Respecting the reconstruction, Grant at first favored President Johnson and at his request made a tour of inspection of North and South Carolina and Georgia in the fall of 1865, re porting that "the mass of thinking men of the South accept the present situation of affairs in good faith.* He also accompanied the President on his famous *swing around the circle* in 1866, though he took no active part in the President's propaganda in favor of his reconstruction policy. Having been commis sioned General of the Armies of the United States (25 July 1866), Grant was now the foremost citizen of the republic and as he had become an available candidate for the Presi dential nomination, the leaders of both political parties sought to secure his adherence, since it was probable that his popularity would influ ence a considerable independent vote. But President Johnson involved Grant in the strug gle over reconstruction measures and by his course drove him into the radical ranks. In August 1867 Johnson suspended Secretary of War Stanton (q.v.) and appointed Grant Sec retary ad interim, but on 13 Jan. 1868 the Sen ate disapproved of Stanton's suspension, where upon Grant vacated the office. A dispute arose over Grant's actions in this connection, John son questioning his good faith, thus driving him into bitter opposition to Johnson and mak ing him an advocate of impeachment. Hence, in May 1868 Grant was unanimously nominated for the Presidency by the Republican conven tion at Chicago, and though taking little part in the campaign, defeated his Democratic op ponent (Gov. Horatio Seymour), receiving 214 of the 294 electoral votes.
Grant's inexperience in civil administration was conceded, his lack of political finesse was admitted and his reticence and taciturnity were pronounced, but his strong will was also known and his rugged patriotism had been proven. He caused much criticism in forming his Cab inet owing to the preponderance of millionaires and personal friends and by making his personal appointments in the President's household largely from the military staff. However, he possessed the confidence of the people and this was increased by the negotiation of the Treaty of Washington (q.v. See also ALABAMA CLAIMS ; HAMILTON FISH ; UNITED STATES - HISTORY OF ARBITRATIONS ; UNITED STATES - DIPLO MACY), but his persistent efforts to annex Santo Domingo led to much ill feeling and also to a rupture of relations with Charles Sumner (q.v.). Grant was deeply interested in South and Central American affairs and desired to recognize the Cuban insurgents but was dis suaded from so doing by Secretary Fish; in the subsequent Virginius affair, however, popu lar indignation was so thoroughly aroused that Grant put the navy on a war footing and later Spain rendered adequate reparation. The most important domestic problem during his first term, aside from his peaceful Indian policy and civil service reform, was the reconstruc tion of the Southern States, but as the actual work of reorganization was almost finished, the President was inclined to leave the completion of the task to the newly formed State govern ments (see UNITED STATES-THE RECONSTRHO TION). Still there was a growing conviction that the administration was inefficient, that the civil service was neglected and abused and that in his appointments Grant was yielding too frequently to the importunities of politicians; accordingly in 1872 a great reform movement was inaugurated, the instigators of which called themselves Liberal Republicans. Grant was charged with nepotism because of his numerous appointments to public office of relatives of his own and of the Dent families and with being "notoriously loaded down with presents;* and the Gould-Fisk attempt to corner gold, culminating in Black Friday (q.v.), was attrib
uted to a New York speculator who had married into the President's family. But in 1872, despite these and other irregularities, such as the Credit Mobilier scandal (q.v.), ordi narily regarded as weaknesses in a candidate, Grant easily defeated his Democratic-Liberal Republican opponent, Horace Greeley (q.v.), obtaining a plurality of over 700,000 and an elec toral vote of 286. The new administration was almost immediately confronted with finan cial disaster and panic but the President ren dered a great service to the country when he vetoed a bill passed by Congress for the infla tion of the paper currency and urged the pas sage of the bill for resuming specie payments. The last years of his Presidency mark the lowest ebb ever reached in the political morale of the country. The "Salary Grabs (q.v.), the Whisky Ring Frauds (q.v.), the scandal in the Treasury Department regarding the San born contracts, the Safe-Burglary frauds, the Seal-Lock frauds, the Subsidy frauds, the im peachment of Secretary of War Belknap (q.v.) and other malodorous affairs aroused universal indignation and protest, though the President personally was in no way implicated. Prob ably never was Grant so low in the popular estimation as in the summer and fall of 1876. As a result the Democratic candidate (Samuel J. Tilden) received a majority of the popular vote in 1876, but the Republican candidate was placed in office by the decision of the Electoral Commission (q.v. See also UNITED STATES DISPUTED ELEcrioNs). During this time numer ous threats were made of an appeal to arms, but Grant's disposition of the army prevented disorder and his influence counted for peace and restraint.
At the close of his second term in 1877 Grant, with his wife and youngest son, Jesse, made a tour of the world; he returned in September 1879 and in the spring of 1880 an effort was made to secure for him a third nomination for the Presidency, but the senti ment against a third term could not be come. Shortly afterward he moved to New York city and, besides accepting the unsalaried presidency of the Mexican Southern Railway, became a special partner in the firm of Grant & Ward; his name and property were used in the business but he took no active part in the management. In 1884 this firm failed, ruining Grant and other members of his family, and an unsuccessful effort was made to hold him personally liable. To satisfy his creditors he surrendered all his property, including the unique collection of souvenirs, swords and other mementoes gathered during his tour, and this collection eventually became the proVerty of the nation. Every token of respect was shown him and in March 1885, by special legislation, Congress restored him to the rank of General (since he had resigned to become President) and retired him on full pay. When the first storm of criticism had passed, Grant undertook to write his memoirs, hoping that the sale would furnish a competence for his wife, and then began the most heroic year of his life. Though suffering almost ceaseless pain, owing to a cancerous growth in his throat, he con tinued steadily at this work, dictating when he could and writing when speech was impos sible, and ultimately produced a work that took rank as one of the great martial biographies of the world. In June 1885 he was moved to Mount McGregor, near Saratoga, N. Y., in the hope that the change would benefit him, but the march of the fatal disease could not be stayed and he died on 23 July. His body found its final resting place in the great mausoleum on Riverside Drive, New York city, overlook ing the Hudson.