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

was next introduced, and was re-
ieieved with prolonged cheering. lie
spoke as follows:
GEN. SICK Es's SPEECH.
Fello1o Citizens: The events Of the
War, as has been truly
Isaid to you tonight, developed the
character and brought forward the
! Industrious statesman whose destiny it
was to establish and administer, for
the first eight years of cur national
existence, the affairs of our infant
Republic. He was commended to the
American people, not by party plat
forms, not by political Endorsement.
out by his principles and his charac-
ter, and his deeds in the service 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
hest fitted to lead Us TO a happy des-
tiny in times Of peace. Applause.
! There are those who complain and
object that he Is silent man-that
he has not announced to the country
his platform, and that no responsible
politicians come forward as his vouch-
ers to the people But the people
see, aud feel, and know that General
Grant has a platform good enough
for them in his history and In his
acts. Applause. But we are not
lef- to any mere differences as 10
General Grants opinions on public
affairs. On all proper occasions =
when military officer as he has been
and now Is, and as an executive Off
GER, as he also is now in parton all
occasions when it has been proper for
him, as a soldier or as civilian, to
communicate his opinions TO his su
perior officer or to the public, he has
done so with all the frankness of a
soldier, with all the candor of man,
and with all the wisdom of a states
man. Applause.
Go back with me for proof of this 10
the close of the war, Immediately
after Lee and the rebel army had sur
rendered to Grants victorious ban
ner. General Grant was sent by His
Excellency, the President, to the
Southern States upon a tour of OBJ
servation. He performed that task
and communicated in his report to
the President view Of the situation
In the rebel States, and a series of
suggestions with reference to the line
Of policy to be pursued toward them,
which l affirm all our subsequent ex
perience has proved to have been wise
as L claim they were in their con-
4ofo L.
frankly spoken and courageous Y
maintained. CApplause. But IN
fortunately, gentlemen, the Executive
line of policy that was subsequent y
pursued, made it impossible TO carry
out the wise and statesmanlike rec
concentrations of the General-in-
Chief. Unhappily for the country,
the Executive policy pointed irresisti
bly, and inevitably TO a collision with
the rights of the people. Applause. 7
/ need not say to you or to any Ameri-
can citiZen-for all have that practi-
cal common sense which gives
them a better insight into public
affairs than me Of the profounder
professors of State craft can exercise
Il need not say to you that it was
utterly impossible to bring to a so u
ton the difficult problems which the
war brought upon US when the great
departments of the Government
Executive, 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 initiated, known as the
Presidents policy, was simply tn $
to res ore what remained Of the rebels
In the rebel States to power. APP
plause. That was justly deemed by
the people who put down the rebel.
lion criminal waste of the sacrifices
of the war. Gen. Grant dissented
from that policy. Loud cheer ]
While Gen. Grant, in common VITA
the great mass of the army who fol-
lowed him, dismissed all asperities
and hatTeds, and Gained all passions.
when the rebel army surrendered
while they were willing to second him
in Offering honorable terms to a
brave foe, they were not willing, and
if [ know them, never will be
willing, to abandc the loyal whites,
or any loyal people in the South, to
the mercies of the men who inaugu-
rated the rebellion. Great cheer
ing.] And in this matter General
Grants opinions are just as well
known to any officer who has served
under him. and has listened to his in
structioDs, and has had the opportu-
nifty Of executing his orders, as are
tie views of any platform maker in
the United States. [Cheers. To
proceed, Congress, fresh from the peo-
pie, elected by the free and unre-
strained ballots of the loyal States,
claimed to have, as they rightly hao
by the Constitution of our fathers
tic right to prescribe the terms on