Julia Sand – Letter 4

Context

On October 19, 1881, President Arthur gave a speech at Yorktown for the 100th anniversary of the battle that won American independence. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Arthur ordered the U.S. army and navy to salute the British flag as a sign of reconciliation and restored friendship between the two nations.

 

Beginning in this letter, Julia Sand references the concept of a dwarf in a king’s court being the one person who can tell a king the hard truths.

 

This letter references Ulysses S. Grant’s trip around the world. Shortly after the end of his second term as president, Grant spent over two years traveling abroad, visiting Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, Greece, the Middle East, India, and Asia.

 

Julia references Senator Thomas Bayard (D-DE) losing his position as President Pro Tempore of the Senate. This was due to a newly-split 38-38 senate, now without a vice president to break the tie between the parties. Bayard was removed from his leadership position by his colleagues in order to replace him with an independent senator (though still Democrat-aligned) as a shared power compromise.

Letter 4

October 27, 1881

 

Hon. Chester A. Arthur.

 

What a splendid Henry V you are making! Excuse me for coming back from the other world to say so, but – odd as it may seem – you are the only person to whom I can talk on the subject. Some time ago – it is wonderful what a long time it seems now – I told you that I had faith in you, but I never mentioned it to anyone else. And as yet I have not met anybody who believes in you, as I do. So when I read something in the papers which delights me, I am dumb. Even when you have realized my highest expectations, I shall not have the satisfaction of saying to anyone, “There, I told you so!” And that is hard, you will admit. But perhaps I shall be able to screw a little comfort out of the reflection that I told you so, when there were not so many to say it as there will be then, or even as there are now – for you threaten to become popular. 

 

Yes – popular! Will popularity spoil you? I think no, but can not be certain yet. When we have gone through tribulation, a sudden whirl of prosperity does not sweep us off our feet as easily as if our whole path had been smooth. You will remember last summer, long after the rest have ceased to think of it.To most of us it was a tragical incident in our panorama of the world. But to you it was different – it cut so deeply into your life. Perhaps you were thinking of it the other day, when, for the first time, the guns saluted you as President. Perhaps it was the undercurrent of your thoughts all the time you were in Yorktown. Your speech there was beautiful. It was perfect. Not a word to add, to alter, or to omit. And your orders regarding the British flag, went right to the hearts of the people. It gave expression to what thousands felt, yet were quite at a loss how to utter. But you knew for them – & somehow it drew them nearer to you. Persons not inclined to admire you, are ready to admit that you have excellent taste & tact. Just what that means cannot be easily measured. Taste & tact may be merely the polish of which any hard surface is capable. But I do not like to think of men as blocks of marble, things that may be cut down in the finishing, but cannot be made to expand. I prefer to think of them as things with infinite powers of growth. And to me tact & taste are the sweet-scented flowers which spring from the root of true sentiment & deep feeling.

 

And so Mr. Murat H. was “misled” – & you are going to keep your postmaster as long as you choose – & “no longer!” Somehow that made me laugh. You do not love newspaper talk, do you? But you ought to be patient with both writers & readers, considering the great advantage you have over them. You know “lots” about yourself, but are obliged to tell nothing. Editors may know nothing about you, but are obliged to tell “lots.” And then think of the rest of humanity! Probably you do not half appreciate what you are spared, in not having to look in the papers to find out what you did yesterday, are doing now, will do tomorrow, are likely to do on the whole, & did five years ago. Yes, you ought to be patient.

 

But I have a notion that you are not – with me. You would not tolerate for two weeks a court in which people expressed their opinions in the pell mell manner of – of someone you never heard of. It would tax your grace of manner certainly. But you are not likely to be so troubled. People who go to court, generally know that ‘discretion is the better part of valor,’ don’t they? And you must remember that in the best regulated courts of old, dwarfs always were privileged characters, so you must not expect an exception in this case. Dwarfs, not being able to advance far, naturally cling to the old traditions.

