Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-08-18
Letter of Senator Harlan.

Letter of Senator Harlan.
The New York Herald publishes a
letter of Senator Harlan addressed to
Or. Thomas ]. Saunders, Of Talla-
hasse, Florida. DIR. S. was recently
the editorial associate of Mr.. Russell,
in the conduct of the Davenport Ga
zette. The letter is temperate, i'm
partial and just review and estimate
of the Administration:
u. S. SENATE CHAMBER,
WASHINGTON, July 20, 1870.
My DEAR COLoNEL:-In reply to
yours Of the 10Th, I have to say that
the criticisms Of President Grant
and his Administration, found 10
Southern papers, and supported by
certain Republican papers-so-called
i'm the North, are without sufficient
foundation. President Grants habits
as far as am able to learn, and as l
firmly believe, are exemplary in ev-
cry respect. He is gentleman in
his bearing, officially and socially,
always manifesting great intelli-
gence, both in conversation and in
the discharge of his official duties.
He has not always appointed great
men to civil stations, but very few
can be named who are destitute of
respectable talents, and as rule they
are honest and faithful. And, in this
connection, allow me to say that our
Government is SO simple in its form
and machinery that great talents are
not absolutely necessary to secure
success in it's administration. Hence,
honesty and industry, supported by
medium talents in public stations,
ought to be satisfactory to the people.
/ therefore think it would be wise,
taking all into consideration, to con-
tinue this Administration another
term, and predict the people willso
decide. That President GIANT has
made some mistakes I freely admit;
but, as they were mistakes and not
Intentional errors the presumption
is that they YIN as far as practicable
be avoidedfn the future. And it is
by no means certain that any OF our
greatsM and most experienced states
meJwould not, if in his situation
hsEa committed errors equally as
grave. That the Government is, on
the whole, being carefully and pru-
IDENTIFY administered, and the laws
faithfully enforced without fiustef,
furry, "fear, favor or Affection" no
one can truthfully deny. The honest
and faithful collection Of the revenue
has enabled the Government to re-
duce the public debt at a rate little
below ten millions of dollars amonth,
on an average, since the date OF Pres
ident Grants Inauguration, and war
ranted Congress to greatly reduce the
rate of taxation. This ought to be
satisfactory. But there are those who
desire to break down the Admins
tration for the purpose Of advancing
their own interests; and / regret to
add that some of them are shining
lights in the Republican party. AS
to changes and proposed changes in
Office to which you refer, ! need only
say that, so far as they have occurred,
l am of the opinion the service has
been improved. There are, of course,
some exceptions. Iwould not, with
my limited information, have re-
called Mr.. Motley; but no one can
find fault with Mr.. FreIinghuysen as
his successor. The latter is probably
not the equal of the former in the
field of the former, but Mr.. Motley is
hardly the equal Of the latter in ju-
risprudence and craftsmanship. Per-
sonally am satisfied with President
Grants administration. Taking 1t
all in all, doubt if any one Of our
leading statesmen of greater preten-
sions would improve it. / have felt
such a sense Of safety and security
for all our free institutions since he
came to the Presidential Office, such
y freedom from the solicitude and
anxiety which pursued me day and
night for two years preceding, like
an omen OF evil, that feel like pro-
testing against a change, unless for
the grayest reasons.
It is true, as you state, that some
influential public journals Of Repub-
lican politics have assailed President
Grant; but they have assailed Con-