“ Every one has his superstitions. One of mine is that in positions of great responsibility every one should do his duty to the best of his ability where assigned by competent authority, without application or the use of influence to change his position. ”
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant (1885). copy citation
| Author | Ulysses S. Grant |
|---|---|
| Source | Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant |
| Topic | responsibility authority duty |
| Date | 1885 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/4367/4367-h/4367-h.htm |
Context
“They were not to be satisfied, many of them, with my simple removal, but named who my successor should be. McClernand, Fremont, Hunter and McClellan were all mentioned in this connection. I took no steps to answer these complaints, but continued to do my duty, as I understood it, to the best of my ability. Every one has his superstitions. One of mine is that in positions of great responsibility every one should do his duty to the best of his ability where assigned by competent authority, without application or the use of influence to change his position. While at Cairo I had watched with very great interest the operations of the Army of the Potomac, looking upon that as the main field of the war. I had no idea, myself, of ever having any large command, nor did I suppose that I was equal to one; but I had the vanity to think that as a cavalry officer I might succeed very well in the command of a brigade.”
source
Meaning and analysis