 

And now, having established a principle – quite to your satisfaction, I trust – on which I may say all the unpleasant things I choose, I may say them, may I not? But I don’t want to. If I ever do say them, you may be certain they pain me more than they can you. If there is a happy part to the presidency, you have not got to it yet – I think of you very often as being care worn & sad, & wish so much that I could say something to comfort you. But what is there to say? If the details of your work are not irksome, if human nature is not irritating, if your burdens are not heavy, & you feel well & bright, sympathy is superfluous. But if it is just the other way, your work wearisome, human nature exasperating, & you are tired & worn out & have a headache – why, I am afraid your head will ache all the same, even if a little dwarf should say to you over & over again: “I am so so sorry.” But I don’t see why big people have to be so troublesome. Gov. M. ought to have made up his mind more quickly. And if Mr. McV. [Attorney General Wayne MacVeagh] thinks he is doing a grand thing in resigning, he is mistaken – he is doing a small one. He may be better than anybody else in the world, but the public is not interested in the subject. It would have been quite time to trot out his extra virtue, when you, as President, had done something to offend it. Just now it looks as if you were trying pretty hard to do your duty, & he was not trying at all. So he has not chosen a good background to shine his light against.

 

And now may the dwarf say something offensive, without offending you? Don’t have your old friend Grant much around you. When you are at your best, you may have a good influence on him – but he will never help you to do anything that is worth doing. He is unintellectual – heavy – commonplace. Do you remember what sort of a man Lincoln was in ‘60, & what in ‘65? He was alive in every fiber – he grew from day to day – if he made a mistake once, he never repeated it – he was a larger man in heart & soul & mind, when he died, than he was when he first came into office. I believe that you have some of that power of growth in you. Grant has not. He is not even a block of anything that takes polish easily. Eight years of the presidency ought to be an education to a man, even if he knew only how to read & write before. A trip, of years duration, around the world, would be an education to any bright boy in his teens. Grant has had both, & what has he learnt? Except an inflated impression of his own greatness, has an additional idea been rubbed into his brain? In case it has, he has kept the secret wonderfully. If you are really fond of him – there is no accounting for tastes! – keep him as a friend to smoke cigars with, when you have nothing to do, but don’t consult him on national affairs. Do not let the people believe that he is to influence your administration. He will never give you an idea that is new, or deep, or even bright. To him, politics means, which man is to get a place, & very little else. As to real statesmanship, he has no more conception of it than has a wild elephant! Now don’t be angry with me – you know it is so – only you are too polite even to think it. At any rate, remember what you promised – for silence is consent, isn’t it? – that I could say to you whatever I chose.

 

So I will choose one thing more. That was very ugly, jerking Mr. Bayard out of his place at the head of the Senate, in such a manner. I hope it was not a coup d’etat that you smiled at. It was brilliant certainly. So are sky-rockets – & sometimes, when the brilliancy is over, a stick comes down & hits some one on the head. If that was intended for statesmanship, “angels & ministers of grace defend us!”

 

But if there is little statesmanship in the U.S.S. [United States Senate] & none at all in U.S.G. [Ulysses S. Grant], still there is some in Washington. Just where it is needless to state. If I said “in the White House,” I might convey – or contradict – my meaning. Enough that it is there, & its influence felt – & found to be strengthening & calming. It must be owned, people are somewhat surprised at it. One hears remarks such as: “This is too good to be true -” “Well this is splendid – but how long will it last?” “Ah, I should be quite enthusiastic, if I thought this genuine – but it is only policy – he is very shrewd.” Then I feel terribly tempted to defend you, but I never say one word. Is there any sense in saying that “I know,” what I have no means of proving? Your own actions will be your own most eloquent defense. What you have done thus far may be excellent policy, but I believe you were prompted to it by a very much higher motive.

 

Yours sincerely,

J. I. S.

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Letter 5 – First expressions of interest in meeting Arthur