Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-08-01
GrAat ON Reeon.,ruo,,on.

A Washington correspondent of the
Cincinnati Gazette, in a letter dated July
10th, gives the following late develop
ments as to Gen. Grants political posi-
tion:
"After the House flad ordered the inn
peachment testimony to be submitted.
and before the arrival of the time for adj,
journment had prevented the execution
of the order, several facts concerning the
evidence leaked out i'm the conversation
of certain members of the COMMITTEES,
who considered the order to present
equivalent to the removal of the obliga-
tion of secrecy. The principal points of
such conversation were in regard to the
testimony given by Gen. Grant two days
ago, and completed to-day, but not en-
braced in the printed volume. 1t appears
that the General was called by the DEM
ocrats, who were led to believe, by GER
tain statements of Col. Hillyer, that it
could be established that Grant had de-
clared himself in favor Of the Presidents
policy. The testimony of the General
was so conclusive as to the fact that he
gave the strongest support to the recon-
struction measures of Congress as against
the President, that the Democrats were
greatly disappointed and chagrined To-
day the General appeared in the commit
tee room of his own accord, and asked to
correct and amend his evidence in GER
tain particulars i'm justice to himself
This was of course granted, and he went
on TO say that since testifying two days
ago he had had a conversation with Col
Hillyer, in which some things that had
heretofore escaped his memory had come
to mind. He now recollected that in
February, 1866, he had said TO the Presi-
dent, in presence of Col. Hillyer, that he
thought the South should be represented
as speedily as possible, and that as this
| conversation might seem TO contradict
the testimony i'm which he declared he
stood fairly on the Congressional plat
form, he had felt impelled to come and
put it on record. The General gave the
Committee to understand that his idea
of the Presidents policy had always been
that it was only temporary in its char
acter, to prevent a state of anarchy, to
remain in force only till Congress, las the
proper, authority, should prescribe terms
| of reconstruction. He has not sympa-
thiZed with the President in his war
| upon Congress"
A correspondent of the Boston Ad-
vertiser of the same date, upon the same
subject writes:
"There has been a good deal of talk
during the past two or three days about
Gen. Grants position on the Reconstruc-
ton question. 1t will be remembered
! that some time last Summer, when the
Johnson party was in the days of its
childhood, one Col. Hillyer, formerly on
Gen. Grants staff, wrote letter tosome-
body in Indiana, saying the General in
dorsed the Presidents policy, which al
legation was met by saying that neither
| Hillyer nor any one else had authority
to speak for him. The Democratic MEM
bers of the Judiciary Committee of the
House, it appears, thought a point for
the President might be made out of the
matter, and accordingly Gen. Grant and
| Col. Hillyer were summoned to give evil
| dence in the impeachment inquiry
Hillyer testified that a long interview
took place in February of last year, be-
| tween the President, Gen. Grant, and
himself, and that his letter as to General
Grants position was founded on what
was then said. Hillyer had but recently
returned from an extended tour in the
South, and was giving some account of
affairs down there. He spoke of the
generally unsettled condition, and Gen.
Grant indorsed his report by say1hg he
had discovered the same state of facts in
his hurried trip a short time before. The
President made some observation to the
effect that matters would not become
right till the States were restored to the
Union, and that this ought to he done as
| soon as possible, to which both his hear
ers assented. Gen. Grant was before the
| Committee on two occasions and his evil
dence was far enough from being pleas
ing to the gentlemen by whom he was
called. He said in effect, as is understood,
that he had not thought it his province
to meddle in politics; that he had never
n,lv vaI r. I, l., ii
vice or opinions on political matters
| that in all he had said about the neces-
sity for early restoration of the Union he
had spoken rs a military man and as a
citizen, and not rs politician; that in
his view military rule ought to cease as
soon as possible consistent with justice
and safety that the Southern people
themselves should be anxious for restor-
alton of the civil authority; that he had
! always understood the Presidents work
in the South as of a temporary character,
and at most as but an aid to Congress in
setting up the civil governments that
he had not sympathized with the Presi-
dent i'm his conflict with Congress that
in his judgment the South made grave
mistake in not long ago heartily accept
ing the terms offered; that he stood firm
ly by the Congressional plan, and that
he was anxious now, as he had been ever
since the end of the war, for the early
restoration of the Rebel States to the
privilege of representation in Congress"
We suppose Sunset Cox and his Dem
ocratic friends, after this declaration of
position upon the subjects of Reconstruc-
tion and the Presidents policy; will not
be very anxious to make Gen. Grant
Democratic candidate for President.