The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-10-09
0heGnteIIiqenrer,
General Grants Views On Political
acknowledgements Wnshburne's
Exposition of General Grants PO-
IiueaI OpthtOns- AE.E !
Special to Dte Ne'O York Herald.
CHICAGO, ILL. Oct. 6, 1867.
& O'clock Z. n.

CHICAGO, ILL. Oct. q, 1867.
O'Clock Z. NJ.
At the 10 Daviess County Republican
Convention, held yesterday at Galena,
Illinois, Hon. L. B. Washburne made
IA very succinct speech, on the political
questions before the country, and in the
course of it defined General Grants po-
sition very much in detail. Knowing
Mr.. washburne's intimate relations
with General Grant, the speech has oc-
casioued very general interest here.
In the course OF his speech, Mr.. Wash
bnrne said: Y Gf.t g Ei'ft
Many people had looked upon Gen
eral Grant us they would upon civil
ian and II politician, and even candi-
date for civil office. They would seem
to demand that he should make known
his political views on the hustings and
through the newspapers with all the
arts OF the common demagogues.-
1 The public had no more right TO
expect General Grant TO speak out
! than they had TO expect Lieutenant
| General Sherman, General Meade, Cen
| eral sheridan or General Thomas to
make public their political views. The
General was not in the habit of pro-
claiming himself TO the world by words,
| but, like a wise man, had always made
his record through his acts. Though
| not speaking for the public, no ma n
was more frank in expressing his views
1 on all public matters. he was raised
in the Whig school of politics. His
venerable father, SO, well known in
GHlena, was always an active and in
| tluential member OF the old Whig party,
and, after 1t went out of existence, of
the Republican party. The General
was always Il Whig, so far AS he was a
| politician at all, and never belonged to
or hud any sympathy at all with the
! so.cAlled Democratic party. He stated
| this as a fact. Had General Grant been
| IA member of the Democratic party he
would have been in the same position
[ AS he now is, and the same as all the
\ most loyal and patriotic men who were
! in that party now occupy. Though not
IA voter, in Illinois, in 1860, yet, after
\ Mr.. Liucoln's administration COM
menccd and after the firing upon
Sumter there was no man who
/ gave more earnest support to
that administration. General Grant
was among the first to compre-
bend the results that would grow out
OF the rebellion, and the country will
not forget that as early as 1868 he wrote
] IA letter saying that anxious AS he wns
for peace, he did not wish to see il es-
tRblisbed until slavery was wiped oHt.
tlnlS6I he was profoundly anxious for
the reelection of Mr.. Lincoln, and no
man more fully comprehended the
i great fact that upon his reelection u
hinged the success OF our cause and
the suppression of the rebellion. He
so far departed from his usual course
| in such matters as To write and permit
| the publication of IL letter in which he
| briefly and emphatically summed up
81 III In IntN NnF- FNNvtR
| published by hundreds OF thousands
! by the Republican Congressional Com
mittee, and eXerted great influence in
| the country. He was openly and
! strongly for both the Constitutional
| Amendments, and he hailed the Recon-
struction Act of the Thirty-ninth Con-
| gress as the solution of our difficulties,
| and he entered upon the discharge OF
his duties under that act with zeal, ,vigi-
| lance and fidelity. SyInpathiZing with
| Congress in its action, and appTecia-
Fling the Importance of its being in
session, he urged and advised such
actions as would secure an extra
session if necessary. When that ses-
sion came he expressed the most serious
fears of the effect of II long adjourn
ment, and with a far reaching suSacity
anticipating the precise state of things
that has occurred, he used all his intiu-
ence with Senators to have them adopt
/ lne a11Ouse pTOSlsiOn OF IDb tAulenueu
bill requiring the assent OF the Senate
! TO the removal of the district com.
manders. Favoring the reconstruction
acts, no effort of his has been Wanting
to secure their rentorcementinth the letter
and spirit, to the end that the Union
might be speedily and fully restored.
| He believes there is no protection or
safety to The colOred people aid the
| loyal white people in the rebel States
except through impartial suffrage. The
reconstruction acts having recognized
the entire equality OF all American cit
! izens in the States lately in rebellion,
he believes that consistency, as well as
! Impartial Justice, demands that there
| should be no discrimination against
any class ofpersons in any of the States.
! His sympathies, his convictions and his
hopes ARE now, as they always have
been, with the great patriotic and loyal
people that carried the country through
the war. He is in favor of upholding the
| honor and credit of the national gov
ernment. and holds that all our obliga-
lions must be discharged in conformity
TO the terms on which they were con-
tracted. He thinks there should be
exercised by Congress Bnd by all de-
partments of the government a more
| rigid and searching economy in the
Expenditures of the public money, and
whenever he has had control he has
/ struck oil every useless expense and
reformed every abuse. General Grant
occupies at the present time the posi-
tIon OF Secretary of War al interim in
the Cabinet of Mr.. Johnson. His action
in accepting that position has been the
subject OF great deal of Comment, and
excited the fears of many good and
loyal men. 1t invoked the denuncia-
ton of enemies and brought forth the
excuses of friends. He accepted that
position, not, AS has been alleged, in
obedience to the commands of n supe-
rior officer, but from the stern sense OF
duty TO hiscodhtry. The President had
determined to remove the Secretary OF
War at all hazards, and without excuse
! or justification. The President thought
to relieve himself from the odiumi OF
Mr.. StantOn's removal and draw atten
ton from that action by offering the
place TO General Grant. What was
TO be done? Should. the General
step into the shoes OF Mr.. Stanton,
and WELD all the legitimate powers OF
the department. in aid of reconstruction
and in support of the District Com
\ nianders7l In ,ths management of the
Indian war and the supervision of war
contracts, should he be there to resist
1.-THE raid ofrthe thieves and plunderers
aud war claim agents whom Stanton
had held at bay, and who were waiting
TO thrust their arms into the Treasury
to tilch untold millions OF the public
/ money? or should he refuse and per
nit that most Important position to- be
filled by copperhead and n Johnson
man, who would hinder reconstruct
ton, who would iemoraIize the army,
who would sanction fraudulent and
bogus claims OF rebels and bring re-
iptbach generally upon he public Ser
Vice2 General Grant did not, there.