Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-02
STORIES OF GRANT.
EX-P0stmaster General CresWell on
His Cabinet Relations.
AN OCEAN LINE LOST TO AMERICA.
Roscoe Conkling's Nominating Speecha at the
Chicago Convention.
A VERSE THAT AROUSED THE NATION
WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATCH.I

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATCH.1
I met ex-Postmaster General Creswell in
the National Metropolitan Bank in Wash
ington yesterday. He is one of the finest
looking men in the Capital City. Tall,
broad-shouldered and whlte-whiskered, his
clear blue eyes look out from under broad,
high forehead and his tread is as firm and
his step as active as it was when he was a
member of the United States Senate in 1865.
The last time saw him was at Mount Nc
Gregor, where he had gone to attend Grants
funeral. He was an intimate friend of
Grant and he was one of the Generals most
ardent admirers. After a few moments
our conversation turned upon Grant and he
said:
&c rant was the greatest General have
ever known and of all the great men of my
acquaintance consider him the greatest.
He was great as statesman when you
judge him by the soIdier-statesman standard
and some of his acts and sayings as Presi-
dent are quoted to-day. He was great
writer and there are few works that will
compare in simplicity and beauty with his
memoirs. His state papers were equally
well written and he wrote all his messages
with his own hand, excepting those parts
which he got from his Cabinet officers. In
preparing the paragraphs relating to the
Postoffice and other departments he would
give directions to his Cabinet to condense
their reports and would insert such conden-
sation in his messages"
ADVISING WITH HIS CABINET.
"Did he advise much with mis- Cabinet?"
I asked.
eyes. He had his own opinion and his
own policy, but he advised with his Cabinet
on all matters relating to the various depart
ments over which they were placed. / was
at the head of the Postotfice Department and
I found him always ready to change his
views whenever sufficient reasons could be
given him for change. He was quick to
take advantage of the moment and decided
upon matters usually as they came before
him.
speaking of his readiness in writing his
messages and his quickness of decision, a
remarkable instance occurred at the time of
the opening of the Franco-Prussian war. It
was the last night of the congressional ses-
sion, and President Grant, with his Cabinet,
was at the Capitol signing bills when the
news came. Now, the great German steam-
ship line feared that its ships would be cap
tured by the French and that it would not
be able to carry on its voyages from Ger
many to America. Its owners made a prop
osition to change the line to an American
line, to have it carry the American flag and
to take our mails from America to the Con-
tinent Under the American flag it would
be safe from seizure by France, and it would
give us one of the greatest steamship lines
of the world.
AN ACCEPTANCE RECOMMENDED.
"This offer from the line came to President
Grant at the Capitol. The subject was pro-
posed to his Cabinet, and, turning to me, he
asked what thought of the proposition from
postal standpoint. I told him, and he
asked me to put my views in writing. He
then turned to Hamilton Fish and asked
him to write out his views ON the subject
from diplomatic standpoint. We both did
so, and we both favored the taking of the
line. General Grant took the two. state
ments and rapidly wrote an introduction
and a conclusion to them. He then sent
this into the Senate as message. In it he
advised the taking OF the line, and had Con-
gress acted upon his ad-ice the American
flag to-day would float over some of the
finest ships of the world, and the interests of
American trade would have been furthered
by this"
do you Still think, General, that the |
United States would have been benefited by
the reelection OF President Grant?"
81 do. General Grant was a man of steady |
growth. He was careful observer and the |
effect of his foreign tour and his intercourse |
with the great statesmen of the world and |
his knowledge gained from his observation |
Of the governments of other countries would |
have made him an invaluable President. |
Had he been nominated he would surely |
have been elected and he would have done |
more to bring the South and North together
han any other man could possibly have
lone. This was his great desire in his think
ng of possible reelection"
Combines CONVENTION SPEECH.
I here referred to the Chicago Convention
which nominated Garfield and to the won
lerful perseverance of the noted 306. of
whom Postmaster General Creswell was one.
Referring to the speech Conkling made on
his occasion, Postmaster General Creswell
aid: "Roscoe Conkling was great nan,
,ut he lacked the adaptability of politician.
That speech at Chicago was great one. but
t had lines in it here and there that offended
he Sherman and Blaine men where it should
AVE conciliated them. 1t was, however,
and Conkling was not diplomat.
believe that he might have been President
lad 1t not been for his proud nature, which
7ould not permit him to bend He had the
hance in Cincinnati when Hayes was pom-
ated. but he did not take it. Referring to
is Chicago speech, you remember the
pening. After the great assembly had be-
ONE quiet, in clear tones he recited that
erse OF poetry which took the convention
y storm, and following which there was an
pplause lasting for nearly quarter OF an
our. He said:
You ask me whence my candidate
The answer, it shall be;
He comes from Appomatox
And its famous apple tree
IT AROUSED THE COUNTRY.
"How they did cheer and how the Sher-
ian men and the Blaine men hlssed. The
ords went around the country by tele-
raph, and created responsive thrill in
very Grant-loving heart. 1t was one of the
reat introductiors to great historic
,eeches, and have never seen its original I
ublished. Conkling got this verse from :
ON Murphy some months before the con-
ention. He and Murphy were out riding
nd Murphy told him he would like to read s
i'm over poem or two which he had
ritten. This verse was in one of the
oems, and Conkling as he heard it said ,
was good thing, and stored it away in ,
is brain for future use. Like all great
'eakers lie was continually studying for
e future, and doubt whether he ever t
'epared better sentence in advance for an e
,tempore speech than this
FRANK G. CARPENTER. q
HYMNS Al WEDDINGS. t
WI.