The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-23

only come with strife. Men who were
and are my friends, but who have ~
much right to the supreme honors Of the
country as could possibly claim. would
be my enemies. 1t would be the bitterest
campaign in history; would leave heart
buruiugs that years would not compose.
could only conceive one contingency in
which my friends would consider me as /
am considered by the editor of that Jour-
nal. and that is some widespread revolu-
ton or social upheaval. when the strong
hand and military prestige would be re-
quired to save society. should take that
summons. But it will never come in my
time, not in the United States. whatever
We may see in England or Germany
Or Francef' l asked. No. he added,
France has been through it. History
never repeats reign of terror"
Mr.. Young says that this conversation
was carefully noted at the time. Grant
talked long and earnestly and from his
speech it appears clear that $50 far from
tho trip around the world being q polit-
ical programme towards a third term"
when he was in Spain he had abandoned
all idea of it. Gen. Badeau, in his "Grant
in Peace" says that Grant wrote him
from Rome in reference to the activity of
some of his friends in the United States,
saying: "They have designs for me which
do not contemplate for myself"
This was borne out by what Mr.. Young
reports of conversation year later in
Washington City with Conkling. Grant
then being in California. COnkiing's first
remark was: II suppose that you can
give me an assurance-such as l can re-
ceive IN no other way-that Gen. Grant is
alive" He said he asked the question be-
cause it was an advantage, when pressing
the nomination of q friend for the presi-
dency, to know that that friend " as alive.
He declared that he had had no word, no
message. from Grant. directly or indi-
rectiy. for years, and that he was not
aware that Grant knew what his friends
had been doing.
Gated with anybody about third term it
would have been with Logan or Cameron,
or with Roscoe Cohkling, the master spirit
of the third term movement. From the
best information obtainable it would seem
that Grant changed from an attitude OF
opposition to one Of acquiescence after he
had returned to this country and had
pressed at Malaga year before in the
Young conversation. At any rate. after
his return his name was put forward with
more vigor than ever, and though he may
have done little to urge on the movement
the fact of his not having directly or in
directly interdicted the use Of his name
could only be construed into an unmis-
taxable sign Of approval.
This seems to have been Grants atti-
tude up to the meeting of the convention,
and, indeed, Senator Cameron, at Chicago,
just before the convention opened, told
how he had been denounced by . delegate
for leading a convention fight without
ever having had word with his chief"
There have BEEN" said the delegate, "a
dozen cabinet offices pledged this morning
for votes. Ii any one of our boys should
niedpe a postoffice IL would cost him the
friendship of Grant" And Conkling just
before this complained TO Young not only
OF Grants reticence, but of the indiffer-
ence of many of the men who owed much
of their success to Grant. And as for
Grants rich friends. meaning such men as
Drexel. and. perhaps, AT. Stewart, of New
York, they had not given a dollar, though
money was needed to paw the expenses of
the poor delegates from the South and
elsew here to whom q convention fare
meant everything.
The explanation of this appearing indif-
ference on the part Of many of Grants
closest friends was that they were divided
as 10 the advisabiiity of the third term pro-
nosaI Men like John Russell Young,
George w Chiids and Drexei, the Phila-
delphia banker. were opposed TO his run
ming Doubtless they were TO great ex-
tent governed by the fear that Grant could
not successfully encounter the widespread
and deep-rooied prejudice of the American
reople 10 the third term idea. Bat there
were other reasons also. All these reasons
were set before Grant by Young on the eve
of the convention. when Young. by invita-
ton. was Grants guest at Gaiena. Grant
asked for Young's views and Young said
plainIy that while he believed the general
after his recent years OF study and reiiec-
ton. and with the aid Of that vast
fund of information and experience