The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1868-02-20

tinctly avowed in the coming canvass.
IN the trying days Of the war, ia the
summer of 1863, General Grant wrote
from his camp, on the banks Of the
Mississippi, to his tried friend Wash
burne:
~ have never been an anti-slavery
man; but | try to judge Justly OF what
I see. | made up my mind when this
war commenced, that the north aud
south could only live together ia
peace as one nation. and they could
only be one nation by being a free
nation. Slavery, the cornerstone Of
the so-called coufederaoy, is knocked
out, and il will take more men to
keep black men slaves than to put
down the rebellion. Much as / de.
sire peace. am opposed to any
peace until this question Of slavery is
forever settled"
This emphatic avowal fully CON.
mitted General Grant to the policy
Of emancipation. lie was, too, for
the re election of Abraham Lincoln,
declaring to his nearest friends that
his defeat would be a dreadful calam.
ity TO the count Since the close
of the war, he has been in accord
with Congress, in its efforts to pro-
tect the loyal, black, and white, SC.
cure the equal rights of all, and ro.
store the rebel States to their practi-
cal relations. When the pending
constitutional amendment was before
Congress, he was for its submission
to the people; and when it was sub
mitted, he urged the leading men Of
the rebel States to vote for its adop-
ton. After its rejection by the rebel
legislatures, he pressed southern men
who sought his advice, 10 reconsider
their action, adopt il, and give suf-
frage to the freedmen. To leading
southern men he said: "You must
,ock to Congress-; the republicans
have thc power; consult them; do not
seek the counsels of men in the
north who opposed the war; the peo-
pie will never trust that class of men
with power; the more you look to
them fer advice, the more exacting
Congress will be and ought to be;
the rejection Of the amendment and
tic legislation against the freedmen
will cause Congress to require uni
versal scffragc, and you should at
once give it.
Some of these men wore wise
enough to accept nn2 act upon his
advice. To the reconstruction policy
Of Congress-the vital aud oNershad ,
owing issue of the day--Ge2eraII
Grant gave his earnest support, ana
he has zealously striven to carry the
legislation of Congress into effect.
On the reconstruction policy, Gen.
Grant has been, and now is, IN accord
with Congress and the republican
party. So anxious was he to have
that policy promptly carried into ef-
feet, that he urgently pressed upon
members of Congress the vital impor-
tance of so arranging the adjourn.
ments as to be able to meet at any
time, should the needs of the country
require it.
Upon the republicans in Congress
rest the most mighty responsibilities,
If they iuaexibly adhere to the policy
of equal justice for all, and wisely
legislate on the national debt, the
currency, taxation aud expenditures.
it will be in the power of the republi-
can party to win a victory grander
far than the decisive victory of 1864.
IL eau give General Grant three mil
lions of votes; the votes of thirty,
possibly thirty-two of the States, aud
House Of representatives with one
hundred majority. With Gen Grant
in the executive chair, supported by
the suffrages of three millions of 10y
al and liberty loving freemen, by the
electorial votes of three-fourths OF
the States, and decisi,e majorities in
both the houses of Congress, thu bit.
ter spirit of disloyalty will die out,
loyalty will assume its sway, the
spirit of liberty and the sense Of JUS
tice will accord to all men equality
of rights, aud the wicked cries OF
"negro supremacy" "the white mans
government" "the war of races" will
be awed aud shamed into silence
Then liberty and justice to all, and
equal protection for all, will be the
fixed policy of the government and
the settled practice Of the people
and the nation having decreed liberty
and justice, will move on, blessed anc
applauded, to the Accomplishment o.
| its hiph destiny.