The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-09-25
Gen. Grant-An Authoritative State.
nent OF his Position

its reporter travelling with the Presidential
party, makes the following interesting
statements i'll connection with Ge,i. Grants
refusal to present himself To the soldier.
who attempted t" call him ont in advance
OF the Presidents arrival n: Cincinnati:
The. fact Is, that Gen. Grant knows. a.
has been patent to every one during the
whH" o: this trip, tnai continued efforts
have been made 20 "nibittrr If possible,
has relations with the President by exciting
IA" Jcalonsv O. tn" latter, or by making
invi'!!oU- distinctions between them, and
h" Is determined that ro act Of his shall
l"hd any "ncoura gtlEert to any such con-
ttinptlble proceedings on t!l,. one hand or
those that have been ,na,!e with like per-
-:stvnrv I" identity him with the political
views OF the President ON the other. Cen
Grant feels that. next to the President. he
/. thc head of the army Of the United
St.'rs. not the leader Of Il political party.
he d''cs not consider the army Il place ft,:
!. politician. and therefore will not permit
himself TO De committed to the support of
either OF the present political parties, nor
that the army sha!! b.. made a party ma
chime.
have submitted the above to the Gene
raj who entirely approves of what have
written, and says that it fully and exactly
expresses his views. | Will. however. state
that, a. originally written. the concluding
sentence was III tiitse words: 'sWhen he
l.: to resign his present position, and to
thls the General objected, saving that it
might h" taken to i:lDiv that ut some
tlIturc time he did intend to become par
tisah, whereas lil:' only intention in using
tnooc words was To express, officer of
the army. his ,;i-approbation OF any
attempt t" identify li;::, with an" political
party whatever.
lhc ABOVE conversation with Gen. Grant
took plac. II the baggage or rcfreshmcnt
car attached to the train. in the presence
"I Maj. Gen. RawiimS. Chief of Staff to
'"t:' Grant: ais" of another Major-Gcne-
raj, VINO, think. was Gen. Stoneman: bnt
OF this ain nut certain. tn: did not take
any particular notice whr it was.
IN a'ditlon to th;'>s. :nihtarv men there
We're also present Mr.. Warden, who is con-
nrctrd with the Ncv York T1,"es, john
Hogan, Of 81. Louis, Missouri, Mr Chad
WICK, "i Wizards Hotel. Washington, and
one or two members of the Columbus dele
cation, whose names | don't know
In about l minute afterwards,
Gen. Grant. who haG been in the Presi-
dt"t car to p:escn; himself to the people
assembled at West junction, rc-entered
tho car, and having seated himself beck
"nrd t. me to come and speak with him.
'ld so, and, ON seating myself by his side,
he went on tn say that lie thought that if I
published the account already submitted
to hlm, he would like to be understood that
IL" il"d reused u RECEIVE the proposed de-
mon~tta:ion entirely because he felt it his
tutv to refuse any reception or demonstra-
tioA rendered separately to himself while
i:AvcilnS witt: the President or to do any
thing which might be construed AZ favor
Ing any political party.
lie then wc!it on to rcitcratc his leterm;-
nation not to be used by those who sought
to ccmm:t him either for on against the
Presidents policy. or to attach any politi-
cal significance to his presence on the Pre-
Sllclts excursion. He had also been much
annoyed at the use which had been made
of his name by John Hogan, who has pre-
srm"d to state that Gen. Grant was polit-
Ia: occasion by EIr. Seward. He felt that
ii was, above al. things, desirable for
officers OF the army 10 avoid participation
in ordinary pol!tica! conflicts, except it was
their duty as citizens to support only men
VINO could SHOW record of consistent
i"yaty. Whether mans sentiments We're
Johnsonian or Republican, he said he felt
thar 1t was an Insult to any loyal man to
ask hInl to vote fo- any candidate who was
hot loyal man i'll 1861.
In tins connection, he said that, without
expressing any views OF his own for or
against the johnson po.icF, he Yet felt it
t" be misfortune for Mr.. Johdson that
III" advocates of his policy in the States
Through which hr h&d just passed Mis-
souri,, Illinois and lnduna-haa pnt on
their ticGct men WHO, IN 1861 and 90, had
been guilty OF known dislovalty to the Go
vrramcnt; because (aDd this WAS said in
very emphatic manner) he felt that to
ask men whose sons had shed their blood
for the Union 70 vote for men who had
been dis!oyal to il, was the greatest Insult
that could be offered. Southern men he
could mako allowances for. and he couiH
rae through the South and get Ont on
platform Snd shake hands in frondslip
4 Ia gl 1st n,n