Preaching water and drinking wine

[Eva Elisabeth]

Please forgive me (Laurie...) that I am "beating the slavery issue" again, but the following has been on my mind for quite some time and I'd love to hear what y'all think or feel about it.

"Eliza, Dan, Julia, and John belonged to me up to the time of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation,” Julia Grant noted in her memoirs.

She is referring to her slaves. Please go here for more: http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/opiniona.../?referer=

BTW, it's an interesting read also as for this tidbit Grant shared in writing with his wife in 1863 (at age 40!!!):
“Last night, contrary to my usual habit, I took out my teeth and put them in the wash and covered them with water. This morning the servant who attends to my stateroom, blacks my boots, &c.” came into my room “about daylight and finding water” in the basin “threw it out in to the river, teeth and all.”

...back to my original topic and request. I can't help it, IMO she as the wife of a Union general, THE Union general, should have acted as a role model. Also Grant should have insisted in doing what Julia Grant most likely did after Jan.1, 1863 - employment as paid servants instead. To me it's like preaching water and drinking wine.

What do you think/feel?