Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-05-18
Fire Minutes 4 Lay
With Our Presidents
Grant in the White House
Dy JAMES MORGAN.

lowered above not only all the other
Generals Of the Civil War. but also
above the statesmen OF that day,
Iabove even the great political parties
themselves. A man without a party
he stood wholly for n Union. A
magnanimous victor, aloof from the
bitter passions of the men who had
only talked while others fought he
stood alone for the reunion OF North
and South. 1t was less his fault than
the fault Of u political system that
he gave up to party what was meant
for all. There was no place for him
to serve, as there never is a place for
any American to serve our Govern
ment. except as a partisan and a pol
itician.
When he became President II was
Grants misfortune to know no one
except his associates in h war. The
self respecting among these kept away
from him. But the self seekers and
the camp followers crowded about a
man who never forgot n never dis
trusted a friend. not even when he
came bearing a Greek gift, and Sena-
tor Charles Summer spoke ~scornfully
of the Administration as a gift en-
terprise."
The modest President and the con
ceited Senator, who plunged into a
bitter feud, never we're sympathetic.
iWhen Grant heard some one say with
surprise that sumner did not believe
| the Bible, he quietly remarked, We'll,
he didn't write It,"
Another little brood that preyed
| upon Grants kindly disposition was
J composed of a few of his relations
| and Mrs. Grants. For them he laid
himself open to a charge of nepotism,
which was exaggerated but which no
other President had incurred.
Grants first act, In making up his
Cabinet. was characteristic. Never
Having held a council of war or con-
suited any one In the army, he did
not consult the Republican leaders.
His Secretary of the Treasury, A. T.
Stewart, the New York merchant,
could not serve because the law de-
barred an importer from that Office.
His Secretary of the Navy was to
fame unknown outside his city OF
Philadelphia. 1t took the malls three
weeks to find, In his obscurity. an
Attorney General that the President
appointed without knowing where the
man lived. In selecting a chief justice
he pursued the same hit-or-miss plan
land had to send in a third name be-
fore the Senate would give its assent.
Two of the seven places In the
Cabinet were given to Galena. the
Presidents little homo town. the
iSecretaryship of State falling to Con-
gresham Elihu b. Washburne, and
the Secretary Of Wal to John A. Raw
Inns. There were sound personal rea-
sons for the selection of General Raw
Inns. who had been Grants vigilant
watchdog in the army, standing be-
tween him and the bottle me between
his too trusting nature and false
friends. These latter moro than
ever to be warded off, and
the untimely death of this frank and
loyal friend early in the Administra-
ito left u place which remained sadly
vacant.
The many scandals of the Admin
%istration were mostly traceable to the
betrayal of Grants childlike conf
dence In unworthy friends. BLACK
Friday" in Wall Street cast its shad-
ow, on his family circle itself. A
brother-in law had inveigled the
guileless President into the net Of Jim
T, Fiske n Jay Gould, who attempted
to corne gold on the strength of the
iwormed out of him. As quickly as
Grant discovered the trick he smash
ed the corner.
The Whisky Ring involved the
PRESIDENTS private secretary. A mem
Der of the Cabinet was impeached
for squalid transactions. but by ac-
cepting his resignation Grant let him
! QOuBt the cOnNlcUlOn.
The Civil Wa was followed by
the most corrupt period in our politi-
cal life. Rascally politicians noisily
distracted the people from real evils
with sham battles against the rebel
b~rigadier." The BLOODY Shirt was
made 70 V a multitude of sins.
while patriots went in loudly for the
old flag and an appropriation"
Although Grant himself was above
/ inst CIGninfna tho nA~N hf~t,An4 m
cial. Vice President Colfax, was driven
into retirement~und a cloud, and
the third highest, the Speaker of the
House, James G., Blaine, was accused
of bartering his influence for private
lgain.
Reconstruction remained for 10
years after the war a prolific source
of political generalization. Lincoln's
plan having been torn up in tbs saw
age strife between Congress and
johnson. the Southern states were
converted into rotten boroughs for
political Adventures from the North
and for the white riff raft of the
lSouth. Out of the first batch of -
southern senator's. 10 were Northern
carpet baggers," who had rushed
lSouth to exploit the negro vote. and
an even half of the Congressman
were sauatters from the North.
A liberal section of distinguished
Republicans revolted against Grants
election to a second term, but they
were mostly leaders without follow
ers. The popular revolt did not come
until the panic of 1873 had plunged
the country into six years of hard
times, n a tidal wave in the election
iof 1874 swept the Democrats into con-
ltrol of the House.
Great occasions Grant to
independent action in neaca as n
war. In vetoing a currency imitation
bill. in calling for the Of
specie payments and In the peaceable
settlement OF the Alabama claims
against Great Britain-the first great
international arbitration-he measur-
ed up to the expectations of the PEG
pie. who lost faith in the sound
ness of h man because he had fail.
ed as a politician. First in war. he
did not prove himself first In a
put deep down beneath the bitterness.
o. parties and factions, Grant remain.
II.