Toward the close of his second administration, Grant thus reviewed, in
a private conversation with Henry Clay Trumbull, the criticisms of his
public career:
I don’t wonder that people differ with me, and that they think
I am not doing the best that could be done. I can understand
how they may blame me for a lack of knowledge or judgment.
But what hurts me is to have them talk as if I didn’t love my
country and wasn’t doing the best I knew how. It was just that
way in war-time. I didn’t do as well as might have been done.
A great many times I didn’t do as well as I was trying to do.
Often I didn’t do as well as I expected to do. But I had my
plans and was trying to carry them out. They called me “fool”
and “butcher.” They said I didn’t know anything and hadn’t
any plans. But I kept on and kept on, and by and by Richmond
was taken, and I was at Appomattox Court House, and then they
couldn’t find words enough to praise me. I suppose it will be
so now. In spite of mistakes and failures I shall keep at it.
By and by we’ll have specie payments resumed, reconstruction
will be complete, good feeling will be restored between North
and South; we shall be at Appomattox again, and then I suppose
they’ll praise me.
(2431)
=Praise Helpful=--See ENCOURAGEMENT.
=Praise, Judicious=--See HEART-HUNGER, SATISFYING.