Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-07-09
Cen. Grant and the President.

U
A few months ago Congress, by large
majority, passed bill creating the Office OF
Lieutenant General. 1t was left to the Pres
ident to fill the office, but public opinion
pointed to one man, and one man only as the
proper recipient of that great trust. There
was some difference of opinion in regard to
the propriety of creating the office; there
was no difference among loyd men as to who
ought to fill it when it had been created.
East. west, north, south, all men who believe
in putting down rebellion against the authorl-
ty of the Government, conceded that Gen.
GRANT, whose generalship had been most sig
nally attested by actual services in the held,
was pre-eminently the man for the place.
The President shared in the general opinion.
Gen. GRANT was appointed. He was called to
Washington. The armies of the United States
were placed under his direction. The plan ofth
sumner campaign was left to his judgment.
He determined it. He had full authority to
select such points of attack as he chose, and
to mass the armies of the nation in such a
manner as he deemed would best subserve
his purposes. He accordingly selected Rich
mond and Atlanta as the points for attack.
He selected his own routes, and appointed the
number and the kind of troops to be employ
ed in each of these grand movements.
When the Army of the Potomac, under the
immediate direction of Gen. Grant, crossed
the Rapidan, and before anything was known
of the result of the movement, it was an
nounced from trustworthy sources at Wash
ngton that Gen. Grant had chosen his own
route for Richmond, and had the whole re-
sponsibility of it. The Government would
give him all the men and all the support in
its power, leaving to him the entire manage
ment of the campaign.
From that day to the present time, no ut
terance from Gen. GRANT or from any of his
friends, has so much as intimated that the
Administration has attempted to dictate to
him, or in any manner influence his plans, or
that it has not to the fullest extent of its
power, supported and strengthened him. And
yet we see it constantly asserted in copper
head newspapers, that Gen. GRANT was COM
PEELED by the President to take the overland
route to Richmond, that his campaign was
planned Nv the President, and that it has
been prosecuted thus far at the cost of some
hundred thousand men-they always adopt
the largest rebel estimate of our losses-use-
lessly sacrificed. These assertions usually
hot fI,ax IoIa
ment was directed to crafty an insane love
of bloodshed on the part of the President,
and that Gen. GRANT has consented to be used
as his tool for the purpose of thus immolating
the lives of his countrymen.
An article of precisely this import appears
in the Chicago Times of the 9th ult.
Surely the malignity of partizan feeling
never before assumed such fendish guise.-
It is not correct perhaps to call it partizan
feeling which prompts these infamous attacks
upon the President and upon Gen. GRANT
It is something more. 1t is vital sympathy
with the rebellion. 1t is deep and deliberate
hatred of the Union cause, and of all who
seek to promote its triumph. And there Is no
more impressive evidence of the forbearance
of the Administration and its regard for the
liberty of the press, than the fact that it
tolerates the daily circulation of such senti-
ments in one of the prominent cities of the
North, sentiments manifestly intended to ex-
cite the people against the further prosecu-
ton of the war and to aid and encourage
treason and rebellion.