“No, General,” I answered, “I am of the same mind about it.”
“Do you think you can defeat it?” he asked.
“Well, I can’t warrant that,” I replied. “We have friends enough against it to defeat it, but I cannot give a pledge that we shall actually defeat it.”
“Well,” he said, “I hope you won’t.”
“Why, General,” I exclaimed, “you wouldn’t impeach Johnson?”
“Yes I would,” he answered bruskly.
“Then you have changed your mind,” I said, “and I am sorry to hear it.”
“Yes,” he repeated, “I would impeach him if for nothing else than because he is such an infernal liar.”
“I very much regret to hear you say it,” I answered, looking at him earnestly, for his language and manner aroused my indignation. “I regret it because on such terms it would be nearly impossible to find the right sort of man to serve as President.”
He seemed annoyed, but made no further remark, and in a few minutes left the car. We never had any further conversation on the subject. I inferred that the Radicals hoped to influence me through Grant, since they knew I was ready to support him for President. When I saw how and why he had changed about, I lost respect for his opinion.