" In the case of almost any other person than
President Grant such an answer would have been a confession
of the charge. But it ought not to be so taken in his case.
Unless he desired to take into his full confidence the person
who was speaking to him he was in the habit of receiving most
important communications with entire silence or with some
simple sentence which indicated his purpose to drop the subject.
My own belief is that at some time during the War, or before
the War in times of discouragement Grant may have been in
the habit of drinking freely and may at some time have done
so to excess. During the whole time of his Presidency I had
a good opportunity to observe him in personal intercourse.
I was familiar with many men who were constantly in his company
at all hours of the day and often far into the night. They
assured me that there was no foundation for any imputation
that he was in the habit of drinking to excess then. If at
any time he had formed such a habit he had put it under his
feet. For that I think he is entitled to greater honor than
if he had never yielded to temptation.
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