The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1866-06-22
An Hour With General Grant--.His
Views Upon Men and Measures.

i AAh IAAOAA W AVA N4SANS@N~
Views Upon Men and Measures.
The editor Of the Lewistown Falls Journal,
now at Washington, recently spent an hour
in the stndio Of the Maine artist Simmons,
| In conversation with General Grant, and gives
an interesting statement Of the opinions sx-
pr2sqed by him upon men and measures.
Some people would doubt whether General
Grant would unbosom himself SO fully to .
stranger when he Is so reticent but we give
the story.as we find it. The writer says:
aThe General, who was dressed in q plain,
black, civilian suit, had hardly removed his
hat from his head before be took cigar from
his pocket, lighted it anG began to puff out
wreaths Of smoke. az au breaking off from
smoking, remarked Grant, when ! was in
the field smoked eighteen or twenty cigars
a day, but now only smoke nine or teuI
dThe conversation turned TO the Virginia
Campaign Of 1854 and 1865. Il notice, re-
marked General Giant, that Mr.. Swinton has
published history of the campaigns in the
Old Dominion, in which he takes the ground
that gained nothing, but on the contrary,
lost many valuable lives uselesSly By NOV
ing my army from the Rapidan direct toward
Richmond, rather than taking it round By
water, to the Peninsula, rs Mcclellan did,
This, observed the General, is revival of
the exploded theory (referring to the McClel-
Ian policy ofsubduing the rebellion BY peace
measures. A halfa million Of troops might
have been kept within sight Of Washington
until dooms-day, and the rebellion would
have aourished more and more vigorously
day by day. Fighting, hard knocks only,
could have accomplished the work. The re-
belliou must be overcome, II overcome at all,
by force; its resources destroyed, Its lighting
material obliterated, before peace can be OBJ
tanned. st.g-
"There were two failures in the Virginia
campaign of 1854 which ought to have been
successes, . said Grant, - and those were the
failure to capture Petersburg when we cross
ed the James, and afterwards at the mine e1-
plosion. But, added Grant, It was all for
the best that we failed in these two inSsan-
ces, for had we succeeded at either time, Lee
would have been at once obliged to abandon
Richmond, and would have been able to Sc
cure safe retreat into the interior OF the
South, where he would have prolonged the
contest for years. Our failures then and the
determination OF the rebels 10 hold on to
their Capital, gave us time to extend our lett
Southwark, to- bring up Sherman from Geor-
gia and thereby made it impossible for Lee
to escare.
ain reply to questions as to whether he
was not surprised at the suddennesS Of the
collapse ofthe rebellion, Grant said that he
was, although he had always supposed that
when It broke down II would 60 all at once
Il thought, however, be remarked, that II
would hold out another season, and am not
sure, he added, but that It would have
been better for the country ifit had. There
were some parts Of the country where our ar
mics had never trod, particularly Texas, which
needed to feel the blighting effects Of war to
bring their people to a realizing sense Of the
enormity Of thrir crime, and the necessity Of
a thorough repentance. Il find, said he,
that those parts ofthe South which have
been within our lines, and have therefore eS-
capped the rebel CONSUMPTION and taxes, are
much less disposed to accept the situation In
good faith than those positions which have
been literally orerrun with ERE and sword.
referring to the temper Oft the Southern
people, be remarked that they are much less
disposed now to bring themselves TO the pro-
Der frame Of mind thant they were year since.
"A year ago said he, they were willing to
do any 'hing now they regard themselves as
masters Of the situation. Some Of the re-
bel generals, he added, are behaving nobly
and doing all they can to induce the people
TO throw aside their old prejudices and to
conform their course to the changed cOndi-
aon Of thingS. Johnson and Dick Taylor,
particularly, are exercising good influence
but, he added, 'JeJ Is behaving badly. He
is conducting very differently from what Ibad
reason from what be said at the time Of the
surrender tosupposs ho would. No man a.
the South Is capable OfsTsrciSins the tenth
par, Of the influence for good that be Is, bu,
InsteAd Of using Il he 10 setting an example
Of forced aequisseenee 80 grudging and per-
nieious in is effects AZ 10 be hardly realized,
THE men who were In the rebel armies,
said Grant, acquissee in the resul. much bet
ter than those who stAid At bone. The Wo-
men are particularly bitter agaln'. the Union
and Union men. or course, he added, there
Is some bitterness Of feelIug among all class
%, but I am saslsasd Il would soon die ou. u
.hsIr leading men had not somehow got the
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