Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-11-20
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LETTER From OCCASIONAL
WASHINGTON, Nov. Q, 1857
The CONSERVATION of the pro-slavery Democratic
leaders before the prospect of the nomination Of
General Grant as the Republican candidate for
President assumes some curious sha1ee, They
threaten and whine, falsify and caluminate and BY
their explosions of fear and rage notify everybody
that they preparing for g general surrender in
advance. The exposed fabrication of the Wash
iHgton correspondent of the Boston Post il fair
specimen of their desperation. The anonymous au-
thor of that fabrication was promptly met by Gen
eral Grants own explicit and emphatic denial of
all his statements which Is the very best assurance
that every similar attempt at misrepresentation will
be equally unfounded But it is not only General
Grants indignant refusal to be quoted against the
Republican party which excites the men who ira
dueed him while be was at the head Of the army.
They are terror-stricken because his name has be-
come the symbol of Republican union harmony,
and victory. To break this impregnable fact they
copy every expression of distrust or suspicion Of
Republican journals, and show as much anxiety
about his record if they did not all intend 10 vote
against him IN body at the Presidential election.
The Republican movement in faver of General
Grant il already so formidable that list of the
Republican newspapers and statesmen that have de-
clared in his favor would be found 20 include almost
the whole representative body of the party. The
fact that among this list men and Journals that
are called Conservatives while it proves that the
popular candidate always attracts the masses 10 his
standard, also proves that the strong platform upon
which Generel Grant has been placed by his own
consent and will be placed by the action Of the Re-
publican National Convention, will find no voice
against it among the people who elected and re-
elected Abraham Lincoln.
The demand for General Grants nomination
originated among the Southern Radicals-the men
who know that they never can be protected without
bold and congsnisl execution of the reconstruction
laws Every hour eonvnces these men that with
out the military the late rebels would oTerwhelm
them and nRllify all their efforts. They realize how
essential General Grant is TO their happiness, and
even to their lives, by the determined conduct of
his subordinates, SehoAed in Virginia, Thomas in
Tennessee and Kentucky, Pope in Alabama and
Georgia, Mower in Louisiana and Texas, CANDY IN
North and South Carolina, and Ord in Arkansas
and Mississippi. Every one of these Generals, if
not Radical politician, seeing that the Radical pol
icy is the only cure employs it accordingly with
unhesitating fidelity And this is why nearly all
the extreme Republican papers in the South have
declared for Grant, the first soldier in the Republic
The spirit that animatcs the North and West is
simply the grateful echo of that which inspires the
Republicans of the South.
The chagrin of the Copperheads in the Saeeof this
extraordinary uprising exhibited in every school
district in the country is increased because IL
directly after the recent Republican reverses. They
achieve victories by the divisions of their adverse
re that they had only to select their candidates for
President and Vice President and carry them
through the broken ranks of the Republicans. Pre-
csely such hopes stimulated the rebels after the de-
feat of the Union armies but in the moment of our
gloom in both cases General Grant became our lead
err and saved the country by overtnrowing lie enc
mics. That however, which renders Gen. Grants
nomination by the Republicans providential cir
cumstance is the vital necessity of perfectng the
reconstruction of the South. The whole key Of our
future is in the success Of reconstruction If that
is lost ali is lost Every interest depends upon its
salvation. Every interest of religion and of COM
merce and above all the whole destiny of the col
ored race are involved in it. Soeonscious of it are
the rebels and Copperheads that they are straning
every nerve TO annihilate it, and TO restore the old
order of things upon its ruins. Already they de-
clare that reconstruction must be fought and delay
cd till new Congress can be elected next year to
repeal It, This hope explains their fierce efforts to
force a war of races in response To Andrew john
sons appeal and 70 this hope may he referred their
avowed determination to defeat the new republican
constitutions when these presented TO the loyal
voters OF the South General Grant Is more idanti
fed with the faithful execution Of the ew Of recon-
struction than any other living man. He has been
the determined obstacle in the way of its enemies.
He has done more than any other agency to perfect
these laws and to secure obedience to them. He be-
lieves with Sheridan, Sickles, Candy, Schoheld,
Thomas and Ord that the ballot is better than the
bayonet in the hands of the freedmen, and that if
the South is TO be saved il must be by her 10y
al people
with his name al the head Of our ticket next
year all traitors will be notified that their expecta
lions of 8 new rebellion are doomed to fatal over
throw The Presidential campaign will be made
doubly glorious, because it will hasten, under his
auspices the full of Republican restoration
in the South But more than all, Gen. Grants can
didacy will give the Republicans new Congress
(the Forty-nrst) as radical and thorough as the
present. It will annihilate the hopes of the enemy,
and the divisions of our friends and il will give
our great party new lease of power, during which,
proAting BY the lessons of the past, we can perfect
our full mission, and leave nothing to the tender
mercies of the rebels and Copperheads.
OCCASIONAL.