Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-06-01

y hn nonr IN the studio o! the Name aTtl
t Simmons, in conversation With General Gran
and gives an Interesting statement Of 3
opinions upon ''men aud measures "
make few extracts
The General, who was dressed in plain, blacI
civilian suit. had hardly removed h's hat froi
his heal before he took a cigar from his poke
lighted il and began TO puff out wreaths
smoke. 81 an breaking of from smoking,
remarked Grant "When | was IN the field
smoked eighteen or twenty cigars Jay, bu
nov smoke only nine or ten -
The conversation turne,l TO the Virginia cam
pagns Of 1864 and 1865. 81 notice. remark
ell Gen. Grant, that Mr.. Swinton has prblish
ed history Of the campaigns in the Old D0miu
ION. in which be takes the ground that gained
nothing. but, on the contrary lost many valua,
ble lives uselessly, by moving my army from th,
Rapiian direct towards Richmond. rather thar
I BY taking II around by wafer to the Peninsula
a. Mcclellan did This, observed the General.
''is revival pf the exploded theory lrel,rriu-
to the Mcclellan policyl Of subiuiug the re-
belhon by peace measures : naiI million
troops might have been Kept within sight %
Washington till doomsiay, and the rebellion
would have ilourishel more aud more vigorous
y day by day. Fighting, hard knocks only.
could have accomplished the work. The rebel
lion must be overcome, IL overcome 20 an. bf
force; It's resources destroyed lis fighting 4a
te,isl oblierated, before peace could be Oh
tanned "
There Wefe bat tgo failures IN the Virginia
campaign Of 81, which ought 10 hay, been sue
cesses, said Grant, .'and those were the fall
ure 10 capture Pttersburgh when We eros cl he
James aul afterwards at the mine explosion.
But" added Grant, lit was all Tor the best
that We failed in those tNo instances. Tor hli "
succeeded At either time, lee would have 90 on-e
been obliged 20 abandon Richmond. aud would
have been able TO secure safe retreat into it-
interior Of the South Whcrc be- w,uli have pro
lougei the contest for years. oar failures thea
AMI the determination 0t the rebels Goo hold gu
o. their Capital gave US time TO extend cur ieit
Southrarl. g. bring up sherman fsou Georga
and thereby made !, impossible fQr Lee o. es-
cape.
In reply 10 a question as 10 whether be vas
not surprised ~ the sudleuu.ss Of the csl-
lapse Of the rebellion, Grant sad that lie .vss.
although be had glF,s supposed that when II
li1 break down. % would 70 al 40 once. 81
thought however, he remarked, "thtt 70 wculr
hold out another son, and an not sure. be
al lei, ''bui that 10 would have be.u better Tor
the country j, ii hal. There xerc sCme paris
Of the country where cur armies had Ieve. tT.-i.
particularly Texas. Waic- l,,ird Go feel the
t. chring effects of war 90 bring their people 90
realizing sense II she su0rmiry Of their crime
aIl the necessity Of thorough releutsucs /
find 80 said be. ''that those part, Of the 5 uiL
which have not felJ the Ws.. al4 particularly
tlose rh.oh haze bttu within or lines aud have
therefore escaped the rebel couscrpulu aud tsx-
e.. are much les disposed 10 ac-ept the situs-
ton 10 2. ID huh, than those portion Ebioh
have been ,ilyslly Ssefrun with ure and
sword. '
Referring TO the temper of the Southern pco-
pie. be remarked that they are much les dis
posed now 10 bring themselves 20 be proper
frame Of minl than they were one year si=ce-- I
''A year ago said be, '-tEsy we're siling o.
10 anything, now they regard themselves as
masters OF tie stulti0u. some Of the rebel
generals" " be added, -'are behaving Iohly. and
lJi an they can to lnduse the people % throw
aside their Oh preiliices and 60 conform their
course 20 the chruged condition % thing. John .
.tol ahi lics Taylor particularly, are exeTcs- +
ug a good influence; hut he added, 'Lee is f
behaving badly lie i conducting hrmseli very
Inherently from what had reason fron What he .
lid ~ the time q the surrender, 70 suppose he
scull No man al the Sou b IS capable Of ex-
rcisIug tenth part Of the influence for good
hat he Is, but instead of using il be l. setting
Ia example Of f0rcel scquiescence so gruiging
nd peruicious IN u effects % % he hardly re-
.Ezel "
"The men who were in the rebel srmies, 90 said
rant, "acquiesce in the result much better
han those who stsii At home. The women are
bitter against the Union and Union
len. OF course he added, .'thers is some
bitterness Of feeling amoug al classes, hut I ans
fol ~ ff..1r
leu had not somehow got the ilel that treason
Gcr all was not very bad, and that the s luth-
m cause Is they phrase il, will yet triumph.
ot in war. but IN politics. 10 my Judgment
aid Grant, .'thc tone ofcertain men and certain
iapers AZ the North, : such as 20 10 iucalcul-
Die mischief IN making the late rebels believe
hsf they are Just as much emitted 70 rule a.
ycr, and that II they will only stand bY what
hey are pleased 20 call their rights, they VIII
ave help from the North. This, significantly
liei Grant. ''is only playing over again the
acipicut stages Of the rebellion. lie was con-
dent that the large majority Of the Southern
eople would smother their resentmeuis and be
ONE good citizens, II these mis-hief-mskers AZ
he North (thc copperheads) would only let them
lone. For himself, ii he had the power, the
rst thing he Woull do would be to seize the
Few York .Nclrs aud kindred sheets. which are
fAu z EfNlAA - AAti-tAf'tl- NJ A'tNA W AAfNA
Wn position and ''righis.''
Troops" said Gen Grant. .'must be kept in
I the principal points in the South for some
me to come. This will be necessary to repTess
be turbulence Of n Glass Of the South very dan
erous TO all well disposed persons. and also to
rotect the rights Of the freedmen, who are look
] upon with deep hatred by very large pro-
ortion Of tho people. | am in favcr, however"
g added, ''of not retaining oUr volunteers for
bis duty because they very naturally think
lat they fulfilled their engagement one year
nee
Grant spoke in high terms Of sherman, Sher-
Tan. Howard and other Generals, and referred
cur Mexican i d,ficulties, forcihly adding that
c believed the French invasion Of Mexico a
art Of the rebellion. and he shoul1 have been
lad 10 have seen a detachment Ofour army sent
iere one year since. He would engage that
heridsn, with plenty OF arms and 2Oo0 Ameri-
an troops and goodly number Of American
iicers, would, with the aid Of the NeXicsus,
lean Macmillan ont Of Mexico IN six
Ionths.