The National tribune., 1903-02-05
WITH A PECULIAR MovEM-
alfer, who


desk, at the invitation o. hlter, who
Gen. Grant had put cigar in his mouth
as he left the hall where the closing cere-
monies were held. He said not word as
to the nature of the dispatch he had re-
ceived, but, with a peculiar movement of
the cigar in his mouth, he began at once
to write Secretary Of State Fish was
in the room, but did not take any part in
the proceedings. While the President was
writing, Secretary of War Cameron came
hurriedly into the room, having apparently
heard of the reception of the dispatch. As
he approa ched the President, the latter,
without saying a word, pushed toward him
the message he had received, and went on
with his writing. In few minutes he
had finished his answer, and, having
simply shown it to Secretary Cameron, it
was at once, without change or delay, sent
on its way.
That was the message sending directions
to Gen. Sherman, which stated the Presi-
dents view of the course to be pursued
in the National crisis, and which did so
much to reassure public confidence in the
Presidents purpose to maintain law and
order at every cost.
1t read: Instruct Gen. Augur in Louis
lana, and Gen. Ruger in Florida, to be
vigilant with the force at their command
to preserve peace and good order, and to
see that the proper and legal Board of
Canvassers are unmolested in the perform
ance of their duties. Should there be any
grounds of suspicion of fraudulent count
on either side, it should be reported and
denounced at once. No man worthy of
the Office of President should be willing to
hold it if counted in or placed there by
fraud. Either party can afford to be dis
appointed in the result, but the country
cannot afford to have the result tainted
by the suspicion of illegal or false re
turns"
AS was within few feet of Gen.
Grant from the time he received the dis
patch until he had sent off the reply, ]
can testify with positiveness as to his i'm
mediate and unaided preparation of that
explicit and comprehensive order. And
when afterward l read in prominent news
papers the suggestion that, in the phras-
ing of that order, the experienced hand of
Secretary Fish was to be seen, or that il
bore traces of the adroit shrewdness of
Secretary Cameron, / realized that the in
dependent judgment and the wisdom and
decision of Gen. Grant, in any crisis, were
| not yet fully comprehended by the public.
POWER OF GRANTS PERSONALITY.
1t were easy to find evidence of the
power of Gen. Grants personality in
| whatever sphere he was placed. Taken
prisoner on the field of Morris Island, be-
| fore Charleston, in July, 1863, met there
Capt. Thomas Y. Simons, in command Of
| light battery from Charleston. He was
of the class Of 1S49 in Yale. As I knew
several of his classmates, we had a pleas
ant conversation together. He said that
| he had longed for this conflict for years
He was n secessionist before secession was
accom- ,ished. He was a member of the
State Convention that declared South Car
DINA out of the Union, and voted for tina,
action. And now that the war was IL
progress, he was sure that it could nevel
end except in the Independence Of tn,
South.
you can never subjugate u.s." he said
eve would fight, if need be, till our las
man was in the field"
Later he called on me in Columbia Jail
He spoke again in the same confden
strain. The following year he sent a kind
ly greeting 20 me across the lines In Vir
ginia, when he found that he was onc'
more over against my regiment.
After the war, l learned that he wa
editor of the Charleston Courier. Bein,
in that city, l called on him. Welcomin,
me cordially, he said frankly:
"Well, Chaplain, when I saw you las
/ didn't think the war would end as j
did"
Then he continued:
"But, oh dear! was ready for the ent
long before 1t came. We couldn't stant
that Grant Of yours. 1t was his eterna
pound, pound, pound, that did the bust
ness. We would have been glad to g
into one great battle and fight it out t
the finish. But he kept at it all the time
Whether we whipped him or not one day
we had TO 90 at it the next day, and tr.
} it over again. He wouldn't give US an,
rest. Finally we found it was just die to
day, or tomorrow, or the next day, or mex
week, and gain nothing by it. There wa
no other alternative, and we longed 70
the end to come"
i. Gen. Grant had said, in his final repor
|, of his military operations, in command o
the army, rs to his policy from the be
ginning, in dealing with the enemies OF hi
Government: 81 therefore determined