New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-06-06
nrN nRANTS SPEECHES.

who Nhey say cannot make gllttering ora
+;on One OF these earning critics is Gen. 5. b.
Ruclner, now the editor of The Lou'Sr'"e
Courier. the chief Pendleton- Democratic organ
of Kentucky. Editor Buckner sharply reviews
Gen. Grants style and IDEAS and THINKS lie
won't do. But Mr.. Buckner possibly may re-
member one little speech or composition OF
Gen. Grant. 1t was as follows:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY IN THE FIELD.
CAMP NEAR DoNELsoN, Feb. l6, 1862
tn Cen & b. BUCKSER, Confederate Army Yours Oh
this date proposing an armstice ana appointment u
TO settle terms of capitalization, Is Just re-
ceiyed No other terms than unconditional ana lns
dias surrender ea, be accepted propose 70 more fnne
dialy uDon vo,u uorks. am, Sir, very respectfully,
your obedlent servant, U'1 dhASI,
Brigadier- General o. S. A., Commanding
Gen. Buclner called these terms ungenerous
and uncivil but he made haste to accept them.
For once, at least, he clearly cOmprehended
Gen. Grants style.
Some time afterward, Gen. Grant was visited
in his camp before Vicksburg by Gen. Penn
berton, who was anxious to know upon what
terms that city could be relieved from siege
inst then pending Here are the speeches:
n PEMBERToN.-Gen. Grant meet you In order 70
arrange terms for equalization What terms 40 you de-
mandi
GRAET.-Un Unconditional surrender
ENRgRroy-Uucondition surrenderi Never, so long
as have a man left me- will fight rather.
GRAST.-yery well.
But Gen. Pemberton reflected little, and as
soon as the full force of Gen. Grants brief
speech became clear to his mind, he, too made
haste to comply.
Again, on the road to Richmond after the
battle of Spottsylvania Courthouse, Gen.
Grant INDUCED in speech or dispatch In
these tolerably clear words:
owe have now ended the sixth day Of very heavy fight
ing and the result TO this time is much In our favor
propose TO fght II out o" ms line Y " taEeS a"
Summer"
We believe Gen. Lee was in no doubt as to
the meaning of this speech. If he was, those
doubts were settled by the next which we
shall quote of Gen. Grants speeches. The
House:
"I propose to receire the surrender Of the Army OF
Northern Virginia upon the following terms"
We need not quote the terms. 1t is enough
to say that Gen. Lee very clearly understood
them, and lost no time in complying.
Since that time Gen. Grant has made few
speeches; but few and brief as they are, they
are by no means so ambiguous as these Dem
latest and noblest speech reads as follows:
Mr. President aud Gentlemen Of the National Union
Contention: will endeavor very short time to write
you etter accepting the trust you have imposed upon
me- lApplause Expressing my gratitude for the con-
ndence you have placed in will now say but little
orally and that is to thank you for the unanimy with
which you have selected me candidate for the Pres
Dental office. say in addition, looked on during
the progress OF the proceedings at Chicago with great
deal of interest and am graAed with the harmony and
unanimty which seem to governed the deliberations
OF the Convention nchosen TO I'LL the high Office for
which you have selected me- will Give to its duties the
energy, the same spirit and the same WILL TINT
have given to the performance Of all duties which have
devOyed upon heretofore. Whether shall be able 10
perfor these duties TO your entire satisfaction time VIII
determine You hare truly said IN ne course Of your at
dress that shall hare policy Of my opn 10 enforce
against the tciH Of The people.
We have had four Generals in the Presiden-
tial chair, not one of whom was brilliant as
an orator. George Washington, when given
the command of the Revolutionary Army, could
scarcely say 81 thank you" The only real
speech he ever made was written by Alexan-
der Hamilton. Andrew Jackson was no orator;
but when he said:
"By the Eternall the Union must and shall be pre-
sered,"
he was very fairly understood, even in South
Carolina. Gems. Harrison and Taylor were
men of little oratorical ability, yet they made
| out to use ineligible English. Julius Caesar
was an Indifferent speaker, yet there was solid
pith in his Veni, ridi uici." Napoleon (the
first was q wretched orator, and still men of
every tongue found no difficulty in getting at
the meaning of the few brief speeches he
had occasion to make. There are other
notable examples that speech is silvern,
." but silence is golden" These, how
ever, will suffice; and as to Gen.
Grant, we think our Democratic friends VIII
manage to understand what he may hereafter
say, quite as clearly as they did his humble
efforts at Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, Spottsyl-
vania and AppOmattox. Meanwhile, we recon-
mend them to a careful study of his very latest
effort-the brief and noble letter accepting the
Republican nomination, the text of which is in
these words:
To Gen. JOSEPH r. HAwLEY, President National Union
Republican Convention In formally accepting the nomi-
nation Of the National Union Republican Convention Of
the st of May nst 1t proper that some statement
OF views beyond the mere acceptance OF the nomination
should be expressed The proceedings OF the Convention
were marked with WISDOM moderation and patriotism,
and believe express the feelings OF the great mass of
those who sustained the country through its trials
indOrSe ne resolutions. II elected to the office Of Presi
dent of the United States IL will be my endeavor 10 ad
minister all the a,es IN good fai, icin economy aud te
he rier Of 0irng peace quiet and protection ereryiehee
times like the present IL is impossible, at least emf
nently improper TO lay dozen policy TO De adhered TO,
right or rong through an administration Of four years
New political issues not toreseen constantly arising
the views Of the public old constantly chang
ing ano purely administrative officer should always be
left free to execute mo cH Of The people Arrays hare
respected that ,c aud al,cdy shall Peace and universal
prosperity-its sequenoe-with economy OF adminstra
ton, will tighten the burden OF taxation while IL con
stanty reduces the National debt LET US HAVE PEACE