Year: 1868

E. D. Mansfield, in his Life of
Grant, published by R. w. Carroll
& Co, Cincinnati, O., speaks as
follows of Grants education, ad-
ministrative ability, integrity, NOR
al qualities &C., which we take the
liberty of reproducing, and to


which we invite the candid atten-
ton of our readers: -s7-s


Criticisms Cor, rather, abuse)
have been made upon Grant. He
is said to want education, sobriety
and polish. 1t is positively certain
that he did not receive a university
education that he sold wood in st.
Louis market and that he smokes
cigars. But let us look seriously


at this charge Our only right to
comment upon it at all, (for we
hold all private life to be sacred to
all honorable minds, is that his
acts have made him conspicuous,
and that, in the Government of the
country, he is public and respon-
sible man. The real question, in
looking at the character of Grant,
the one that concerns the coun
try, is, "What are his qualifications,
morally and Intellectually, for high
and important public duties p Any


other question than that we have
no right to consider. The princi


pal traits of his mind have already


been brought out by his actions
and decisions in the army; but it is


well to inquire into his early train
ing and known habits, in order to
form just Judgment on his public
character. His earliest training
was by Christian mother; and
there is no evidence that that train
ing has ever lost its weight and in
fuence. He was also trained to
habits Of business and his life at
st. Louis and Galena, as well as his
ceaseless care and watehfulness in
the army, prove that he never sought
for pleasure or for. idleness where
there were duties to perform. His
early intellectual discipline was far
better than some persons have sup
posed. Long before he went to
West Point he had studied the best
arithmetics then in use, and was
fond of mathematics. His father
had sent him to the best academies;
and it is very evident that he had
received good moral and intellec-
tual training before he went to West
Point. There is nothing uncom-
mon in this; but I mention it to
contradict authoritatively the idea
that, he was an illiterate boy. 1t
was not so. What he was at West
Point I have related And here let
it be said, that in all the solid parts
of a good education, West Point is
not excelled by any institution in
the world. The department in
which West Point is deficient is the
classical and literary, fol the reason
that the object of the Military Acad-
emy is to make men good officers,
and not classical scholars; but there
is teaching enough in the depart
ment of history and ethics not to
leave the graduates wholly desti-
tute Of literary requirements. We
find, therefore, that when we look
into Grants orders, letters and dis
patches, they show no want Of
common literary ability. He has
at least that command of language
which enables him to express him
self clearly. Colonel Badeau states
that Grants orders and letters were
mainly written by himself, and that
none of his staff could initiate his
style.


In Badeau's military History"
will be found copies of numerous
orders, directions, and letters to


division commanders and quarter
masters. with constant correspon-
dence with the War Department.
These prove not only that he form
ed plans of all his own operations,
but that he kept a continual watch
over the details of his army. Read
the dispatches to his officers at
Vicksburg, and his correspondence
with Halleck, and you can not fail
to see that Grant possesses great
administrative ability; and this is
The very kind of ability most neces-
sary to republican government.


Notwithstanding all these evi-
aences of skill, talent and discre-
ton, Grant is spoken of as being
poor in intellect and requirements
How many of the public men of the
country have had more intellect
and requirements than Grant How
much better was the education Of
Washington or Jackson Neither