The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-12-12

baS lutfOQu c6u Reforms " Iicu cScdpeu
even the scrutiny of Stanton. Al
though the army has been reduced
with a rapidity and a success that
amazed Europe, and it seemed almost
impossible and impracticable to our
own people. and yet General Grant,
faithful IN that obedience to the will
of the people and the instincts Of the
people, which indicate him so truly
as a great popular leader, responded
at once to the popular demand
for reduction in expenditure,
for economy, in order that we
might hasten to that happy epoch
when we can resume specie payments,
and pay every public creditor dollar
for dollar in honest gold and silver.
TCheers.7 General Grant, fellow -citi-
zens, it may be, does not owe his fame
or his opportunity to perform the
great services he has rendered the
country to many of those qualities, or
to any, perhaps, which make up a
successful professor of State craft.
Nobody pretends that Grant is Bis
marck, or a Louis Napoleon, or a
Count Cavour. or even a Seward.
Laughter. There is no probability
at all that # he was Secretary of
State his dispatches would fill an
ordinary school district library, and
there is no danger at all, [ think [
may safely a, sure you, that he would
deluge Congress with long discus
sions on the Constitution of the
United States, equal in length and
volume to the productions of George
Ticknor Curtis. Great laughter.
He possesses that intuitive common
sense that the American people de-
sire to see manifested and exercised
in public affairs. We have not
although we have important ques-
tons devolving upon us-those COM
plicated relations with foreign pow
ers, the necessity of maintaining vast
standing armies, intricate dynastic
questions and others, the knowledge
of which goes to make up a European
definition Of statesman, or diplo-
matist, or a prime minister We
have our difficulties, to be sure, and
we do require frst-rate capacity In
high public Office. Let me not, for a
moment, depreciate the standard of
capacity end character required to
lead this Republic safely and honor
ably to its high destiny. Not for an
instant. But [ say that what our
great officers above all should be
noted for, is straightforward dealing
with the people, a conciliatory de-
meanor and tone toward the co-ordi-
nate branches of the Government,
and respectful recognition of what is
due to the people through their rep
resentatives in Congress, and a will
ingness on the part of men in high
executive stations to yield their pc
culiar views Of policy, and of personal
prerogative, to the demands Of the
people as expressed through their
representatives. [Applausel. And
this, | claim, that General Grant, in
all his. views upon public affairs, In
every attitude he has assumed since
the surrender to our armies, this,
affirm, he has faithfully done.
But it is impossible to review the
political situation with which you and
[ have to deals as citizens without some
reference to men and events. What
does the Democratic party propose to
do? Nothing that | can see except to
fill the offices. Laughter and cheers.
| have not seen their plain of recon
struction, unless they adopt the Ex-
ecutive plan, which, | have already,
as | believe, truly described to be
simply and solely the restoration Of
the rebels to power just where they
were when they began the war That
is impossible, if | know the American
people. Cheers The Democrats
are committed absolutely, SO far as |
can see, by reading most attentively
the addresses of their distinguished
men. to reaction-to use a lawyers
phrase, to the stGtN quo anti bel I'M.
They would ignore the war. They
would say with the Executive in his
recent message, Those rebel States
are to-day in the Union precisely as
they have always been, and nothing
that they have done has deprived
them of a single right. Well,
if that is true, [ don't want
to stay in the Union for
one Laughter What is pro-
posed by the Executive-for [ really
am embarrassed to indicate what par
ty His .Excellency belongs to; [
therefore speak of him sui generis,
but with profound respect. Laugh
teri VIII he propose to Congress,
as far as | can see, daily reading of
the Constitution. laughter and the
remainder of the session in careful
meditation of it? loud laughter
I wish to do no injustice to His Ex-
cellency's platform. 1t is sound, but
how far it will lead US to peace and
tranquility without some practical
measures which will solve our prob
lens, do not see But very likely if
Acknowledgement Stanbery were call
ed upon for an opinion, it would be
entirely clear. It is equally true, [