GRANT ON SLAVERY

[Webmaster Ann]

Around the World with General Grant by John Russell Young, Part Seven,
New York: The American News Company, 1879.

GRANT ON SLAVERY
The following is a conversation between Otto von Bismarck (the founder and first chancellor of the German Empire) and General Grant that occurred in June, 1878.

"You are so happily placed," replied the prince, "in America that you need fear no wars. What always seemed so sad to me about your last great war was that you were fighting your own people. That is always so terrible in wars, so very hard."

"But it had to be done." said the General.

"Yes," said the prince, "you had to save the Union just as we had to save Germany."

"Not only save the Union, but destroy slavery," answered the General.

"I suppose, however, the Union was the real sentiment, the dominant sentiment," said the prince.

"In the beginning, yes," said the General; "but as soon as slavery fired upon the flag it was felt, we all felt, even those who did not object to slaves, that slavery must be destroyed. We felt that it was a stain to the Union that men should be bought and sold like cattle."

"I had an old and good friend, an American, in Motley," said the prince, "who used to write me now and then. Well, when your war broke out he wrote me. He said, ‘I will make a prophecy, and please take this letter and put it in a tree or a box for ten years, then open it and see if I am not a prophet. I prophesy that when this war ends the Union will be established and we shall not lose a village or hamlet.’ This was Motley’s prophecy," said the prince with a smile, "and it was true."

"Yes," said the General, "it was true."

"I suppose if you had had a large army at the beginning of the war it would have ended in a much shorter time."

"We might have had no war at all," said the General; "but we cannot tell. Our war had many strange features – there were many things which seemed odd enough at the time, but which now seem Providential. If we had had a large regular army, as it was then constituted, it might have gone with the South. In fact, the Southern feeling in the army among high officers was so strong that when the war broke out the army dissolved. We had no army – then we had to organize one. A great commander like Sherman or Sheridan even then might have organized an army and put down the rebellion in six months or a year, or, at the farthest, two years. But that would have saved slavery, perhaps, and slavery meant the germs of a new rebellion. There had to be an end of slavery. Then we were fighting an enemy with whom we could not make a peace. We had to destroy him. No convention, no treaty was possible – only destruction."

[Tom Dooley]

Ann, that's a very interesting conversation. Is that from a series of articles from a newspaper, or magazine?

Terry

[Webmaster]

Ann, that's a very interesting conversation. Is that from a series of articles from a newspaper, or magazine?

Terry

Hi Terry I think it was from a newspaper

[ole]

A fascinating exchange. If it is an accurate exchange of views, and it might be, it shows that Grant never liked the idea of owning a person. He owned one once, probably a gift from his father-in-law. And he freed the man rather than selling him. When he was reduced to selling firewood, he freed a man who could have brought as much as $1000. And his wife, Julia, had slaves serving her. Whether they belonged to her or her father is open to question. I will ask you guys out there just how much influence you have over your wife? If she wants a nanny and a couple of house servants, just where do you put your foot?

And, we might note, that the conversation took place well beyond the end of the war, when Grant had time to think back and consolidate his thoughts.

ole