Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-07
GRANTS VIEWS.

He Will be President of the VTni.a,
States, not the Head of a Party
What he Thinks Of Parties and Poll
tieians-Favors n General Amnesty,
The following is portion of the lettel
to the New York World, of which W.
received a synopsis by telegraph, giving
Grants views of men and things gen.
orally:
GENERAL MCCLELLAN AND THE CABINET
In answer to the inquiry about the
newspaper story that he had offered q
Cabinet portfolio to General Mcclellan,
General Grant said: 'There is no truth
in the report that l have offered General
Mcclellan place in my Cabinet" After
moments reflection he added: 81 do
not say that have not thought Of doing
it, and if do it l know none who has a
right to object. When am inaugurated
shall be President of the United States
not the head of party. shall be the
executive officer of the whole people
not Of q mere majority. If the inter-
e'ts of the people can best be served by
any man, would have no right to set
him aside because he did not vote for me.
OF course, all other things being equal,
my personal or political preference might
justly decide the competition. But
shall never remove good man and 4
| competent officer who is Democrat, 10
make place for bad man, or an incompet-
ent man, who is Republican. l know
something of politicians. While | be-
leve l was the first choice of the masses
Of the Republican party, | believe l WIS
the last choice of a majority Of its lead ers.
| II these latter had imagined there was
any possibility of electing anybody else
they never would have nominated me.
As we soldiers say, things we don't like
to do, or doubt the right of doing, it is
military necessity; so the politicians con-
sidered my nomination party necessity.
Therefore, while | fully appreciate my
Indebtedness to the men who voted for
me, | do not oVeIrate my obligations to
the men who nominated me. do
not wish you to understand that l
have not a warm sympathy with
the Republican party. As a party
like it better than | like the Demo
cratic party. As to the masses who
compose the parties, regard them as
equally loyal, equally honest, and equally
intelligent. AS to the leaders, think
there are good men and bad men in each
party but think the controlling ele-
ment in the Republican party is more
loyal, more honest, and more intelligent
than the controlling element in the
Democratic party. The great objection
to either party, in my mind, is the want
Of independent action on the part of its
members. If any man should tell me
that he has never thought his party
wrong in any of its actions or policies,
should regard him as lacking either
honesty or intelligence. I shall support
the Republican party whenever its policy
cOmmends itself to my judgment and
conscience, and shall observe the same
conduct toward the Democratic party.
So in regard to appointments, if think
the interests of the country will be sub
served by placing in Office man who
opposed my election, this latter fact will
not deter me from making the appoints
ment.'
HIS VIEWS WITH REGARD TO REBELS.
al am in favor" said Gen. Grant to a
friend, "of general amnesty. When
the war ended | was in favor Of more
extended amnesty than was either Mr..
Lincoln or Mr.. johnson. | was in favor
of amnesty to all except the men who
organized the Confederate government,
or rather those leaders who organized
the movement which declared the rebel
States out of the Union. Those who ad-
hered to their States after they had es-
tablshed a de .factO government, and
had nothing to do in organizing the re-
bellion, thought it best to admit to ann
nesty. Now, | would make no excep-
tions.' (The conversation occurred pri-
or to the appearance Of the Presidents
last amnesty proclamatiOn.) 81 am in
favor of peace, and | think the definition
of Burke the correct one. Peace means
econciliation. In my final report of the
operations Of my armies, l expressed the
hope that we might live in perpetual
peace and harmony with that enemy
whose manhood, however mistaken the
cause, drew forth such Herculean deeds
of valor. As we are compelled to live
together, it is far better that we should
forget our differences and strive together
to eradicate all the i'll feelings engen-
dered by the war"
NEGRO SUFFRAGE.
In answer toan inquiry as to his views
upon negro suffrage Gin the same conver>
satiOn) he said Negro suffrage is in
evitable. | was bitterly opposed to it
until it was forced upon US by the logic
of events. The extension Of suffrage will