Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-03-05
General Grants Speech.

General Grants speech, upon being no.
| tilted of his election, was just what every
intelligent man probably expected He is
emphatically not talker, and few public
men have ever made fewer professions. But
what he has to say he says directly, with
out the least defamation or appeal TO
Buncomb Upon this occasion he said
that the duty of his administration would
be to secure economy, retranchment, faith
full collection of the revenue, and pay
ment Of the public debt. The great gen
eral duty of every administration to en-
force the laws he did not allude to, be-.
cause IL was unnecessary, and the laws
already enacted cover the subject of re-
construction. II anybody has distrusted
General Grant his distrust will not be re-
moved by the speech If he has not dis
trusted him, he will not begin now.
Indeed, the election of General Grant is
of itself test of the national faith in
character independently of purely party
relations. We have become so accus.
toned to the lower view of party that
we have somewhat forgotten the higher !;
and the practical disdain of dictation
which the conduct of General Grant
reveals may be easily misinterpreted
into q reputation of party assistance.
But every government In free country
is conducted by means of party,
and to suppose that any President would
undertake to stand alone, or would rely
upon the chance of support from the
party that opposed his election, is to sup
pose him much more fool than knave
General Grant will depend upon his
party rs much as any President, but he
will choose his manner of doing so. He
says that he shall not announce his selec-
lions for the Cabinet, because he does not
care to expose them and himself and the
obieCtors To needless trouble. VINO can
| quarrel with so wise decision, ana upon
what grounds General Grant knows
what meR he thinks most fitted for the
duty TO which he proposes to call them.
They are of course Republicans. Now,
who can give the General any real infor-
nation concerning themY Naturally there
are plenty of gentlemen who can tell him
that he had better appoint somebody else
but he shows his great wisdom in nothing
more than In declining TO listen to them.
Perhaps the General has heard of the
experience of Mr.. Lincoln in appointing
his Cabinet There were two permanent
caucuses of "leaders" upon the subject il
Washington. They had their spies, theil
runners, their agents. The Conservative
caucus, of which Mr.. Thurlow Weed wa
the presiding genius, urged Mr.. Gilmel
and Mr.. Etheridge, and other Border STATE
men of that kind upon tho President. Tn,
Radical caucus insisted upon another kind
Mr., Seward thought it was perilous to in
/ olude Mr.. Chase in the Cabinet, and Mr.
, Weed made a desperate effort against him
Embassies from both sides waited upoI
Mr., Lincoln at Wizards, and then at tn,
White House after the Inauguration, ant
| thu last fnaHa ifo antNaa Da hafNrn hroo L
, fast upon the morning of the day that th,
. President sent in the names of his advisers
to the Senate. Perhaps Mr.. LincolnI
MIND was made up long before. Perhaps
he finally nominated those whom he haG
originally selected but what infinite vex
T alton he would have spared himself and
the politicians if he had said at the be
ginning that he should decide for himself
And who has the right claim to be d
leader of the party, aud In that capacity
to advise the Presidents Plainly, every
body who has been elected by Il TO office
will claim the right, and with equal justice
, which is simply saying that there is nc
other practical way than to leave TO the
President to decide whom he will consult
/ If any body. If there is any clique in the
party which has hoped that by The neces
sity of the case the President would fall
into their hands, they will now be unde
oeived. Any "nngs" in Congress or ou
will hnd that the President will follow hi
! own convictions, relying upon what viii
not fail him, the better opinion of hi,
party and the country. General Grant /,
to day stronger than ever with the mer
who are the strength of the Republican
, party; and, to-day, also, he is undoubted
ly more feared and respected than ever by
the noble host of hummers and cAmp fol
, lowers who always attach themselves e
the victorious army.
The new President will enter upon hi,
office with as general public confidence a
, that which ssluted Mr. Lincoln at the be
, ginning of his second term His hol,
upon the heart and faith of the American
people is very great, and that faith i
founded in the profoundest conviction o
his honesty, capacity and common sense
Those were the talismans of Lincoln a
they will be of Grant-Harp6r'S WecNy