The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-12-12
GENERAL sicKLEs' SPEECH.

FELLOW CITIZENS. The events of the
Revolutionary War, as has been truly
said to you to- night, developed the char
acter and brought forward the illustri-
Gus statesman whose destiny it was to
establish and administer, for the first
eight years of our national existance,
the affairs of our infant Republic. He
was commended to the American people,
not by party platforms, not by political
Endorsement, but by his principles and
his character, and his deeds in the SER
vice Of the nation. And now, after long
years of civil conflict, we have seen that
the events of the late war not only
brought forward the soldier who should
successfully lead our armies to victory,
but the heart of the nation feels that In
that same soldier we have the first citizen
of the Republic best fitted to lead us to
happy destiny in times Of peace. ap-
plause.
There are those who complain and OBJ
ject that he is silent man-that he has
not announced to the country his plat
form, and that no responsible politicians
come forward as his vouchers to the
people. But the people see, and feel,
and know that Gen. Grant has plat
form good enough for them in his histo
ry and in his acts. Applause. But
we are not left to any mere inferences
as to Gen. Grants opinion on public at
fairs. On all proper occasions-when
military officer as he has been and now
is and as an executive officer, as he also
is now in parton all occasions when it
has been proper for him, as soldier or
as a civilian, to communicate his opin-
ions to his superior officer or to the pub
lie, he has done so with all the frankness
of soldier, with all the candor of
man, and with all the wisdom of a states
man. [Applause.I Go back with me
for proof Of this to the close of the war,
Immediately after Lee and the rebel ar
my had surrendered to Grants victori
GUS banner, Gen. Grant was sent by His
Excellency, the President, to the South
ern States on tour Of observation. He
performed that task, and communicated
in his report to the President view of
the situation in the rebel States, and
series Of suggestions with reference to
the line of policy to be pursued toward
them, which l affirm all our subsequent
experience has proved to have been
wise--as claim they were in their con
ception-a statement at the outset frank
ly spoken and courageously maintained.
[Applause.I But unfortunately, gentle
men, the Executive line Of policy that
was subsequently pursued made it i'm
possible to carry out the wise and states
manlike recommendations Of the Gener-
alin-Chief. Unhappily for the country
the Executive policy pointed irresistably
and inevitably to a collision with the
rights of the people. [Applause. /
need not say to you Or any American
citizen-for all have that practical COM
mon sense which gives them a better
insight into public affairs than some of
the profounder professors Of State craft
can exercise-I need not say to you that
it was utterly impossible to bring to
solution the difficult problems which
this war brought upon us when the great
departments of the Government-Exe-
cutive, Legislative and Judicial-were
at war with each other. From such a
conflict peace to the land was impossible
The plan of settlement that was initia-
ted, known as the Presidents policy,
was simply this-to restore what re-
manned Of the rebels in the rebel States
to power. [Applause. That was just
ly deemed by the people who put down
the rebellion criminal waste of the
sacrifices of the war. Gen. Grant dis
sented from that policy. Loud cheers.)
great mass of the army who followed him,
dismissed all asperities and hatreds, and
calmed all passions, when the rebel ar
my surrendered, while they were willing
to second him in offering honorable terms
to brave foe, they were not willing,
and, if ] know them, never will be will
ling, to abandon the loyal whites, or any
loyal people in the South, to the mercies
of the men, who inaugerated the rebel
lion. (Great cheering.) And in this
matter Gen. Grants opinions are just as
well known to any officer who has served
under him, and has listened to his in
structions and has had the opportunity
of executing his orders, as are the views
of any platform maker in the United
States. (Cheers.) To proceed, Con-
gress fresh from the people, elected by
the free unrestrained ballots of the 10y
al States claimed to have as they rightly
had hY the COnstutinn of our fathers the