Diary of Gideon Welles, Wednesday, June 27, 1866

Had some conversation with Senator Grimes respecting the legislation of this Congress, which is passing acts of corporations, special privileges, and grants ad libitum. Members of Congress have the reputation of being largely interested in many of their legislative favors. I think Grimes is not. Among other things a proposition to create a Department of Education is pending, not a Bureau, which would be bad enough, but a Department. Grimes, I see, did not favor it and in the course of his remarks said the high pressure for an extreme and almost prohibitory tariff was fast driving him into free trade. This is the natural result of extreme measures, — pushed too far they cause a reaction.

SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 2: April 1, 1864 — December 31, 1866, p. 542