62 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
success when working for himself. He knew ten 
times as much about the business as I did, and 
yet he had not succeeded in an independent 
position. Some quality, like broadness of mind 
or directness of purpose, was lacking, which 
made him incapable of carrying out a plan, no 
matter how well conceived. He was like Hooker 
at Chancellorsville, whose plan of campaign was 
perfect, whose orders were carried out with 
exactness, whose army fell into line as he wished, 
and whose enemy did the obvious thing, yet who 
failed terribly because the responsibility of the 
ultimate was greater than he could bear. As 
second in command, or as corps leader, he was 
superb; in independent command he was a dis- 
astrous failure. 
Thompson, then, was a Joe Hooker on a re- 
duced plane,— good only to execute another 
man’s plans. Thompson might have rebutted 
this by saying that I too might prove a disas- 
trous failure; that as yet I had shown only 
ability to spend, — perhaps not always wisely. 
Such rebuttal would have had weight seven 
years ago, but it would not be accepted to-day, 
for I have made my campaign and won my 
battle. The record of the past seven years 
shows that I can plan and also execute. 
Thompson told me that he had found two 
woodsmen (by scouting around on Sunday) who 
were glad to take the job of cutting the white- 
oak posts at five cents each, and that they were 
eee) i Sl ati 
