Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1912-09-25
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Famous Soldier Who Was
FaCiIe With the Pen
By Holland

The late George S. Boutwell, of
Massachusetts, at one time Governor
of that State. afterwards a leader in
the lower House Of Congress, United
States Senator from Massachusetts,,
and Secretary Of the Treasury in the
first administration of President
Grant. while chatting to a group Of
friend at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in
New York City shortly after the pub
LEGATION Of the personal memoirs of
General Grant said:
There have always been two
strange misconceptions of. one side Of
Grants intellectual character. First.
II has been generally believed that he
was a perfect amateur so far as finan-
ell matters we're concerned. and in
: that connection was Obliged TO depend
entirely upon the counsel of compe-
tent financiers for such action as he,
as President, found It necessary to
take.
"In the second place. Grant has
always been looked upon as q man
Of deeds rather than words. and some
how or other the impression has pre-
vailed throughout the country that,
however vigorous he was in action,
he was halting and weak when IL
came TO speech. This impression is
doubtless due in part to the reputa-
ton General Grant gained at the time
of the Civil War for taciturnity.
Now. Il came under my personal
observation when I was Secretary of
the Treasury under Grant that he
WAS neither weak as a financier-at
least. so far as large and far-reaching
fiscal questions were concerned
hating in speech. at least, so far as
written speech was concerned. Indeed
my observation Is that he was won
derfully facile in the use of the pen
you may remember that shortly
after the panic of 1873 Congress pass
ed a bill providing for the reissuing
of greenbacks in large amounts. II
was called the imitation bill because
II was believed by the opponents Of
the measure that II would dangerous
ly initiate the currency.
After the bill went to President
Grant for his action ! spent an hour
or two with him In the cabinet
room. He told me that he had given
most earnest thought to the PROPOSE
ton: that he had read the arguments
pro and con and, when he had been
IN New York City in September he
had heard some of the leading bank
ers there argue in favor of reissuing
ereenbacks. saying that the country
had not money enough for its legiu-
mate needs Then Grant told me that
he was going to write that evening
his message to Congress giving his
reasons for disapproval OF the bill.
THAT message was sent to Con-
gress the ncxt day. Il was written
by Grant at one sitting There was
scarcely correction in t. To my
thinking it is as perfect an argument
against the issuing OF irredeemable
paper currency as was ever made, and
/ the language Is clear. simple, digni-
fed and concise. So say that man
who could reason as Grant did In that
message thoroughly understood some
OF the fundamental principles of
banking and currency and was, fur
thcrmore. a master of the use of the
English language.
Senator George F. Hoar once told
me-" continued Senator Boutwell,,
that list after the passage Of the fif-
teenth amendment to the Constitution.
he called upon President Grant to
ask him TO recommend to Congress
the passage Of bill providing for the
granting Of extensive education priv
ileges for the benefit of the vast
numbers Of people in the South who
could neither read nor write.
"The President asked Senator Hoar
TO bring to him a few books contain
ing statistics bearing upon this mat
ter Within two or three hours Sena-
tor Hoar brought the books to the
President Grant examined the pas
sages which were marked and then,
in Hoars presence, wrote rapidly and
without a single erasure or the revi-
sion of a line the memorable message
to Congress in which he recommended
the educational legislation Senator
Hoar had spoken to him about The
President wrote for about an hour
from his paper. excepting to dip 1t in
the inkstand.
Senator Hoar presumed that this
Would he a first draft. But Grant
read It over and then said to Senator
/ Hoar. This will he my message TO
| Con gress tomorrow
Senator Hoar told me that when
| he read the message he was even
more greatly impressed by General
Grants lucidity. terseness and ele-
gance Of style than by the forcefu
reasoning the message contained, And
vet II was written off-hand and almost
al a moments notice"
tCopyright. 1912. by r. J. Edwards
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell OF
"The Orator Who Captured a Grea
Warriors Admiration