ton to St. Louis. General Sherman made no
complaint of Grant, who had the power to control the action of the
Secretary of War, but the general impression prevailed that the
friendly relations that had always subsisted between the President
and General Sherman had been disturbed, but this was not true. I
have no doubt that Grant, in the following letter, stated truthfully
his perfect willingness that General Sherman should, if he wished,
be made his successor as President:

"Long Branch, N. J., June 14, 1871.
"Dear Senator:--Being absent at West Point until last evening, for
the last week, your letter of the 5th inst., inclosing one to you
from General Sherman, is only just received. Under no circumstances
would I publish it; and now that the 'New York Herald' has published
like statements from him it is particularly unnecessary. I think
his determination never to give up his present position a wise one,
for his own comfort, and the public, knowing it, will relieve him
from the suspicion of acting and speaking with reference to the
effect his acts and sayings may have had upon his claims for
political preferment. If he should ever change his mind, however,
no one has a better right than he has to aspire to anything within
the gift of the American people.

"Very truly yours,
"U. S. Grant.
"Hon. J. Sherman, U. S. S."

CHAPTER XXI.
BEGINNING OF GRANT'S ADMINISTRATION.
His Arrival at Washington in 1864 to Take Command of the Armies of
the United States--Inaugural Address as President--"An Act to
Strengthen the Public Credit"--Becomes a Law on March 19, 1869--
Formation of the President's Cabinet--Fifteenth Amendment to the
Constitution--Bill to Fund the Public Debt and Aid in the Resumption
of Specie Payments--Bill Finally Agreed to by the House and Senate
--A Redemption Stipulation Omitted--Reduction of the Public Debt--
Problem of Advancing United States Notes to Par with Coin.

President Grant entered into his high office without any experience
in civil life. In his training he was a soldier. His education
at West Point, his services as a subordinate officer in the Mexican
War, and as the principal officer in the Civil War of the Rebellion,
had demonstrated his capacity as a soldier, but he was yet to be
tested in civil life, where his duties required him to deal with
problems widely differing from those he had successfully performed
in military life. I do not recall when I first met him, but was