My Message is not “blocked out,” nor scarcely thought of.  So many other exciting matters preoccupy my time and thoughts that I do not bother myself about the other.  I shall trust to the inspiration of the moment for what I shall say.  Will be brief, but to the point if I can.

Yours truly,

U.S.  GRANT.

[Grant’s second term of office expired March, 1877.]

EXECUTIVE MANSION

Washington,
Dec. 13th, ’76.

MY DEAR MR. CORBIN: 

I wish you and Jennie would come down and make us a visit.  We now have room, and will have until Fred. returns with his family, which will probably be a few days before Christmas.—­Sometime before my term of office expires I want Mother to make me a visit.  If she would like to come down during the holidays we could make room by sending one of the boys out o’ nights.  The children will all be at home during that week; possibly the last time we will have them all at home together.  At all events it may be the last opportunity mother may have of seeing them together.

I received your kind letter of the 11th this A.M.  This year, owing to election excitement, department reports only came in a few days before the meeting of Congress.  When they did come the situation in South Carolina was so critical that dispatches were coming to me, or to members of my cabinet, and brought from them to me in such rapid succession that I do not think I had one single half hour without interruption all the time I was preparing my message.  I am sure I did not have four hours in its preparation all told, exclusive of the time consumed in reading the departmental reports.  I left out necessarily topics I should liked to have talked about, but would not mention without being sure I was right.

My love to all.

Yours truly,

U.S.  GRANT.

[General and Mrs. Grant spent the next two years in a tour around the world.]

Chicago, Ill.,
April 12th, 1877.

DEAR MR. CORBIN: 

To-morrow evening Mrs. Grant and I start for Washington, Pa., where we will spend a few days, then go to Harrisburgh, Washington, D.C., and toward the last of the month get around to Elizabeth to spend a few days with you before taking our departure for Europe.  We have not entirely decided whether to take the American line from Philadelphia or the Inman line from New York City.  Both have tendered pressing invitations, and both present good accommodations.  If we take the former we will sail on the 9th or 16th of May, if the latter on the 19th.

We had a very pleasant trip West but a little hurried.  There is much complaint of dull times but really appearances do not justify it.  Kindest regards of Mrs. Grant and myself to Mother and Jennie.

Yours truly,

U.S.  GRANT.

Ragatz, Switzerland,
August 13th, ’77.