The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-02-08
9ifImpnd 1ispatfh.
FEBRUARY 8, 1868
The President and General Grant.

The President and General Grant.
The question Of veracity between Tue
President and General GRANT is not SO
important in our estimation as the ques-
ton Of good faith and consistency lnsoi'eo
in the assuming the Portfolio OF War by
the General, and his reasons therefor. be
went. into the War Office with the same
feelings and purposes, as he now con-
fesses, that were entertained by STANTON,
and for which the President desired to get
rid Of that gentleman. This was an act of
duplicity unworthy any man, much less q
great General towards his superior officer.
Then, his now expressed motive to defeat
the President in his supposed purpose Of
thwartipg the reconstruction measures is
utterly inconsistent with his former Il
..---. yaIcnas niGi re-
oo, - 1Hfhs 7etter just after the. war,
s3Sss the South, he told the truth like an
honest man, as he was, and in his protec-
ton of, General LEE and southern soldiers
he showed not only the honest purpose OF
an upright man, but the magnanimlty OF a
brave soldier. bow does his protested
anxiety for the enforcement of the
reconstruction acts tally with this con-
duct Not at all. In the first place, the
President had manifested no determination
to obstruct those laws, and therefore had
afforded no ground for the apprehension
that he would obstruct them. Secondly
those laws are not such as to excite IN tne
breast of any honest and m~agnanlmous man
a great desire to see them enforced. Ihey
are harsh and oppressive to the very men
whom General GRANT had pronounced as
ready for restoration to their rights-they
are destructive to order, law, and indus
try-and tend to reduce some, at least, Of
the southern States to :barbarism. 1t is
not consistent with his own previous ex-
pressions nor with the former estlmat OF
his character that General GRANT should
he anxious about the enforcement OF such
laws.
Had he overcome his personal repug-
nance to the office from high motives OF
humanity and patriotism he would have
noble motive in mitigation OF bis deceiVlng
his commanding oficer-an act which IS a
fraud in it's best phase. But for such mo-
tive as that expressed-so inconsistent Wild
his former conduct and Character is
without apology, and appears as a naked
fraud upon the President.
The conduct and motives (now de-
veloped) of the Secretary Of War ad
interim very naturally led TO the act OF
contumacy to his superior officer in de-
claring that he should be compelled to
obey the orders of Secretary STANTON.
The trouble with General GRANT is the
Presidency. That is the devil OF when
he is possessed, and which has turned Inc
heads of ADLER men than himself, II III
volyed them in blunders foreign to their
natures and disastrous to their regulations.
We write this in no feeling OF personal
prejudice to General GRANT. Towards
the public men of these times we are IN
the finest frame of mind imaginable for fair
and impartial judgment. For, take out
BUTLER, SHERIDAN, HUNTER, and one or
two OF the corrupt and hypocritical pollti-
clans of Congress, and we have neither
personal preference nor prejudice that can
affect our opinion one jot or title. The
Office of Judge, under such circumstances,
is delightful!