Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/392

 GRANT

GRANT

in the electoral college of 1873 he received 286 votes to 42 for Thomas A. Hendricks, 18 for B.Gratz Brown, 2 for Charles J. Jenkins and one for David Davis, the 14 votes of Arkansas and Loui- siana not being counted by reason of charges of fraud and illegality. In making up his cabinet he continued the portfolio of state in the hands of Hamilton Fish; gave the treasurership to Wil- liam A. Richardson of Massachusetts, who had been assistant secretary under Secretary Bout- well through his first administration, and on his resignation in 1874 to accept a seat on the bench of the U.S. court of claims, to Benjamm H. Bris- tovv of Kentucky, and on his resignation in Jmie, 1876, to Lot M. Morrill of Maine ; the portfolio of war was left with William W. Belknap of Iowa and on his resignation, March 7, 1876, was transfen-ed to Alphonso Taft of Ohio, and on his transfer to the attorney -generalship, to James D. Camaron of Pennsylvania; the portfolio of the interior was continued in the hands of Columbus Delano of Ohio until 1875, when he resigned and it went to Zachariah Chandler of Michigan ; the naval portfolio was continued with George M. Robeson of New Jersey ; the postmaster -general- shii) with John A. J. Creswell, and on his resig- nation, July 3, 1874. it was temporarily tilletl liy Assistant Postmaster-General James W. Marshall of Virginia, and jiermanently later in the same year by Marshall Jewell of Connecticut, and on his resignation in 1876 by James N. Tyner of Indianapolis, former assistant postmaster gen- eral; and the attorney -generalship was continued by George H. Williams of Oregon until May 1.5, 1875, when he I'esigned to practise law, and was succeeded by Edward Pierrepont of New York. The second administration of President Grant was marked by the passage of the resumption act and the detection and punishment of the promi- nent U.S. officials conspicuous in the formation of a ring designed to enrich the members tmder cloak of their official positions and by wrongfully using the name of the President. His words, " let no guilty man escape '" rung the death-knell of the ring. He attended the mauguration of President Hayes, March 4, 1877, and at once with- drew to private life. On May 17, 1877, he set sail with his wife, his son Frederick Dent, and a private secretary, for his memorable tour of the world and was received with distinguished honors by the chief ruler of every country visited. The record of his tour was preserved by John Russell Young, who accompanied him through most of his tour and published " Around the World with General Grant 1877-79 " (2 vols. 1880). In 1880 he visited Cuba and Mexico and returning to the United States went with his family to his old home at Galena, 111. The Reiuib- lican national convention of June, 1880, assembled

at Chicago, 111., presented his name as a candi- date for the presidency, and for thirty -six consec- utive ballots his name was recorded as having received from 302 to 813 votes, standing in almost every vote 306, and the number was attached to his loyal friends, who after the convention caused an iron medal to be cast with the legend, " Loyal 306 " as a souvenir of the event. It is not known that General Grant was in any way a party to this struggle, and the only suggestion came from his lips after he returned from his tour when he spoke of the superior insight that the intercourse with the chief rulers of the world gave to a man entrusted with the administration of governmental affairs. He supported the can- didacy of James A. Garfield. On Dec. 25, 1883, he received such injuries to his hip from a fall on the ice as made him permanently lame. He became a silent partner in the banking firm of Grant & Ward in New York, his son Frederick Dent Grant and Ferdinand Ward being the active partners. In this business he not only inve.sted all his savings and those of other members of his family, but when he was appealed to for further fimds he borrowed $100,000 from William H. Vanderbilt on his personal credit. The entire sum was lost througli the dishonesty of Ward, whose will dominated the concern and who was foimd to have absorbed most of the capital and to have traded in imaginary government contracts which he represented as obtained through the influence of General Grant. When tlie end came the Grant family were all bankrupt and the great- est general of his age and the twice chosen Pres- ident of the United States was obliged to depend on money thrust upon him by his friends, and to give up his swords, medals and other evidences of the esteem of the peoples of the globe, a sacrifice volvmtarily made by him to secure a debt of honor. Mr. Vanderbilt subsequently returned these priceless souvenirs to Mrs. Gi-ant, who made them the property of the nation by depositing them in the National Museum at Washington, D.C. In 1884 he was attacked by disease which proved to be cancer at the root of the tongue and knowing that his days were numbered, the heroic invalid accepted the suggestion of an enterprising publisher, and set out to write his " Personal Me- moirs " in which he told the story of his life down to the close of the war. This work was done between Feb. 27, 1885, when he signed the con- tract with the publishers and July 21, 1885, two days before his death. His widow received as a copyright from the sale of this remarkable book over 8.500,000, and before the general died he knew tliat the proceeds from his work had al- ready put his family beyond the danger that threatened the closing years of his liie. The gov- ernment also tardily came to his aid and on March