Men of Our Times; Or, Leading Patriots of the Day: Being narratives of the lives and deeds of statesmen, generals, and orators. Including biographical sketches and anecdotes of Lincoln, Grant, Garrison, Sumner, Chase, Wilson, Greeley, Farragut, Andrew, Colfax, Stanton, Douglass, Buckingham, Sherman, Sheridan, Howard, Phillips and Beecher.Stowe, Harriet Beecher
History
Men of Our Times; Or, Leading Patriots of the Day: Being narratives of the lives and deeds of statesmen, generals, and orators. Including biographical sketches and anecdotes of Lincoln, Grant, Garrison, Sumner, Chase, Wilson, Greeley, Farragut, Andrew, Colfax, Stanton, Douglass, Buckingham, Sherman, Sheridan, Howard, Phillips and Beecher.
Stowe, Harriet Beecher
United States -- Biography; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Biography
Not long ago, Senator Wade complained to a newspaper reporter who
immediately printed the story, that he "had often tried to find out
whether Grant was for Congress or Johnson, or what the devil he was
for, but never could get anything out of him, for as quick as he'd talk
politics Grant would talk horse, and he could talk horse by the hour."
This was a horrible irritation to the old politician, who could not be
content to judge the man by his acts. This was a great error. One would
imagine that of all men a veteran politician would have been first to
recognize the utter emptiness of words and professions. If Gen. Grant's
views are not consistent with the unbroken record of his whole life of
action, he is the most gigantic hypocrite the world ever saw, and in
that event it is certainly useless to try to make him expose himself
now. If his views are in harmony with his acts, it is assuredly useless
to state them, and as a respectable citizen and a man of dignified
self-respect, he may justly be offended at such superfluous attempts to
coax him to make affidavits to his own character.
A Texas political editor, in November, 1867, while Gen. Grant was
acting Secretary of War, pushed his way into the General's private
office, and "had an interview" with him. He went right to work with his
feelers, as is the method of this species of insect, and told Grant
that "the people of his section wanted the General for President."
Grant turned the subject. The editor, being one of that sort of
"gentlemen" who see no connection between politics and politeness,
turned the subject promptly back again, saying, "General, we want to
run you for President, and I want to know what I can say when I return
home." Grant answered with peremptory decision, "Say nothing, sir; I
want nothing said."
No other but a man of his peculiar character and power could have
borne the ordeal of forming a part of the President's suite in his
late unpopular progress through the Northern States. The discretion,
delicacy and wisdom with which he sustained himself, show a character
capable of the most skillful adaptations. We are indebted to his wise
presence and temperate advice in averting the threatened danger of
civil war in Maryland: for, like all wise and great Generals, Grant is
duly impressed with the horrors of war, and will be always for every
possible means of averting such an evil.
In all these respects Grant has shown a wise statesmanship, which
points him out to the country as the fittest one to replace to it
what was lost in the sudden death of Lincoln. Should an appeal be
made to the people, we think there is no name that would meet a more
overwhelming and enthusiastic response.
[Illustration: Wm. Lloyd Garrison.]
CHAPTER III.
WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON.
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