uring 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. My explanation of
Butler's influence over Grant is to some extent conjecture.
But I believe Grant thought him a powerful political leader
and that he was entitled to respect as representing the opinions
of large numbers of men. Beside that Butler had a great
influence over some ambitious men who were his confederates
and over some timid men who were afraid of him. Their influence
with Grant was on Butler's side. Then Grant was apt, as I
have said in another place, to sympathize with men who were
bitterly attacked, especially men who were charged with dishonesty
or corruption, because such charges were made against him.
So without undertaking to explain Butler's influence with
Grant, I content myself with stating it and lamenting it.
He led Grant to make some very bad appointments in Massachusetts
which were totally repugnant to the feeling of her people.
But for those appointments, in my opinion, the strong objection
felt by her people to giving any President of the United States
a third term would not have prevented her supporting him for
renomination in 1880, a support which would have insured his
success.

After President Hayes came into power General Butler tested
the President's willingness to permit him to control the patronage
of Massachusetts. He demanded the appointment of a man recommended
by him to the office of Postmaster at Methuen. The term had
expired. President Hayes carefully examined the matter in
person, got a list of the principal patrons of the office,
and compared it with the petitions. He determined to reappoint
the incumbent, who was an excellent officer, and a Republican
who had refused to vote for General Butler. The man whom
General Butler recommended had lost a leg in the War. He
had an artificial limb so well made that many