Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-10-18

/ The public had no more right 10 expect
General Grant "to speak OUT than they
had to expect Lieutenant General Sher-
man. General Meade, General Sheridan,
or General Thomas 60 make public their
political views. fho General was not in
the habit of proclaming himself to the
world by words, but like wise man had
always made his record through hs acts
Though not speaking for the public, no
man was more frank in expressing his
views on oil public matters
NEVER eaLoNoEp To THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY.
He was raised In the Whig School of
/ politics. Ills venerable mther, 30 we'll
known In Galena, was always an nctiyo
aud Influential membor OF tho old Whig
party, aud, after IL veat out of existence,
of tho Republican party, The General
was always q awhig 40 Ear ~ he was pol
iticinu ut ali. anh never belonged To-, or
had any sympat with the sc.ealled Dem'
ocralic party lle stated this as a feet.
Had General Grant beea q member Of the
Democratic party he would have been in
the same posiiion az he now is aud tho
same.us all the most loyal aud patriotic
men who were IN that party now occupy,
Though not a vo.or IN Illinois IN 1860,
yet after Mr., Lineoln's administration
commenced nd alter the firing upon sum.
ter, there WAS ~ man who gave more
earnest support 20 that administration.
General Gfaut was among The first 10 com.
prehend the results that would grow cut
ni the rebellion. aud tic country will noi
forget that. MS early as 1868, he wrote
letter saying that anxious rs he was iog
peace, he did not wish to see it established
until slavery was wiped out In 1861 he
was profoundly anxious for tho re cleo
lion of Mr.. Lincoln, and no man more
fully comprehcnjcd the great fact that up
ON his 70 election hinged the success of
our c,v,e, aud the suppression of The re
belion lie so far departed from his u,
ua course in such matters as to write and
permit The publication of u letter by which
he briefly aud emphnticully summed mp
the whole question The letter was pub
lished by hundreds of thousands, by the
Republican Congressional Committee,
aud cxerted great influence in the eoun.
try.
ENDORSES THE RfcoSsTEucrfoN ACTS.
He was openly and strongly for both
the constitutional amendments, and hail
ed the reconstruction act Of the Thirty.
ninth Congress "a the solution OF our DIT.
ieultes. aud he entered upon the dis
charge of his duties under that act with
zeal. vigilance and fidelity. Sympathiz-.
ing with ongress ia Its action, aud op-
pfecialng tho importance Of ils being "a
session he urged aud advised such action
NJ would secure au extra session, II neccs
sdry. Whom that session came, he ox-
pressed the most serious fears OF the effect
of long adjuurnmeut, and with far
reaching suguelty. anticipating the precise
state or things that has occurred lac utcd
nh his influence with Senators to have
them adopt the Ilouso provision Of the
umcndwent bin requiring the psseut of the
Senate TO the removal ul the district coin
manders. favuring the reconstruction
acts, no effort of bis has bcen wanting 10
secure their enforcement IN thcir letter
aud spirit, to the oud that The Union might
be sp, Gully md fully restored.
ADVOCATES IMPARTIAL SUFFRAGE
lie believes there Is no protection or
[
white people ia the rebel States, except
through impartial suffrage, The Recon
struclion acts having recognized the en-
tire equality of all American citizens ia
the States lately In rebellion he believes
that consistency as we'll M impartial jus
ties demand that there should be no dis
orlmi alton against any class Of persons
in any Of the states Iii sympothies, his
convictions, aud his hopes are now, ~
they always have been, with the great pa
Iriotic aud loyal poople that carried the
country through the war. lie Is in favor
Of uphulding the honor aud credit of the
National Government. aud holds that all
our obligations must be discharged IN
conformity to the terms on which they
we're contracted. lie thinks that there
should be exercised by Congress and by
all departments of the Government, a more
rigid aud searching economy in the cx-
penditures of the public money. Aud
wherever he has had control he has struck
/ off every useless expense and reformed ev-
cry abuse.
wnY lie ACCEPTED THE sRcRETARYsHfp
! General Grant occupies at the presout
time the position OF Secretary OF War, al
interim, in the cabinet of Mr.. johnson.
/ HIS action in accepting that position has
been the subject OF groat deal Of com
ment 1t excited the fears of many good
aud loyal men. Ii invoked the denuncia
tions of enemies, and brought forth the
excuses OF friends. lie accepted that po
sition. not as has been alleged, in obcdi.
encc 10 the commands uf superior officer,
but FROM the stern sense Of duty TO his
country The President had determined
to remove the Secretary of War at all haz
ards aud without excuse or justification
The President thought to relieve himself
from the odum OF MIR. Stanton's removal
aud draw attention from that action by of
iering the place to General Grant. What
was to be done? Should the General step
into the shoes of Mr.. Stanton aud WELD
all the legitimate powers OF the department
in aid OF reconstruction and in support OF
the district commanders, in the manage.
ment Of the Indian war and the supervi-
sion of war contracts? Should he be there
to resist the raid OF the thieves aud plum
derers aud war claim agents, whom Stan
ton had held ut bay aud who were waiting
to thrust their nrms into the treasury to
fllch untold millions of the public money?
or should he refuse, and permit that most
important position to be filled by Cop
| ,a.ha.d aud Iahnson man Who uaull