[168] and opportunities it gave him. This fortune and his patriotic course brought him into connection with General Grant, and thus made his name national. During the winter preceding Grant's first inauguration, I remember dining at Stewart's house with the President-elect. The company was composed exclusively of men, but of as much distinction, social or personal, as often meets under one roof in New York: Hamilton Fish, John Jacob Astor, Joseph Harper, Edwards Pierrepont, Charles P. Daly, Henry Hilton, all were present, and others, perhaps as eminent. The table of course was sumptuous, and all the accessories elaborate. Mr. Stewart called especial attention to the Johannisberger wine of some famous vintage, which, at the close of the dinner, was served by the thimbleful; he only brought it out, he said, on extraordinary occasions; it had cost him thirty dollars a bottle. Nobody dreamed then that Mr. Stewart was to be appointed Secretary of the Treasury; but before the 4th of March the place was offered him. When the difficulties proved insurmountable Stewart lost his only chance of becoming a statesman. The President could find another Secretary of the Treasury, but Stewart had no other President to turn to. He became a plain dry goods man again, without place, or power, or public career. To be so near a great position, and yet to lose it; to be appointed and confirmed, and even congratulated, to have made his arrangements and, doubtless, determined on his appointments in advance, and yet to be dashed down to private life, was hard. But besides this, Stewart thought that some of the importance or influence which had been offered him should have been allowed to remain. He even wanted to retain a little of the patronage which might have been his, had he entered office. I have more than once seen men go out of a government on friendly terms with its chief; but after they left, they could not forget the power and position they once had held, they seemed always to feel that they should possess some of the official privileges and relations they had enjoyed before. When this proved impracticable, their feelings were apt to change, and their friendship cooled. Something like this occurred with Stewart. I went out of the country in May, 1869, and returned in the
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S. S. Scranton and Co., Hartford, 1887.
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