Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-31

about you, and know that he has only
the kindest feelings toward you. I wish
you two could come together
Grant thereupon said that he had no
objection, and shortly after this. when he
was at washington, Mr.. and Mrs. Blaine
called upon him, and were well received,
and the two became reconeiled.
How Grant Felt in Battle.
Gen. Grant" Senator EIkins went on,
was great, big man. The closer you got
to him, the bigger he grew. He was n
broad gauge man in every sense of the
word. and entirely unseIish. and with all
his greatness he was the soul of simplici-
ty Simplicity belongs to greatness, you
know, and no great man was ever a selfish
man. One day. as we sat on my porch
chatting and looking out over the noun
tains. the thought of his great deeds in
war came to me. and I asked:
General l want you to tell me how a
great man feels when he is in the midst of
battle which is to decide, perhaps, the
rate OF nation, and make a mark in his
tory FOR all time. knowing. as he does, that
the world is looking on, and the success or
the failure OF the battle is largely depend
emf upon him as the commander
Grant smoked moment and replied:
thought of was whipping the enemy and
putting down the rebellion, and saving the
Union"
The Religion of Grant and Blaine.
Senator, was Grant religious man?'
Yes was the reply. He was simple,
earnest Christian"
How about Blaine?"
Blaine had a strong faith in religion"
replied Senator Elkins, land he did every
thing he could to strengthen it. He would
never discuss the foundations of his faith.
He did not want to doubt, and he did not
want to reason on the matter. His mother
was a Catholic. and this Influenced him
greatly, and made him respect her faith.
am told the cardinal and Father Tom Sher-
man saw Mr.. Blaine before his DEATH and
still. the last time he went to church, it
was at the Church of the Covenant, in
Washington, which is, you know, Presby-
terrain"
Elkins and Religion.
"How about yourself Senator? You are a
Catholic, are you not?"
mo" replied Senator Elkins. IT come
from the old, cast-iron Scottish Presbyter-
ian stock. My ancestors were all Protest
al ts and my church is the Christian
Church, sometimes known as the Church of
the Disciples, or Complexities, which
joined while at college. During my term in
Congress- I attended the New York Avenue
Presbytefian Church, and 1 suppose will
go hack there when I return to the capital
to live. The reason why / sometimes have
zen thought to be a Catholic arises from
the fact that have great many Catholic
friends One Of these is Cardinal Gibbons,
who spent some time with me here at FL
kins not long ago. and who is. by the way,
one of the great men of the United States.
My daughter married a Catholic. She
asked my advice about the matter, and
told her that if she really loved the man
she was about to marry I did not think
the difference of religion was to be con-
sidered. Her husband was very strong in
his faith. and as she did not think the
question of denomination made much diff
ference, she became Catholic. AS for me
I believe in the Christian religion, but am
not much of a sectarian. All of the
churches are doing great good for cfviifza-
ton. law. peace and order. If cannot attend
my own church. am content to worship at
any other at hand. 1 was a vestryman five
years in the All Souls Episcopal Church
in New York. Here at home my family and
1 worship at the Presbyterian Church. My
religious belief. in short, may be summed
up in a quotation from Tennyson, which is
"'There's Something that watches over
us. and our individuality endures.'
That's my faith. and that's all my faith
How John Sherman Lost the Presi-
dency.
speaking of Tom Sherman. Senator.
what do you think of his Uncle John. the
Senator? Will he cut any figure in the
coming national convention?'
II think not" replied Senator Elkins,
"for have understood that he will not be
a candidate. He is perhaps the best equip
ped for the presidency of any of our pub
lie men. He Is great statesman and
great all-around man, and he would have
made good President. He might have
been nominated in 1888. The choice waver-
ed for some time between him and Harri-
son. 1t swung on the turning of hair, but
the hair was turned in the direction of
Harrison, and he was nominated. The turn
was made through the friends Of Blaine.