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[5] dull and silent. An expression of gentleness and even sweetness in the eyes, which the portraits in the Memoirs show, escaped me. A strong, resolute, business-like man, who by possession of unlimited resources in men and money, and by the unsparing use of them, had been enabled to wear down and exhaust the strength of the South, this was what I supposed Grant to be, this and little more. Some documents published by General Badeau in the American newspapers first attracted my serious attention to Grant. Among those documents was a letter from him which showed qualities for which, in the rapid and uncharitable view which our cursory judgments of men so often take, I had by no means given him credit. It was the letter of a man with the virtue, rare everywhere, but more rare in America, perhaps, than anywhere else, the virtue of being able to confront and resist popular clamour, the civium ardor prava jubentium. Public opinion seemed in favour of a hard and insolent course, the authorities seemed putting pressure upon Grant to make him follow it. He resisted with firmness and dignity. After reading that letter I turned to General Grant's Personal Memoirs, then just published. This man, I said to myself, deserves respect and attention; and I read the two bulky volumes through.
Boston. De Wolfe, Fiske &c Co. 361 and 365 Washington Street. 1888.
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