Year: 1879

i ldl Bbnlltndu Hdu recently received
a letter, from which he concluded that
the General would not return until
January. | subsequently saw the
same gentleman again. He had re-
eeived another letter, and expected
that General Grant would arrive about
June. saw other Philadelphia
friends of General Grant, who gave
encouragement to the excursion, but
who said that they should not be able
to join it themselves, as they were
going to meet the Presidential party
with special car. also saw friends
Of General Grant in New York, whose
names do not care to give, and they
gave me similar information.


Did you ever succeed in learning
what General Grants own personal
views on the subject of the excursion
wereg


Yes, | learned later from an init
mate friend of the Grant family in
New York that General Grant was
opposed to it; that he had read publi-
cations in the American newspapers
concerning it, and had thought that
the purposes Of it would be misunder
stood or misconstrued that it would
be regarded as a political movement
altogether, and that General Grant
much desired that nothing Of the kind
should be undertaken. Injurious crit
icism would be certain tofollow which
would make it unpleasant"


Did you try to find out anything
about General Grants opinions when
here in Washington"


| called upon an old army com
rade of General Grants here to ask
him if he knew when the general
would return. The gentleman said
IF | choose to tell you anything
about it, | should lie compelled to de-
ceive you That was his expression.


| asked him why. He said - Be
cause | know it would be personally
offensive to General Grant, as well as
offensive to the people of California.


who are very ambitious and proud
people, and do not want any interfer-
ence with any programme that they


may make for the reception of Gen
eral Grant. They do not want any


body to come from here to receive


General Grant for them. They are


thoroughly competent to do thing Of


that sort, and will take care of it.


know that the whole enterprise will


be personally offensive to Genera


Grant, and that he would not b,


pleased with any demonstration O


that kind that could be worked in hi


behalf"


This old army comrade, accord


ingly, declined to give me any infor


nation as to the time. He said, how


ever, that General Grant had agreet
to give five weeks notice before tn,
time when he would be in Chicago, s,
that the meeting Of the society of tn
army of the Tennessee could be calle,
when he was there"


" Did you through any other sourc


learn what the opinions of Genera
Grant were with regard to this enter
prise y


There was an interview in Japa
! with General Grant, in which th


subject Of this demonstration was re
ferred to, and, without recalling tn
! exact statements of that interview,
! was evident that General Grant oh
jected to the scheme"


" Is that what induced you to aban


don the undertaking ?"


There was another fact at this par
ticular time. There were elections il
I several of the prominent Northwestern
States, from which, probably, most o
the excursionists would have gone
The principal men were engaged il
campaigning, and could not 90, and
concluded that, under all the circum
stances, especially as there was al
uncertainty about the time of the ar
rival of General Grant, that it woul,
= be the wisest thing to abandon tn


excursion. 1t was, of course, some
; thing of a sacrifice to. me, as unde
the arrangements which ha bee
made the excursion must have bee
! profitable. And this, concluded Nh
E McMullen, SIS the entire origin an,
! history of the Grant boom.