The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-09-19
Position Of General Grant I'm Relation
10 Political COntests-His Opinion OF
Northern Sympathizers with the Re-


The Chicago Republican, in letter from
its reporter travelling with the Presidential
party, makes the following interesting state
,nrntS in connection with General Grants
refusal to present himself TO the soldiers
who attempted 10 call him out in advance
al the Presidents arrival at Cincinnati:
The fact is, that General Grant knows,
~ las been patent 10 every one during the
whole OF this trip, that continued efforts
have been made Ia clnhttcr, if possible,
his relations with the President by exciting
the jealousy of the latter, or 10y making III
yidiouS distinctions between them, and he
j. determined that no act of his shall lend
amy encouragement 10 any such contcmptl-
hl, proceeding on the one hand, or those
that have been made with like pcrsistcncy
IL identify him with the political views of
the President, ON the other. General Grant
feels that. next 10 the President, he is shc
head of the army of the United States, not
the leader of political party. He does
not consider the army place for polltl-
clan, and therefore will not permit himself
To he committed to the support OF either OF
the present political parties, nor that the
army shall be made party machine.
GENERAL GRANTS ENDORSEMENT.
have submitted the above to the Gene
raj. ,rhO entirely approves OF rhdt 1 hare
lcritten, and says that 1t fully and eractly
expresses his rie,rS. will, however, state
that rs originally written the concluding
sentence was in these words: "Whcn he
becomes Il partisan he intends immediately
I" resign his present position and to tins
the General objected, saving that 1t might
bc taken To imply that at some future time
W. did intend to become partisan, where
rs his only intention i'll using those words
was to express, as an officer OF inc army,
his diSapprobation of any attempt I" ldch-
THY him with any political party whatever:
The above conversation with dehcfai
Grant took place III the baggage anu re-
fr.sbment car attached to the train, in the
presence of Maior-Gcneral RawlinS, Chief
Of Staff to General Grant also of another
Major General, who, think, was General
Stoncman; but of this | am not certain,
for did not take any particular notice who
il was.
In addition to these military men there
were also present Mr.. Warden, who is con
nccted with the New York Times; John
Hogan, of ST. Louis, Mo-; Mr.. Chadwick,
of Wizards Hotel, Washington, and one or
two members of the Columbus delegation,
whose names don't know.
In about minute afterwards, General
Grant, who had been in the Presidents car
to present himself to the people assembled
at West Junction, reentcred the car,
and having seated himself, beckoned to me
to come and speak with him. | did so, and
on seating myself by his side, he went on to
say that he thought that if l published the
account already submitted to him he would
like il to be understood that he had refused
10 receive the proposed demonstration en-
tirely because lie felt 1t his d,ty to refuse
any reception or demonstration rendered
separately to himself ,ohile travelling uith The
President, or to do anything ,ohich might be
construed as .farorh.g any political party.
lie then went on TO rciterate his determi.
nation NOT to be used by those who sought
commit him either for or against the
PRESIDENTS policy, or to attach any poti-
"a, significance to his presence on the Pre-
",uehts excursion. He had also been much
annoyed al the use which had been made
VI nN hahe by John Hogan, who has pre-.
sumeu 10 state that General Grant was mo
litically with the President. and n,a pv-
similar occasion by Mr.. Seward. Wa Sa,,
that 10 was, above all things. desirahla
for officers of the army to avoid mar
ticipatiOn In ordinary political conflicts
except II was their duty as citizens
10 support only men who could show a
record Of consistent loyalty. Whether a
mans sentiments were y0hnsonian or Re-
publican, he said he felt that II was an in
suit TO any loyal man to ask him TO vote for
any candidate who Was not loyal man IN
1851. IN this connection, he said thai,