Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-11-01
GRANTS FORESIGHT.

tutiC " houtthiuk uOtH WtlCOWo aut wv
welcome about the explicit testimony Of.
iered at this time by Generai Grant's per-
sonal friends to the sincerity Of his accord
ance with the Republican party. Ii has
an unwelcome appearance because, in oui
eyes. il seems 10 be wholly unnecessary
No man can take the part in public life
that he has held for the past two or three
! years without inevitably making his poit.
J cal opinions aud prepossessions known to
( the mass Of the community. General
, Grants case Is not an exception, and w
hold that there is really no more reason tc
disirust his substantial acceptance Of Ro
publican principles thanw we have to doubI
the party fealty Of Henry Wilson or Viii
! liam pin fcmchden On tho other hand
the tcstimoiiy ofsucli unquestiouable per-
sqnal authority as IIou. t. ID. washbufne
the well know Il friond of Grant,ia welcome
because ,lietesre good menin every looali
~ who seem TO require II. That they DO,
We look upon as their iault4--if there Is any
fault about ii-and not General Grants; bui
that does not alter the need or the expedi
eney OF meeting il.
But 20 our mind the proof aud value o
General Grant spolitical position ore best
shown in his practical steps taken In ad
vance to deal with the present crisis OF the
country. For instance, when the prinei
pal reconstruction act was before Congress
he used all HE influence with Senators tC
have them adopt the House provision oI
the amended bill requiring the assent OF
the Sonateito the removal Of the district
commanders. The statement is made BY
Mr. Washburue, but IL can be corroborated
by several Senators. Here Is suggestion
ia which he in Republican view,waa deci
dedly in advance Of the masses Of the party
and oi many of their best exponents Ia
the United States senate. All will now
aek powledge that he was right Had his
recommendation been adopted. Sheridan
aud Sckles would have been carrying for.
ward the work OF reconstruction in their
districts ill il was completed; aud other
district commanders would have felt
strengthened 10 their administration. aud
we should have behed no such revival of
bolihhuenees as We now see compicpting
the whole iiuture prospect. or like na
ture Was Grants extreme solioitude that
Congress should leave Andrew johnson
ia control Of the Government as briefly
and scaniily Us possible. Long before
the majority 81 Republican leaders, he had
penetrated the thorough unreiabilily aud
the dangerous character OF tie Executive
incumbent. IL was bis inHugnce 10 which
the country was mainly indebted for tho
Summer session aud the supplementary
-iaeeBstIuol Act; aud IA woald have been
,Uatl n L. T.. IN. oil
had been still urofe folly heeded
Facts like these reveal the man, over
aud through any amount OF reticencc.
either OF natural or official origin. Must
men be sp0uliug necessarily to make them
selves understood by the American peo
pleY Have We become 80 accustomed 70
words that No nuderyalue acts aud infu.
,eoces? We have a better opinion Of the "a
gacity aud good judgment Of the Amer.
lean people. The testimony Of Mr. Wash
burnefis valuable aud that of General Sher.
iden who says that in New Orleans he was
merely carrying out General Grants pol
ey, h still u'9re so; but, independent Of
them, the evidences of General Grants
eutlre accord with the upholders Of tie
loyal cause, ia all its political aspects, are
perfectly clear and conclusive. We be
liese, also. that auolher point, how sur.
rounded with some tthe clouds OF disuust
I'VE mean Grants acceptance Of the War
Department temporarily yet be r.
garded AZ proving not only bis patriotism
bat his bold forecast Of what was required
by Republican principles. Ii he had not
thus entered the breach, at the sacrifice OF
his own comioii and prestige for The time
the Rrpubgican party you'd have lived
10 regiet it, us its best minds are already
beginning to acknowledge. But this una
be leil to the future. = Boston Journal.