The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-08-29
Letter from the Man VINO oaptused JEFF
q Davis.
New York, Aug. 2, 1872.

New YORK, Aug. z, 1877.
L e. Dudley, Secretary Of peteranss
| National Committe1 FVth Avenue
Hotel, New Yoyt.
| DEAR SIR: an just in receipt of
your favor of the let inst, inviting
me to attend ard address the National
| Convention of Veterans, to be held at
Pittsbdrg on the 18th of September,
Land hasten to assure that, as my SYM
I pathies are now, and always have
been, heartily enlisted in the cause OF
the Republican party and its worthy
standard bearers, l shall "attend to
muster and give the best answer
possible when my name is called.
Had the canvass now in progress been
conducted with proper respect for the
Presidential Office, or with becoming
regard for the exalted character and
great public services of General
Grant, l, for one, might have pleaded
the pressure of business as an excuse
for not participating actively in public
meetings: but under the circumstances,
do not feel at liberty to decline, nor
do | see how any one who has served
| under Gen Grant, and known him as /
have known him--a brave and mag
unanimous soldier, devoted above all
things to his duty, pureminded and
| upright patriot, and unselfish and
honest man in every station of life
can fail to do his part toward making
the Convention of Veterans success,
and returning their chieftain to the
high Office he now fills so ably and
satisfactorily. There was time when
no man dared to charge General Grant
with corruption, when all eyes were
turned toward him as the nations
savior, and when all lips were glad to
sound the praises of his virtues. He
was then no immature or untried pub
lie servant, but the successful comman-
der of our armies, who had never
abused or betrayed his trust, never
wantonly injured fellow being, and,
lesast of all, never lent his influence or
his name to an action of doubtful
patriotism. His character has UNDER
gone no change since he became Presi-
dent he is as worthy now of the pub
lie praise as he was when first elected !;
his virtues have stood the test Of civil
Office he is now what he has always
been, plain, straightforward man,
who acts in public life as in private,
upon the principle thatclear and sound
dealing is the chief honor of hisnAture.
He hates nothing but what is dishon-
orable, fears nothing but what Is ig-
noble, and loves nothing but what is
just and good. In all his trials,
whether civil or military, he has re-
NAMED "unshaken, unseduced, inter
rifed.' He has never betrayed the
country nor its cause by seeking to
make peace at the cost of broken
and dismembered Republic. He never
consented to remand one human being
back to slavery, much less for mil
lions. On the contrary, he was the
first of our great Generals to declare
openly that he would never agree to
make peace so long as a single slave
should be left in the land. Notwith-
standing his earnest efforts to suppress
the rebellion, he has done more than
any other man, not excepting Mr..
Greeley, ito bridge the bloody chasm
between the North and South, al
though it must be confessed he has
shown no disposition to see it filled
WIFI lIic JULIUS Vi Jul tOloiSti iSiloN
citizens. lie is, in fact, a better friend
to the South to-day than Mr.. Greeley !:
better Democrat considered from
even Southern standpoint, and bet
ter Republican, no matter how he may
be considered. His personal and po-
litical associations are better, his
character is more stable and his judg-
ment is sounder. With his actual ex-
perience and success as President, he
is better qualified now than ever, and,
l trust, will be triumphantly re-elect-
ed.
Every soldier who served under or
fought against him should vote for
him, rather than for Mr.. Greeley, who
is not only unstable as water" but
has been conspisuously wrong at the
vital epoch Of every vital question
which has agitated the country for
the last twenty-five years.
Hoping the Veteran Convention may
be an entire success, remain, very
truly yours, JAS. Ii. WILSON.