Year: 1879

that General Grant has authorized the pub
lication of his consent to become the head
of an American interoceanic canal COM
pany, but, further, that he has desired
this publication in order to put an end at
the earliest moment to the efforts to drag
him once more into political life; and to
show that he will not be candidate for
public Office under any circumstances. lie
has for a number of months been in corre-
spondence with the Admiral on this SUBJ
ject, and we are able to say on the highest
authority that The present publication
of this determination of the Generals
not under any circumstances to re-
turn to political life would have been
made at an earlier period by his desire,
if it had not been deemed advisable by his
friends here to withhold it for certain
legitimate business reasons. 1t is now
clear that General Grant meant his declara-
the HERALD correspondent with him, to
signify his conclusive determination in this
matter to his fellow citizens at home.
Those who have foolishly regarded the
HERALD as an enemy of the General will
now confess that it has in its discussion
of the notorious "Grant movement" only
done him justice, when it insisted that he
had no share in this scheme nor gave it the
least countenance.


1t was not to be expected that General
Grant, when he should retire from political
life, would remain for the rest of his life an
idle man. His life has been too busy, and
he is still too young to make this toler-
able. 1t was because Of this fact that the
HERALD some months ago suggested that he
should be called to the presidency of an inter-
oceanic canal company; and it now appears
that he has been in correspondence on this
very matter for several months with very
old friend of his, Admiral Ammen, and has,
as the Admiral reports, formally signifed,
by cable, that if he is invited by board of
directors Of responsible interoceanic ship
canal company having a proper conces-
sion to become the head of such corpora
tion he will consent.


The story told by Admiral Ammen to the
HERALD's Washington correspondent con-
cerning the preliminaries which preceded
this final message of consent, received by
the Admiral by cable on the 7th of the pres
ent month, is very remarkable and in
teresting 1t is we'll known to Gen.
eral Grants friends that he has long
given earnest attention to the subject Of
aa interoceanic canal. Under his adminis-
tration those numerous surveys were made
by American naval officers which have
placed in the archives of our Navy Depart
ment greater mass of accurate information
regarding the Isthmus than is possessed by
any other nation. In connection with Ad-
miral Ammen he studied every map and
report, and it would not be extravagant to
say that no other person is SO COM
petent to carry this great enterprise
| to successful conclusion as he. But Ad-
miral Ammen now reveals the curious fact
that during General Grants European tour
he used his exceptional opportunities to
quietly ascertain whether capital could be
secured for canal project under American
auspices and it appears probable that he
has had in mind ever since he left the
United States the hope that he might take
| o prominent part in it's construction.


But still more remarkahlo fact, reported
by our Washington correspondent, is that
this present publication of General Grants
consent to serve us the head OF this canal
project is made by Admiral Ammen at the
Generals desire and with the purpose on
his part of, to use the words of our corre-
spondent ga flank movement on his So
called friends who have, in spite of his
wishes, insisted on bandying his name in
connection with o denomination to the Pres
idency." 1t appears further that his briet
cable to Admiral Ammen, II approve" YVES
in reply to letters sent him months ago, in
which the Admiral laid before him oil he
had learned at the Paris Conference and all
he had to communicate from here; but
while the Admiral proposed and
urged that the General should de-
clare his Willingness to take the direc-
ton of an American interoceanic canal
project, another friend, ga distinguished
public man." wrote opposing the Admiral's
suggestion, and urging that the General
should have nothing to do with the canal
scheme. but hold himself in readiness 10
serve the republican party. Admiral Am
men, in enclosing this appeal to Grant, gave
his own opinion that the General ought
not to re-enter political lite, and that he
would do well to connect himself publicly
with the interoceanic canal project as a
means of showing his irrevocable determi-
nation to avoid political life, by engaging
himself in civil enterprise Of such very
great Importance. 1t is to this that Grant
replies, II approve"


Admiral Ammen says that General Grant
found both in London and at Berlin de-
cided willingness among capitalists to fur
ther an interoceanic canal project in Ameri-
can hands, and q preference for that over