat
ure. He could not have acted on broad lines
during the strenuous times in which he played
conspicuous part had he assumed all
clerical duties OF detail, and IL became the hab-
it OF his life to sign letters of routine which
we're submitted TO him in numbers upon a
statement of their contents by persons in
whom he had confidence. It is true that
Mr.. james d. Fish relied largely upon
this letter to escape convection for
his share OF the frauds that wrecked
the Marine Bank and the firm of Grant Is Ward
But General Badeau does not call attention to
the fact that his present counsel were the
counsel of Mr.. Fish; that they pro
posed 10 postpone the criminal trial
of their clients on account Of General Grants
condition: that the newspapers were filed
with ambiguous giYings-out-I do not mean to
say by those, gentlemen-that letters were in
existence whica would seriously compromise
General Grant. but that my fathers answer
was TO cause those letters to be published TO
insist that the trial should not be postponed
on his account, and 20 go forward 10 meet the
implied ..lputation on h S honor"
TIE remainder of the statement is de-
voted chiefly 10 the correspondence in tine
negotiation for a Sc ttlenent, and, IN one OF
his letters TO an attorney in the case, he
said that three courses were open to Gem
eral Badeau to get his money: First, to
sign paper disclaiming any of the credit
for General Grants book; second, to sue
for his claim in the courts; third, TO arbi-
trate the matter. An agreement TO settle
for IS, 900 was reached at one tine, but
failed of ratification because of disagree
ment as to the form of disclaimer of author
ship
Colonel Grant declares that the only aim
of the family has been to preserve the fair
fame of General Grant as the author of his
own book, and that the matter of cOmpen-
sation to General Badeau cuts no figure in
the matter
The Colonel gives the correspondence be-
tween Mrs. Grant and General Badeau's at
torney One from the latter threatens 10
bring suit and disclose Ger ain secrets in
connection with the preparation of the
memoirs unless he receives $40, 900 out OF
the 800, 600 sud to have already been re.
ceived from the sale of the book. bi
reply to this Mrs Grant declared that she
wished it 10 lie distinctly understood that
any assertion that her late husband desired
to have any thing i'll connection with the
preparation of his book kept a secret was
unwor; by of belief, and that nothing would
be paid to General Badeau that cou.d be
construed as hush money"