Memoirs of an editor : fifty years of American journalism / Edward P. Mitchell.

PROCESSION THROUGH TIIE WHITE HOUSE

289

been offered to him it is now of course impossible to say,
but that he never asked for that office is certain, both
from his own statements and from that of his lifelong
friend, General Wilson, who as a member of Grant's
staff met Dana first at Vicksburg in 1863 and who at this
writing in 1924 survives, in fine old age, at Wilmington,
Delaware, the last of the larger West Point men figuring
in the armies of the North. General Wilson says in his
"Life of Charles A. Dana":
So far as I know, he was never an applicant for that, or any
other office. The action which I had taken with (General Rawlins in his behalf was entirely on my own responsibility, in tho
interest of General Grant and his Administration.
Rawlins, General Wilson explained, "requested me to
inform Dana that he was to have that place, and this was
without qualification or condition. Feeling that it was
a wise decision, I made haste to communicate it both by
letter and in person. Inasmuch as Rawlins was at that
time seeing Grant daily and discussing every sort of question with him, except such as were personal to himself,
I assumed that they had considered and decided upon
Dana's appointment together and that Rawlins had full
authority for the assurance he had authorized me to give
to Dana." Whether this nomination was in fact decided
upon at Washington and reconsidered, or whether there
was a misunderstanding somewhere and a premature
announcement, General Wilson's testimony shows that
Dana had not put himself in any position to incur the
humiliation of the disappointed office seeker. Indeed, a
fortnight later, Secretary Boutwell was urging Dana to
accept appointment as appraiser and Mr. Dana was

politely declining on the ground of more important duties
in his newspaper office.
All this business of custom-house offices seems small
enough at long-distance view, but for many years it was