Presidents and Their Cabinets: Ulysses Grant
Ulysses Grant is usually considered to be an aggressive and tenacious Civil War general, but is generally regarded as among the worst presidents because of the corruption and scandals that took place on his watch. Some recent biographies have tried to rehabilitate Grant's presidential reputation, but it can be denied that he made some poor choices in the men that he put in charge of government departments. He also made some good choices, but some of these are forgotten in the wake of the scandals of the Grant administration.
Grant's became the most popular man in the Union states following the end of the Civil War. His break from President Andrew Johnson over the Tenure of Office Act during Reconstruction endeared him even more among Republicans. When Johnson named Grant as Secretary of War, Grant handed the office back to Edwin Stanton, whom Johnson had suspended. Republicans grew confident that Grant was their man for presidential office, and the presidency became his for the taking.
Grant's intense dislike of Johnson's policies led him to believe that it was his duty to accept the Republican presidential candidacy in 1868. He was unchallenged for the 1868 Republican presidential nomination, and was nominated unopposed on the first ballot at the party's national convention in Chicago. The Republican platform supported suffrage for former slaves in the South and favored radical reconstruction as opposed to the more lenient policy espoused by President Andrew Johnson. Grant's letter of acceptance of the nomination stated "Let us have peace. These four simple words encapsulated what most Americans wanted.
Democrats saw incumbent President Andrew Johnson as too damaged and as a loser. Instead they nominated Horatio Seymour as their candidate for the presidency. Grant won an overwhelming Electoral College victory, receiving 214 votes to Seymour's 80. Grant also received 52.7 percent of the popular vote nationwide.
On March 4, 1869, Grant was sworn in as the eighteenth President of the United States by Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase. At age forty-six, he was the youngest president elected up to that time. In his inaugural address, Grant urged the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment and promised that he would approach Reconstruction "calmly, without prejudice, hate or sectional pride."
It is too simplistic to consider Grant's cabinet choices as being mediocre. Many of his choices were unconventional and drew criticism from some quarters. Grant made a conscious decision to avoid choosing Republican Party leaders, and instead chose several non-politicians. Grant chose two close friends for two important posts.
His first Secretary of State was Illinois Congressman Elihu B. Washburne,the man who had sponsored Grant for the role of Brigadier General during the Civil War. He had supported Grant's subsequent promotion to major general and was an advocate for Grant's promotion to lieutenant general and command of the entire Union Army. When Grant became president in 1869, he appointed Washburne to succeed William H. Seward as Secretary of State, with the understanding that he would hold the post only briefly and then serve as minister to France. Washburne became ill after becoming Secretary of State, and resigned after only eleven days. This term remains the shortest of any Secretary of State. Washburne was appointed by New York Senator and former Governor Hamilton Fish, who became Grant's longest-serving Cabinet officer. Fish was initially underrated by some, but he proved to be a strong appointment and one the nation's best Secretaries of State.
As Secretary of War, Grant picked his former military aide, General John A. Rawlins. Rawlins had been a tremendous support for Grant during the war, and is credited with keeping Grant's drinking in check during the war. His brief tenure in office was controversial. He supported insurrection against Spanish rule in Cuba, established an anti-Mormon policy for the Utah Territory, and reduced the authority of General William Tecumseh Sherman, Grant's successor as commander of the Army. Rawlins died from tuberculosis in September, 1869, five months into his term. He was replaced by William W. Belknap of Iowa. Belknap supported Grant's Reconstruction policy. A Congressional investigation in 1876 revealed that Belknap had received kickbacks in return for the awarding of lucrative contracts. Belknap resigned as Secretary of War in 1876 and Grant accepted his resignation before the House voted to impeached him. Belknap was acquitted when the Senate vote failed to achieve the required two-thirds majority because several senators believed they had the power to convict an incumbent cabinet secretary, but not one who had left office.
For Treasury Secretary, Grant appointed wealthy New York merchant Alexander T. Stewart, but Stewart was not confirmed by the Senate. Instead Grant chose Representative George S. Boutwell, a Massachusetts Radical Republican. Boutwell controversially reduced the national debt by selling Treasury gold and using greenbacks to buy up Treasury bonds. This created a cash shortage. Boutwell and President Grant prevented an attempt to corner the gold market in September 1869 by releasing $4,000,000 of gold into the economy.
