The Van Buren press., 1868-09-04
Another Distinguished Convert.

Gen. A. SAUNDERS PIArr, . ptctsinent
Radical OF 0f,io, has come out fcySfT.
yptK and BLAIR
The following = an extract from a
speech, he recently made in response W
a call from his neiahi,ors:'
"When the ia,t wut came to end which
it did with the dispersfcfr Of the Confed-
crate armiof and surrender Of .fisir Of
ficcrs, there wss pressing densud for
high craftsmanship ON the parto the po.
litical organization then EoldiIg c3htroI'
OF the Government, and this statesman.
ship mcant forbcarance, forgiveness snd.
brotheriy kindness. Had We coh1ucreti'
another people-had we oyerrun q foreign
province, We ,,ight have followed the
course Of war ats> dictated punishment
to the conquered. ,.r.a t.s,ss
but these were our own citizens
their country was part Of otr country
they were q ourselves, and, coS~e veal,
come woe, II Is o,,r destiny to win them
il we wish to retain fiSe Rcpubliv sst Is
and as obr fathers destined Is to be. Then
our best policy, l may say our only pol.
icy, was one Of Kindness. We should
have sought to heal the wounds. and qtiis
ct the irritation that came Of long pasti-
san strife and deadly war. We might
have failed but IL was our duty to try
And there is that which responds to tks
Kindness Of brave nature. that you eap
always build upon We had conquered
We could afford to forgive We should
then have been AS generous as we hasf
been courageous, aud trcathy the bssve
men Of the SVMh like men, We should
have given them all their rights as citi-
zcnc and said, come, let us be brothers
THAT the South was prepared for
submission to any. reasonable terms at
the close Of the war am prepared to be-
licve IL any one doubts this, let him
read the report made by General Grant
to Andrew Johnson on returning FROM
the tour of inspection at the South, OF.
dercd by the acting President. am sor-
ry that have not this report to read
now in support Of my position. Either
General Grant was exceedingly stupid or
very dishonest, IL that report n rntrre
His followers will scarcely admit either
supposition. ,' r
Instead Of the craftsmanship of love,
we had, in all its wrath, the partisanship
OF hate. We sought to degrade the men
we had fought, and destroy the very
foundation OF our Gevcrnmen. n. o.is
cagcrncss TO punish Stnss lines were
wiped out, and military districts formed
and put under the control Of men limo.
rant Of law, and who squared their &C
tions by the regulations Of tho barrack-
room and the drill. OF the Same material
courts were formed organized 10 convict,
and property, liberty, and Nfe itsclf, made
subject to the arbitrary win OF littie<
race'>,'aittasy dass~'' vSfys. gcMrreusn;
it was but the other day that q commits.
sion appointed by Congress went into
Kentucky to investigate the characters OF
Congrcsslneh elected from that State,
and report upon the sort OF voters that
made their constituents. They had the
same right to send committee 10 the
Fourth Congressional District OF Ohio,
aud dictate to you who should be your
Representative, and the process BY which
you may become his constituents. I
raise my voice not only in behslf OF NE
South, but for oil the States, and all the
people. protest against this Assnps\iou
against despotic cchtraiization Of power.
Applause. l would have universal am
nesty and universal suffrage. = believe
the white races are nt,le 10 take caro- OF
themselves, and il they are not, no ltgal
disability can save them. With this
change only, aud 1t is one OF the results
OF the war, we could not prereut, nor
were we disposed to prevent l would
replace these States precisely az they
were before the war. II IL the duty of the
Democracy, should II have 10 power, to
wipe oat these so called Acts of Recon-
struction. and dig down and bring 10 light
once more tlrc' old landmarks OF the
fathers, Loud applause This can be
done qniclny and peaccably. Thank God.
VIC yet have uhe baAot.b box and the bal
lot, and if the American people can only
awaken to reason, a,Nl do their duty, the
great work-the real work-=of recon-
structOm viii be accomplished.
..# - 6.
again | thank you for this compu.
ment. am glad to be with you once
more. I return, after separasion Of
nine years, to the associate. Of my youth,
and breathe freer ny the parc atmos.
pherc OF the okt Democracy. bet us be
slow to forget ALI that lie good IN the psss,
and qn,ck to learn all that is true u the
future. AS a party Of progress - party
of iireNigence--the party OF the people,
the representative OF hbor--H sm with
you, My voice may be wcak, but please
God lproposc that my words shah be
strong Aud for your kind welcome !
return my heart felt thanks" [Gsest sp-
plaase.
fy Dana's Life Of Grant contains 4
chapter entitled ~Gcneral Grant rs q