The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-06-29
GENERAL GRANT As A STATES.

MAN.
There arc many politicians and some news
papers Of the Democratic school who affect to
believe that General Grant IL not only desti /.
tutc Of military skill, aud OF all the qualities
which make great captains, but that really he
IL 40 statesman, and he will be failure In the
management of civil affairs.
Of course the purpose of all this Is under.
stood. In belittling General Grant they hope
~ defeat the party which has placed him in
nomination and thus get themselves into
power. The same sort of warfare was re.
sorted to in the days Of General Jackson and
General Taylor, and with what success is now
fully seen. The weapons of the warfare then
md now are the same and they will alike fail
The iactis the gift Of gab, the faculty OF speech
making, what is known as mere learning or
book knowledge are vastly overrated. 1t is
Your men OF strong sense, men capable of
Eghsping great principles and true ideas and
NJ IMPLYING themi men who can forecast in
Icapcct to future issues and see the workings
Of benehcent Providence In rcmodeling old
Institutions and in putting an end to those
whirh should go down before an advancing
Civilization, that become the leaders Of the
hour and day. These are our Statesmen, but
Inc work OF conserving what is wrong and
what ought to pass away is left to mere dcma-
Eatues, your Seymours, your Pendietons, and
m,A u that ilk.
E.Tly in the war, and before even Mr. Lin
coin issued his enamel patton proclaim ion,
irGcrsl Grantssw that there could be no per.
mfncnt peace in this country while slavery
existed, as will be seen by the following letter
ad 'rcssed to Hon. Z. b. washburne:
NIcKsBuRa, Miss, August 30, ls62.
nEAs Sfi TGs PEOPLE need not quarrel over
-sNVal -.
stone Of the Confederacy Is already knocked
"%'. slavery 10 already dead, and cannot be
.e'arreeted. II would take 4 standing army
10 make peace to-day, guaranteeing TO the
south all their former privileges. / never
wis IN Abolitionist-not even what could be
anil honestly, and 1t became pate nj 10 nv mind
CAIly IN the rebellion that the North and
south could never live in peace with each
other except as one nation, and that without
FaNcEy. AS anxious As | am to see peace
ys'hhlished, l would not therefore be willing
l. zee any settlement until this question is
your sincere friend, U. GRANT.
The above is the utterance Of 4 statesman.
aGl Il will be borne In mind this letter wa,
written at an carly day when mutitudes of
Democrats were loudly yoclfcrating that 1t
Ma not the purpose Of the war to abolish
s!yrry. General Grant saw what was right
and what oughtto be done, and, statesman
ike, avowed his principle like a fsr-seeing
aud true man, as he is.
When, after this, Mr.. Lincoln issued that
I"ocitmation which made him immortal, he
lhNoHcd In its favor the considerable judg.
mcnt Of mankind, and the blessing of Al.
mighty ODD" We can ask the same In favor
of tins letter OF General Grant. 1t places
him, If he had done nothing more, In the front
ra"k Of American Statesmen. lie had that
E4EAClty AMI that rlp nf
what was right and also the courage to avow
his principles.
Take another fact: General Grant served
Tor y time in the civil capacity of Secretary
of War, and during that time, President John
son sent a message to Congress In which he
declared "that great reduction OF expenses
Lad been effected under his administration of
the War Department to the saving of millions
"f dollars 10 The Treasury" Does not this show
s'.tcsmanship and capacity
liuEATIp SERMOUR is called a statesman;
among the first II not the very first statesman
"i the Democratic party. In his demagogicsl
speech which he made at the Cooper Institute
on Thursday evening last, he showed anything
other than statesmanship, for men who are
worthy to claim such high distinction do not
Uh.e the truth nor keep back the full state
!"cnt Of principles and facts, especially the
latter.
In his speech Mr.. Seymour stated that there
hal been expended for the army and navy
since the close OF the war the SUN of $500, OOO-
o. lie did not explain, and the inference 10
t"N either he did not know, or knowing he
lIrprseiy concealed the truth. He can, or his
iri""'s for him, take either horn Of the
dilemma. In any event 1t dIsposss Of his pre-
isaiiuns to statesmanahlp.
Nr. Blaine, In the House OF Representa-
i'"', let the light In upon this demagogue's
deceptive argument on saturday. He showed
N - s'2j 900, 900 of this was expended for back
~. hoUGties, and prize money due the sol
nIvis and sailors when the war closed, so that
y Wall lie seen that the actual expenses OF the
army and navy since the war ended has only
htrH for the three years, inclusive, tlT5 900 OOO
Thus our annual expenditures for these
urroses is only about s5s O0O, 900, and when
Ne take into the account the disparity between
I'oI and currency, and the fact that the army
Is ITgcr now than before the war, propor.
ilon'tcIy, We are not exDending SO much to
hc,p up our peace establishment now as the
Democratic administrations used to expend
lciore the "aE in keeping these Institutions,
under the lead Of the army and navy.
ELioyeraOr Horatio Seymour will not
"ealtve for himself much credit for this at
te"P' 20 suppress part Of the truth for the
evident purpose Of misleading portion of the
pH'.'i who may never see the correction which |
he must have known would be made. This is |
1hu exalted dignity Of Mr.. Scymour's states.
Iatuship.
-. FTTls ION