Philadelphia businessman Adolph E. Borie was appointed Secretary of Navy, who was reluctant to accept. On June 25, 1869 Borie quietly resigned from office, serving only 3 months and 17 days in office. Running the Navy Department was too demanding for him. He was replaced by a relative unknown, George M. Robeson, a former brigadier general.Robeson served briefly as both Secretary of Navy and as ad interim Secretary of War after Secretary of War William W. Belknap abruptly resigned in 1876. Robeson served as Navy Secretary for the remainder of Grant's presidency.
Former major general and Ohio Governor Jacob D. Cox was picked for Secretary of the Interior. Former Maryland Senator John Creswell was picked as Postmaster General, and Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar was chosen as Attorney General. All of these appointments were well received.
One of Grant's most controversial nominations to a government office was that of James Longstreet, a former Confederate general, to the position of Surveyor of customs of the port of New Orleans. This was seen as a genuine effort on Grant's part to reunite the North and South. It was met with intense criticism from Radical Republicans. Longstreet would continue his friendship with Grant, his civil war adversary. When Grant died in 1885, Longstreet would be one of Grant's pallbearers.
Grant was often at odds with Radical Republican leader Charles Sumner including on matters of foreign policy and political patronage. Sumner detested Grant's practice of nepotism in making political appointments. Grant was criticized for appointing many family members or friends considered unqualified to highly sought government posts.
At the beginning of Grant's second term, the nation was prosperous, the national debt, government spending, and tariffs were reduced, and revenues were increased. But the Panic of 1873 rocked the nation and destroyed much of the economic advancements made in Grant's first term. The Panic caused a severe nationwide economic depression which turned public opinion against Grant. Democrats regained control of the House in the 1874 elections. Corruption and scandals came to light. These were prosecuted with Grant's approval. They included the Whiskey Ring Scandal which led to the indictment of Grant's personal secretary, Orville E. Babcock. Grant had continued to support Reconstruction, and he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which banned discrimination in public accommodations. But by the end of Grant's presidency, white Southern Democrats known as "Redeemers" had regained political control of state governments, often through extreme violence and the suppression of African-American voters.
For a long time many historians considered Grant's presidency to be the most corrupt in U.S. history. His presidential reputation has gradually risen over the past few decades among historians, mainly because of Grant's progressive and enlightened policies on American Indians, African American Civil Rights, and Civil Service Reform.
Grant's became the most popular man in the Union states following the end of the Civil War. His break from President Andrew Johnson over the Tenure of Office Act during Reconstruction endeared him even more among Republicans. When Johnson named Grant as Secretary of War, Grant handed the office back to Edwin Stanton, whom Johnson had suspended. Republicans grew confident that Grant was their man for presidential office, and the presidency became his for the taking.
Grant's intense dislike of Johnson's policies led him to believe that it was his duty to accept the Republican presidential candidacy in 1868. He was unchallenged for the 1868 Republican presidential nomination, and was nominated unopposed on the first ballot at the party's national convention in Chicago. The Republican platform supported suffrage for former slaves in the South and favored radical reconstruction as opposed to the more lenient policy espoused by President Andrew Johnson. Grant's letter of acceptance of the nomination stated "Let us have peace. These four simple words encapsulated what most Americans wanted.
Democrats saw incumbent President Andrew Johnson as too damaged and as a loser. Instead they nominated Horatio Seymour as their candidate for the presidency. Grant won an overwhelming Electoral College victory, receiving 214 votes to Seymour's 80. Grant also received 52.7 percent of the popular vote nationwide.
On March 4, 1869, Grant was sworn in as the eighteenth President of the United States by Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase. At age forty-six, he was the youngest president elected up to that time. In his inaugural address, Grant urged the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment and promised that he would approach Reconstruction "calmly, without prejudice, hate or sectional pride."
It is too simplistic to consider Grant's cabinet choices as being mediocre. Many of his choices were unconventional and drew criticism from some quarters. Grant made a conscious decision to avoid choosing Republican Party leaders, and instead chose several non-politicians. Grant chose two close friends for two important posts.
