The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-12

II - 1tLl Il IN " Ii II A1
the utmost difficulty he could prevail upon
her to visit the white house.
ARRAY yourself in your most attractive
attire and put on your sweetest smiles"
said he, land you will certainly succeed.
Johnson can never Withstand the pleadings
of lovely woman
Mrs Clay finally left him, saying that she
would call upon the president the follow
ing morning.
The next night she returned to the hotel,
almost heartbroken, with her eyes full of
tears. In broken words she told her story.
With much difficulty she had obtained an
interview with the president, and to her
astonishment he received her with the
greatest kindness. No gentleman of the
olden school could have been more polite.
He listened to her request with the utmost
patience and expressed his deep sympathy
with her. He sent for papers, and after
careful examination of the case wrote an
order releasing her husband from confine-
ment.
'"Take this to the secretary of war;" said
he HE will endorse it. You can then go to
Boston end present 1t at Fort Warren
He further said that he hoped she would
| find her husband in better health, and that
| on his release he would rapidly improve.
She thanked him and left the white house.
| Next she sought Secretary Stanton. After
| repeated annoyances, she was ushered into
| his office. He remained In his chair, bolt
upright, stern as Rhadamanthus. Her evil
| dent beauty and refinement had effect
| upon him. He had not even the grace to
| offer her a seat. His manner chilled her,
| and she became apprehensive.
What do you want, madame?" he gruliiy
| inquired
In well-chosen words she told her story.
| Describing her interview with the president,
| she presented the order for her husbands
release and asked him if he would not be
| so kind to endorse it. Stanton snatched
| the document from her hand, read it care
fully, said "Humphl' tore it into pieces,
and dropped it into the waste basket. The
| action was accompanied by a sneer, with
neither remark nor comment Stanton then
| turned abruptly to his desk, resuming his
| occupat ton, and Mrs. Clay was shown to
| the door.
Grant to the Rescue
When Garland heard this story he tried
\ to console the disappointed lady. He
| slowly scre tehed his head, and gazed at
| her long and earnestly. Suddenly he rubbed
| his hands together, as though he had solved
| a problem. He told her to be of good cheer
| and not to be cast down by the action of
| the secretary of war. Stanton was not the
greatest man in Washington, although he
seemed to be greater than the president
| There one man in the city greater than
| Stanton, and his name was Ulysses >.
| Grant
WAS not your husband said Mr.. Gar
land, "a general in the confederate army?'
The wife thought not.
"Wen," said Garland, II have quite
distinct recollection near the last days of
voting in the senate at Richmond to con-
firm the nomination by President Davis of
Clement c. Clay Jr., for brigadier-generai
in the confederate army I am quite con-
fdent of this If he is a brigadier-generai
he comes under the terms of the surrender
at Appomattox, and is entitled to his re-
lease; but the only man who can grant his
release is the general to whom the Army OF
Northern Virginia was surrendered. Grant
is here in Washington. Go and see him-go
and see him w-tonight-immediately
he may be gone. I saw in some newspaper
a statement that he was going to New
York tonight Don't lose heart. He Is
manly man. Go to his house, tell him that
your husband was brigadier-general in
the confederate army and ask for his re-
lease under the terms of the surrender
Garland called carriage, and Mrs. Clay
drove to the generals residence Grant was
arising from dinner when she was an
nounced. He came into the parlor, greeted
her with his usual quiet urbanity, and
heard her story in silence. Then he struck
a bell and an attendant entered the room.
"Send General Badeau to ms," he said.
moment afterward Badeau made his
appearance General Grant presented him
to Mrs Clay, and then said:
General, I wish you would look at the
roster and see whether Clement C. Clay,
Jr. is brigader-general in the confederate
army"
/ Badeau disappeared, but returned within
ten minutes with the information that Mr..
Clay was upon the roll of confederate brig
aders Without more ado, General Grant
withdrew and wrote an order for the re-
lease of General Clay. In handing 1t to the
afflicted wife, he said:
'Take that paper to the secretary of war
don't think he will throw it into the waste
baske."
Meantime, another carriage had driven to
the door 1t was the carriage that had been
ordered to take the general to the train.
He withdrew with an apology and Mrs.
Clay returned to Garland and told him
what had occurred. Garland was delighted.
"You may be sure" said he, that Grant
is right. Stanton will neither tear this
der in two nor throw it into the waste
basket"
Stanton Had to Submit
On the following day tho lady returned TO
the office of the secretary of war. She was
treated even more curtly than on her first
visit Rhadamanthus still sat in his chair,
confronting her with a stony gaze. She
stood before him. the personifcation of wo-
manly dignity, and handed him the order
of General Grant He started as IL sur
prised, read the document carefully, and
approved it. gritting his teeth he did
Mrs Clay withdrew silently, but triumph
antly. On the following day she went to
Boston, where her husband was promptly
released from confinement
Such was the reniniscence detailed by
Garland at the Botanic Garden. At its con-
clusion he turned to the writer, saying:
"You are not at liberty to publish this rem
iniscence until am dead. 1t sheds beau
tiful light upon the character of one of the
noblest men in American history, but for
peculiar reasons desire that shall not be
mentioned in the matter until after my
death. Lincoln was the grandest product
of this republic, Washington being the
product of a kingly power. Grants char
acter will grow In 1uster as the ages adj
vance," AMOS J. CUMMINGS.