Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-09-27
THE POLITICAL POSITION OF GEN. GRANT.

| FURNISHED INC IOllOWlHS SlSHluCdnI eA ApIdHd-
tion of the reasons which induced the Illus
trious leader of our armies to decline the
compliment rendered him by the "Boys in
Blue " in that city, and of Gen. GRANTS po-
sition in reference to the political issues of
the day:
GEN. GRANT AND OUR REPORTER.
The fact is, that Gen. Grant knows, as
has been patent to every one during the
whole Of this trip, that continued efforts
have been made to embitter, if possible, his
relations with the President, by exciting
the jealousy of the latter, or by making in
vidious distinctions between them, and he
is determined that no act of his shall lend
any encouragement to any such contempti-
! BILE proceeding on the one hand or those
| that haze been made aUith ike perSiStency to
identify him acih The political UieaUS Of the
| President on the other Gen. Grant feels
that, next to the President, he is the head
! of the army of the United States, not the
leader of political party. He does not
consider the army a place for politician,
and therefore will not permit himself to be
committed to the support of either of the
present political parties, nor that the army
shall be made party machine.
| GEN. GRANTS ENDORSEMENT.
| | have submitted the above to the Gene
raj who entirely Qrl1T0Ues Of tcltat haCe 1orlt-
ten, and says that 1t fully and exactly erpress-
eS has Uie,cS l will, however, state that as
originally written, the concluding sentence
was in these words When he becomes a
partisan he intends Immediately to resign
his present position" and to this the Cen
cral objected, saying that it might be ia
=, +bo+ f,,4, ha
did intend becoming a partisan, where
as his only intention in using these
words was to express, as an officer Of the
army his disapprobation of any attempt to
identify him with any political party what
ever.
For what follows of interest in my de-
| spatch, it will be best that the public should
receive it in the chronological order in
which it really occurred, in order that it
may note the essential meanness Of the
men who are the particular friends and de-
voted sycophants.sof the man who could
| slander the Union men of New Orleans, ,and,
as is alleged and not contradicted, tamper
with the dispatches Of Gen. Sheridan.
The above conversation with Gen. Grant
took place in the baggage and refreshment
car attached to the train, in the presence
of Major Gen. Rawlings, chief of staff to
Gen. Grant also of another major general,
who, think, was Gen. Stoneman but of
this am not certain, for | did not take
any particular notice who it was.
In addition to these military men, there
were also present Mr.. Warden, who is con-
nected 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.
General Grant afterward retired from the
refreshment Car, and as Mr.. Warden imme-
diately entered into conversation with Gen.
Rawlmg with great eagerness, apparently
respecting what might have been said to
me by General Grant, and frequently look
ed in my direction, wishing to do good
turn to fellow reporter, who had the same
chance Of obtaining Information as himself,
| offered to inform him as to the converse
ton which had passed between myself and
the General, and in general terms did So
We shortly afterward left the baggage car
for the car next to the Presidents, where
was busiIy engaged writing out my de-
spatch and making the alteration request
ed by General Grant Mr. Warden sat a
at0r Patterson of Tennessee, the well-knOwI
Unionist who took Office under the Confede
racy, entered the car, he Immediately stop
ped him and began a somewhat excited
conversation, at the end of which the loya
Senator shook his finger toward the corner
IN which | sat, and then went into the Pres
ldcuts car.
GENERAL GRANT AGAIN.
In about minute afterwards General
Grant, who had been into the Presidents
car to present himself to the people assem-
bled at West junction, re-entercd 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 Oh
to say that he thought that if published
the account already submitted to him, he
would like it to be understood that he had
refused to receive the proposed demonstra
tion entirely, because he felt it his duty tC
refuse any reception or demonstration ten
dercd separately to himself while travell
ing with the President, or to do anything
which might be construed as favorlng any
political party. He then went on to reiter
ate his determination not to be used by
those sought to commit him either for OIL
against Presidents policy, or to attach any
political significance to mis- presence on the
Presidents excursion. He had also beer
much annoyed at the use which had beer
made of his name by John Hogan, who hac
presumed to state that General Grant was
politically with the President, and on one
similar occasion by Mr.. Seward he felt il
was, above all things, desirable for officers
of the army to avoid participation in ordi
nary political conflicts, except that it was
their duty as citizens to support only mel
who could show record of consistent 10y
atty. Whether a mans sentiments were
Johnsonian or Republican, he said he fell
that it was an insult to any loyal man tt
ask him to vote for any candidate who was
not loyal man in 1861. In this connec
ton, he said that without expressing any
views of his own for or against the johnson
: policy, he yet felt it to be misfortune fo
Mr.. Johnson that the advocates of his poll
cy in the States through which we had jus
passed Missouri, Illinois and Indiana
had in some in tances put upon their ticke
men who in 1861 and 1862, had been guilt,
! of known disloyalty to the Government
: because (and this was said in a very EN-
: phatic manner) he felt that to ask me-
: whose sons had shed their blood for tn