His first Secretary of State was Illinois Congressman Elihu B. Washburne,the man who had sponsored Grant for the role of Brigadier General during the Civil War. He had supported Grant's subsequent promotion to major general and was an advocate for Grant's promotion to lieutenant general and command of the entire Union Army. When Grant became president in 1869, he appointed Washburne to succeed William H. Seward as Secretary of State, with the understanding that he would hold the post only briefly and then serve as minister to France. Washburne became ill after becoming Secretary of State, and resigned after only eleven days. This term remains the shortest of any Secretary of State. Washburne was appointed by New York Senator and former Governor Hamilton Fish, who became Grant's longest-serving Cabinet officer. Fish was initially underrated by some, but he proved to be a strong appointment and one the nation's best Secretaries of State.
As Secretary of War, Grant picked his former military aide, General John A. Rawlins. Rawlins had been a tremendous support for Grant during the war, and is credited with keeping Grant's drinking in check during the war. His brief tenure in office was controversial. He supported insurrection against Spanish rule in Cuba, established an anti-Mormon policy for the Utah Territory, and reduced the authority of General William Tecumseh Sherman, Grant's successor as commander of the Army. Rawlins died from tuberculosis in September, 1869, five months into his term. He was replaced by William W. Belknap of Iowa. Belknap supported Grant's Reconstruction policy. A Congressional investigation in 1876 revealed that Belknap had received kickbacks in return for the awarding of lucrative contracts. Belknap resigned as Secretary of War in 1876 and Grant accepted his resignation before the House voted to impeached him. Belknap was acquitted when the Senate vote failed to achieve the required two-thirds majority because several senators believed they had the power to convict an incumbent cabinet secretary, but not one who had left office.
For Treasury Secretary, Grant appointed wealthy New York merchant Alexander T. Stewart, but Stewart was not confirmed by the Senate. Instead Grant chose Representative George S. Boutwell, a Massachusetts Radical Republican. Boutwell controversially reduced the national debt by selling Treasury gold and using greenbacks to buy up Treasury bonds. This created a cash shortage. Boutwell and President Grant prevented an attempt to corner the gold market in September 1869 by releasing $4,000,000 of gold into the economy.
Philadelphia businessman Adolph E. Borie was appointed Secretary of Navy, who was reluctant to accept. On June 25, 1869 Borie quietly resigned from office, serving only 3 months and 17 days in office. Running the Navy Department was too demanding for him. He was replaced by a relative unknown, George M. Robeson, a former brigadier general.Robeson served briefly as both Secretary of Navy and as ad interim Secretary of War after Secretary of War William W. Belknap abruptly resigned in 1876. Robeson served as Navy Secretary for the remainder of Grant's presidency.
Former major general and Ohio Governor Jacob D. Cox was picked for Secretary of the Interior. Former Maryland Senator John Creswell was picked as Postmaster General, and Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar was chosen as Attorney General. All of these appointments were well received.
One of Grant's most controversial nominations to a government office was that of James Longstreet, a former Confederate general, to the position of Surveyor of customs of the port of New Orleans. This was seen as a genuine effort on Grant's part to reunite the North and South. It was met with intense criticism from Radical Republicans. Longstreet would continue his friendship with Grant, his civil war adversary. When Grant died in 1885, Longstreet would be one of Grant's pallbearers.
Grant was often at odds with Radical Republican leader Charles Sumner including on matters of foreign policy and political patronage. Sumner detested Grant's practice of nepotism in making political appointments. Grant was criticized for appointing many family members or friends considered unqualified to highly sought government posts.
At the beginning of Grant's second term, the nation was prosperous, the national debt, government spending, and tariffs were reduced, and revenues were increased. But the Panic of 1873 rocked the nation and destroyed much of the economic advancements made in Grant's first term. The Panic caused a severe nationwide economic depression which turned public opinion against Grant. Democrats regained control of the House in the 1874 elections. Corruption and scandals came to light. These were prosecuted with Grant's approval. They included the Whiskey Ring Scandal which led to the indictment of Grant's personal secretary, Orville E. Babcock. Grant had continued to support Reconstruction, and he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which banned discrimination in public accommodations. But by the end of Grant's presidency, white Southern Democrats known as "Redeemers" had regained political control of state governments, often through extreme violence and the suppression of African-American voters.
For a long time many historians considered Grant's presidency to be the most corrupt in U.S. history. His presidential reputation has gradually risen over the past few decades among historians, mainly because of Grant's progressive and enlightened policies on American Indians, African American Civil Rights, and Civil Service Reform.