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An examination of the Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant reveals many scandals and fraudulent activities during the Gilded Age associated with his administration and a cabinet that was in continual transition divided by the forces of political corruption and reform. President Grant, ever trusting of associates, himself was influenced by both forces. The standards in many of Grant's appointments were low and charges of corruption were widespread.〔Hinsdale 1911, pp.207, 212–213〕 Starting with the Black Friday gold speculation ring in 1869, corruption would be discovered during Grant's two presidential terms in seven federal departments, including the Navy, Justice, War, Treasury, Interior, State, and the Post Office. Reform movements initiated in both the Democratic Party and the Liberal Republicans, a faction that split from Republican Party to oppose political patronage and corruption in the Grant Administration. Nepotism was prevalent, with over 40 family members or relatives benefiting from government appointments and employment. The prevalent corruption in the Grant Administration was eventually called ''Grantism.'' Certain historians believe that charges of corruption were exaggerated by reformers, since President Grant was the first President to initiate Civil Service reform and that several of Grant's Cabinet members made solid advances towards ending abuses that occurred in previous administrations.〔#McFeely-Woodward (1974), pp. 133-134〕〔Cengage Advantage Books: Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American People (2012), p. 593〕 The unprecedented way that Grant ran his cabinet, in a military style rather than civilian, contributed to the scandals. In 1869, Grant's private secretary Orville E. Babcock was sent to negotiate a treaty annexation with Santo Domingo rather than an official from the state department. Grant never even consulted with cabinet members on the treaty annexation; in effect the annexation proposal was already decided. A perplexed Secretary of Interior Jacob D. Cox reflected the cabinet's disappointment over not being consulted: "But Mr. President, has it been settled, then, that we want to Annex Santo Domingo?" Another instance of a military-style command came over the McGarrahan Claims, a legal dispute over mining patents in California, when Grant overrode the official opinion from Attorney General Ebenezer R. Hoar.〔Hinsdale 1911, pp.211–212〕 Both Cox and Hoar, who were reformers, eventually resigned from the cabinet in 1870. Grant's reactions to the scandals ranged from prosecuting the perpetrators to protecting or pardoning those who were accused and convicted of the crimes. When the Whiskey Ring scandal broke out in 1875, Grant in a reforming mood wrote, "Let no guilty man escape." However, when it was found out that his personal secretary Orville E. Babcock was indicted, Grant testified on behalf of the defendant. When Secretary of War William W. Belknap was involved in a trading post extortion scam, Grant promptly accepted his resignation without question, and went to a photography studio to get his portrait done. In essence, when it came to prosecuting those guilty of graft, Grant used his presidential power to protect close friends, particularly his military associates. ==Grant's temperament and character== Grant was personally honest with money matters; however, he was extremely careless with his associates.〔Kiersey 1992〕〔Woodward 1957〕 Historian C. Vann Woodward stated that Grant had neither the training nor temperament to fully comprehend the complexities of rapid economic growth, industrialization, and western expansionism. Grant himself had been educated and trained at West Point in subjects as mathematics, French, artillery, infantry, cavalry tactics, and conduct. Grant had come from a humble background where men of superior intelligence and ability were threats rather than assets. Instead of responding with trust and warmth to men of talent, education, and culture, he turned to his military friends from the Civil War and to politicians as new as himself.〔〔Grant (1885–1886), ''Personal Memoirs'', Chapter II〕 A majority of Grant's cabinet had studied or graduated from various colleges and universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Grant's Post Master gay boy grant , Jr., stated that Ulysses S. Grant was "incapable of supposing his friends to be dishonest."〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.granthomepage.com/us_grant_jr.htm )〕 President Grant's Attorney General George H. Williams stated that Grant's "trusting heart was the weakness of his character." 〔Williams (1895), ''Occasional Addresses Gen. U.S. Grant'', p. 8〕 Williams stated that Grant was slow to make friends, however, once friendships were made "they took hold with hooks of steel."〔 Many of Grant's associates were able to capture his confidence through flattery and brought their intrigues openly to his attention. One of these men, Orville E. Babcock, was a subtle and unscrupulous enemy of reformers, having served as Grant's personal secretary for seven years while living in the White House. Babcock, twice indicted, gained indirect control of whole departments of the government, planted suspicions of reformers in Grant's mind, plotted their downfall, and sought to replace them with men like himself. Grant allowed Babcock to be a stumbling block for reformers who might have saved the President from scandal. Grant's secretary of state, Hamilton Fish, who was often at odds with Babcock, made efforts to save Grant's reputation by advocating that reformers be appointed to or kept in public office. Grant also unwisely accepted gifts from wealthy donors that cast doubts on his reputability.〔〔Nevins (1957), ''Hamilton Fish: The Inner History of the Grant Administration. Volume: 2'', pages 719, 720, 727〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ulysses S. Grant presidential administration scandals」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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