Year: 1866




The fact is, that General Grant knows as
has been patent to every one during the
whole of his trip, that continued efforts
have been made to embitter, if possible,
his relations with the President by excl
ting the jealousy of the latter, or by ma
king individual distinctions between them,
and he is determined that no act of his
shall hold any encouragement to any such
contemplate proceedings on the one hand,
or those that have been made with like
persistency to identify him with the po-
litical views of the President on the other.
General Grant feels that next to the Presi-
dent he is at the head of the army of the
United States, not the leader of politi-
cal party. He does not consider the army
place for politician, and, therefore, will
not permit himself to be committed to the
support of either of the present political
parties, nor that the army shall be made
party machine.


l have submitted the above to the Gen.
eral, who entirely approved of what
have written, and says that it exactly ex-
presses his views. / will however, state
that as originally written the concluding
sentence was in these words. 'FWhen he
becomes partisan be intends Immediately
to resign his present position" and to this
the General objected, saying that it might
be taken to imply that at some future
time be did intend to become partisan,
whereas his only intention in using those
words was to express, as an officer of the
army, his disspprobation of any attempt
to identify him with any political party
whatever.


Whether mans personal sentiments
were Johnsonian or Republican, he said
he felt that it was an insult to any loyal
men to ask him to vote for any candidate
who was ncta loyal man in 1851, because
(and this was said in a very emphatic.
manner) he felt that to ask men whose
sons had shed their blood for the Union to
vote for men who had been disloyal to it,
was the greatest insult that could be Of
fered. Southern men he could make al
lowance for. But he did not feel in that
way toward Northern men who had been
disloyal, and neither desired to associate
with them nor have them for his friends
No such men should have his support.


An amusing occurrence took place the
Presidents reception, at Cincinnati, the
account of which ! have on unquestionable
authority, General Grant was standing
engaged in conversation with some one
unknown to him, when John Hogan, of
ST. Louis, approached him and said:
General Grant, want to introduce you
to friend of yours, the correspondent of
the Cincinnati Enquirer" To which the
General promptly replied, 81 have no stock
in that paper, and don't want to have any
friends connected with it" Mr.. Hogan
Immediately said, "WelI, but he's per-
sonal friend of yours" When the Gen
eral said, "Well, 1 want to be friendly
with every one, but l don't want my
friends connected with that paper" Ho-
gan then said, in great astonishment,
"Well, but you are talking with the ed
itor." cam II" said General Grant, 81
did not know that, but, at any rate, l have
nothing to apologize for. 1 have declar'
ed my opinion of that paper before, in an
official capacity, and l am of the same
opinion now." John and the gentlemen
in question then retired.