Evening journal., 1912-08-27
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
John Sherman'S FirStMeet-
ing With General Grant
BY Holland

In 1881, when John Sherman return
ed to the United States Senate after
four vars of service as Secretary of
the Treasury under President Hayes,
he was asked on day whether, in case
Gneral Grant had been nominated for
President by the Republican national
convention Of 1880. he thought Grant
could have been elected
THAT is a question I have often
asked myself" Senator Sherman re-
piled. 81 don't know. No one can
tell how the campaign would have
shaped itself had Grant been nomin-
ated instead of Garfield. But ! some
times have thought that General
Grant might have retained the pres
tige which caused his Inevitable nom
nation for President I'm 1868 and that
/ it would have been great enough to
/ overcome the reasonable objections to
the third term.
"As ! have thought Of that, my
mind has gone back invariably not
only to 1863 but to the winter of 1864,
| and I have realized that there GER
| tainly was some inexpllcable psychol-
ogical quality about Grant which
! spelled victory for him in whatever
! he undertook ! remember that in
1868. If ! could have hid my choice,
| the Republicans would have nominal
ed Salmon =. Chase. And yet / realiz-
ed that even if the Democrats nomin-
ated Grant in that year he was GER
tain to be elected He would have
been elected by whatever party he
was nominated.
81 have often wondered whether
this indcfnablc quality is not as
] ISOLATED with the unusual modesty
and lack Of naughty self-conscious-
ness which we're among Grants most
striking qualities And as have
thought of this there has invariably
come TO me the recollection of my
first meeting with Grant For in that
meeting this distinctive modesty and
simplicity Of conduct were strikingly
manifested to me
My brother William. the general,
has told me that he is sure that met
! General Grant in the early days of the
war II 7 did | have no recollection
Of II That is not TO be wondered at.
| because in those early days, when 7
was at my home or at Chicago, met
a good many Union officers who were
! comparatively obscure Grant was
| obscure until about a year after tho
war broke out.
Perhaps IL was my familiarity with
some of tho photographs OF Grant
that were published after his victories
at Vicksburg and Chattanooga, and
| perhaps II was the fleeing memory
/ Of the meeting with him which my
brother William Is sure I had i'm the
first year of the war; but, whatever it
was. | recognized him i'm the late
winter Of 1864 at moment when no.
body else did know him.
AT that time ! was living at will
lard's Hotel in Washington was
eating dinner rather late one even
ing when. by chance. I looked up
and saw a. man enter the dining
room and stand somewhat embarras-
sed just beyond the door, either
looking for a seat or for a waiter 10
come and assign him 10 one. The
dining room was we'll filled It fash
ed across my mind that this very
modest and unassumng man was
Lieutenant General Grant knew
that he was expected in Washington
about that time to receive a COM
mission from Lincoln as lieutenant
general. I am safe in saving that no
person who entered that dining room
had more dinident, modest, unas-
Stunning manner than did Grant.
II Immediately rose from my seat
went TO HIM and introduced myself
He seemed greatly relieved when !
did this and was very glad to accept
my offer OF a scat at my table.
remember that 7 looked at him in
amazement during the dinner HC
was so utterly free from ostentation
so perfectly natural and unassuming
that / could not help thinking to my
self, How different this man is from
some Of the Union officers who hav,
had Astounding confidence in theii
own Importance when in publ,
places!'
Now as / recall this and similai
Incidents 7 am more and more per
suaded that the quality Grant pos
sessed which made him triumphan
in great crises was one associates
with perfect modesty. simple dignit,
and his unaffected demeanor. Posi-
bly,. that would have carried hin
through the campaign of 1880 had h
been nominated for President"
Copyright. 1912, by E. J. Edwards
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tel
Of 1.-TWO Questions That Puzzled Sen
Qfor Eoorro u IIonrr