Year: 1868

for Connecticut.


Singular Political Biography.


The story of General Grants early life, the
romance and reality Of his boyish days, writ
ten by his father and published in Bonner's
Led9er, is one of the most original and sug-
gestive contributions to the political literature
of the day. 1t is matter of some moment to
know what Ulysses S. Grant, the leader Of
armies, the hero of the Appomattox apple tree,
the dumb politician who will not crafty tho
curiosity of either friend or foe, was in his
bib and tucker days, and that more advanced
period of his young career when he broke
horses, reduced almost untamable steeds to
discipline and did good deal Of circus bust-
ness; for example, riding on mule with q
monkey on his back. All these interesting
points are touched upon by the elder Grant In
a genial and paternal fashion. AS an addition
to contemporary literature this biography is
quite equal to Queen Victorias book about her
Highland journeys, and in the category OF
nursery tales holds about the same prominent
position. The book of the Queen of England
minutely describes her travels up the noun
tains- and down the glens of Scotland, with
pretty descriptions Of the scenery tells how
amiable her ''dear Albert" was, and how she
impaired lessons Of morality and good breed
ing to young Vic, so that she might adorn the
Prussian court, and curbed occasionally the
somewhat unbalanced temper of ''Bertie, the
Prince of Wales, and praised the fidelity of her
favorite attendant, John Brown. All this
is Immensely interesting, refreshing and
curious. The work, in fact, is not excelled as
nursery tale by the story of cinderella"
"Goody Two Shoes" or "Jack and the Bean
Stalk" Old Father Grant has launched him
self in the same boat. He goes elaborately


into the details of his sons early life, gives US
pictorial views of his circus feats, his pluck and
courage in the ancient Greek virtue as ''tamer
of horses" and lays particular stress upon the
exercise of his indomitable will in loading
wagons under difficulties All this presents 4
fine lesson for the boys of our day. II will
teach them how GOODNESS and courage can lead
to generalship and prospective Presidency.


There ought to be new edition of Father
Grants story published Immediately, with
copious illustrations, not forgetting, as the
most prominent of them all, that of Grant,
junior, riding on mule with monkey on his
back. Such an illustration, although retro
spective, would be quite apt to-day; for is not
Grant riding a mule, the animal sometimes
represented by Andy johnson and sometimes
by Thad Stevens and the radical party? But
whichever animal he rides he always carries q
monkey on his back in the shape of the poll
ticians. What effect this literary contribution
may have on public opinion or how it may be
used by the Bohemians and other men of genius
we know not We know, however, what was
the effect of General SCOTS speeches about
the sweet Irish brogue and the delightful Ger
man accent, the delicate illusions to garment
which shall be unmentionsble, and the hasty
plate of soup, the fire in the rear and all the
other well-timed yet ill-timed illusions of that
disappointed politician; but we cannot conceive
what the effect may be of this paternal biogra-
ply on the fortunes of General Grant