Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-09-16

in fact in session with the Republican Mayor
Of that city, and with Governor Morgan,
United States Senator from that State, also
a Republican. They were acting very prop
erly in concert and harmoniously to preserve
the peace of the city, If there was man
| in the Union who assisted this government
in the late war; he did. His position gavo
him the opportunity Of aiding the govern
ment, and he did his duty thoroughly, and
to us in this State he gave needed and timely
assistance. How mistaken and misplaced.
then, are these revived cries of loyalty
in the election Of sos They do not touch
our candidate or cause, and can only dis
grace those who utter or applaud them.
GEN. GRANT.
The opposite party have named for the,
Presidency the general chief III command
OF the armies Of the United States. lie
was presented, not because he had been
identified with them in their past history or
their past struggles; not because ne was
any one question whatever but because in
running him and in supporting him, they
would to some extent keep out OF sight their
own misdccdi and enormi,ies, as they sup
posed. BY running him they expected to
escape from u debate upon reconstruction
and upon the use they had made Of the
peoples money and to get Us back again
into war debates, and by shouting rebel
''rcbol," and other cries, having no pres
ent significance or application to the cam,
paign of 1868, obtain a false judgment
from the American people and be enabled
to control our government for the four years
to come, as the have for the four years past.
GRANTS COURSE AS TO EXCHANGES.
have little to say about Gen. Grants
military record. 1t is not the most illus
trious and brilliant in the world or in al
history. | cannot approve Of his course
with reference to the exchange of prisoners
Of war. think it was improper, ill-advi5.
ed | might almost say, inhuman. At one
time it was supposed that Mr.. Stanton was
. responsible for exchanges not being made.
But his friends came forward with over
whelming proof that he was not RESPONSE
bic the responsibility vas to great extent
pushed away from him; it was shown that
control over that subject had been turned
over from the Secretary Of War and dele
gated exclusively to the Lieutenant General.
General Butler was the agent of exchange
at the time and in speeches and publica-
| tons he has produced official evidence, be-
sides his own statements, by which it ap-
pears clearly that he was not responsible for
intcrrupting the exchanges. That respon-
! sibility rests upon the man who controlled
at that time the exchanges and the general
, management OF the war and he took the
, ground that by not exchanging, by holding
Southern men in our prisons while the Con
, federatcs held ours in theirs, the advantage
would be on our side, as we had more of
their men than they had Of ours and that
with regard to the suffering and death,
while these things were hard upon indivld-
uals, yet as a matter of general policy It
was to our advantage; and therefore he
, persisted in it. This reasoning has not ap-
, proved itself to the people of this country,
, and it will not approve itself to the judg-
ment of history. | say, then, that upon
the military record presented, here is
, great imperfection, great blot; and do
not think that the candidate who has that
record has any large or extraordinary claims
upon the soldier population Of the United
States.
GRANTS "No POLICY"
But the great objection to him is that he
; has mo policy" of his own. He says so
he says it openly in his letter of acceptance.
II chosen to the Presidential Office, he will
: 20 into it and exercise its duties and its
powers without any policy whatever Of bis
own. What then? He will accept the
: policy of Congress. That is the way every
body understands it, the way members OF
Congress and the people everywhere under
stand it (; and it is no doubt the just con-
struction, the actual meaning Of his lam
guage. What then have you? You have
simply proposition to continue in power
the Radical leaders in the two Houses OF
Congress- They are to run the government
according to their pleasure in the future and
to control its policy throughout. The cleo
ton of General Grant does not mean any
thing more than an incumbency of the
Office by him, while the actual powers of
the government are to be exercised by the
men who have a policy, and who have ex-
: hibited that policy before you. Therefore
it is that We are always, during this canvass,
called upon to discuss Congressional policy,
and we are not called upon particularly TO
discuss candidates. Perhaps never before
in the history of this country, where Pres.
, idential election has been contested, has
there been so little said about the candidates
on either side, except by some little people
who do Radical talking, and who, not un-
derstanding public questions, will go back
and recite the history Of the war. and en-
deavor to make out General Gfant 10 DC
r what nature never intended, and what Prov
i,lence never vouchsated, u great General.
Laughter.
It is good thing, very proper thing,
: that the people should discuss measures of
government, rather than individuals, in an
election canvass. 1t is a good thing, and n
proper thing, that in this campaign we
should discuss the policy of Congress, which
, has ruled the country for years, and vote
, with reference to it, and that we should not
have much debate about candidates. have
no doubt that both the Presidential candi-
: dates are honorable men. That is the gem
5 eral judgment Of the country. Our candi-
+ date is well qualified for the office, and the
r ether is not, and we regard that as an i'm
portant consideration. But if We are to
: consider Presidential election with refer
, ence to the merits or claims of candidates,
!. there is another consideration to be taken
into account.
GRANTS RANK AND PAY.
Tn the middle of the war Congress voted
the rank of Lieutenant General to General
!. Grant and called him East He had
. achieved success at Chattanooga, mainly by
the coming to his aid Of General Sherman,
| ~ Mtee;a,,r,, Rs1ro