The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-08-08

uo party organ the ". Y. Tribune
50 iufamously garbled not long since,
when II was "hone,tly reporting facts"
as to both parties and their candidates.
WILLIAMSBURG, Va, May 10, 1872.
To----:
DrAp Sra In compliance with your re-
quest here repeat the substance of our
conversation on the last and, approaching
Presidential elections, though do not sup
pose my opinions on such subjects are
worthy of attention or repetition, You ex-
pressed some astonishment whenI informed
you that in 1868 I was favorable to Gen.
Grants election to the Presidency Of the
United States, and was as decidedly in favor
Of his reelection. will again give my
reasons for this preference.
II was my conviction in 1858 that the
election Of a President, opposed by decided
majorities of both houses of Congress,
would serve no purpose but to increase the
| ill-feeling and disquietude that followed o
| like condition Of affaire during Mr.. john
sons Administration, and, perhaps, to
pave the way for more serious disorders
and uneasiness. II was also my convic-
tion that an assured and peaceful Union
and as much so as to those of the other
Southern States. Whatever tended, direct
ly or indirectly, to produce undue excite.
ment, and thence, possibly, revolution, l
deprecated as the great est evil that could
befall this country, agreeing with Bu wer,
that "a cause which the noblest allow to be
good, and which, when successful, all time
approves, may seem to justify the attempt
at o revolution; yet, recalling now all the
evil passions IL excites all the ties IL dis
solves, all the blood it commands 10 flow,
| all the healtbful industry it arrests, all the
madmen it arms, all the victims that it
dupes, question whether one mani really
honest, pure and humane, who has once
gone through such an ordeal would ever
hazard it again. unless he was assured that
| victory was certain; aye, and the object
| for which he fights was not to be wrested
from his hands amid The uproar of the ele-
ments that the hattie has aroused" Then,
too, / had implicit confidence in Gen.
Grants earnest wish to shave peace" in
his goodwill and in his patriotism. This
confidence originated in the terms he gave
at Appomattox Courthouse to his great
opponent and the battered remnant of that
brave army that had staked its all upon a
cause for which II was "no more to combat
or to bleed" and that had so long resisted
his legions. These terms, that "each officer
and man will be allowed to return to his
home, not to be disturbed by the United
States authority so long as they observe
their paroles and the laws in force where
they reside" are without a precedent in th e
history of all such struggles for their liber-
ality, and were as wise as liberal, for while
they effectualy terminated the contest they
protected those who surrendered from the
legal consequence Of wagiDg war ogainst
the Government, and probably saved from
execution or Imprisonment Lee and scores
of his gallant associates.
The effect of these terms, as stated in
Gen. Grants report of the closing operation
of the war, was ''that Gen. Lees great in
fuence throughout the South caused his
example to be followed. and, today, the
result is that the armies lately under his
leadership are at their homes, desiring
peace and quiet and their arms are in the
hands of our ordnance officers"
In the closing sentence of this report he
pays to the Southern troops so lately in
arms against his own the following tribute:
"Let them" (the Eastern and Western
United States Armies) "hope for perpetual
peace and harmoney with that enemy whose
G.,
drew forth such herculean deeds of valor. ~
A tribute most grateful to the devoted men
composing the Southern armies. And
most honorable to it's author.
1t seems to me that since the return OF
peace Gen. Grants aim has been to relieve
the Southern people to. the extent Of his
ability, attempting nothing which the con.
trolling power of the North would not allow;
and this was expedient as we'll as necessary.
That he has not accomplished all that was
hoped for or expected perhaps is true; but
it was simply impossible. His favorable
and friendly report on the condition of the
South, made as General commanding the
armies of the United States, that excited
the censure of some members of his own
party, is an illustration.
The fact that "Virginians now rule Vir.
gina" is one result of Gen, Grants sym.
pathy and good feeling for the State and
people and his active interference in theii
behalf.
Virginia is the only State whose relations
to the General Government have been re.
newed since he became the chief executive
officer cf the nation. Without his aid the
people would not have been allowed to vot;
separately on the offensive and rejected
articles of the present Constitution. The
whole would have been adopted, and, as a
necessary consequence, the State would to-
day be no better off than the worst governed
Southern State.
Looking at all this, thing am right il
asserting that Gen. Grant has done more Il
heal the wounds of war than any other one
of the great political party to which he be.
longs. Believing this, acknowledge it,
and am ready and willing to show my ap
probation and gratitude in any becoming
manner.
There is loud cry Of CORRUPTION agains
the present Administration. but / hav,
heard like cry SO long; it was louder il
the days of Jackson, so much louder tina
my ears still ring with its echoes and s,
often-it is always the battle cry of tn
"outs"-that do not put full trust in it
or pay much regard to it.
OF the reasons you of the North have 70
supporting Gen. Grant perhaps ought no
to speak, yet will say that if military sue
cesses ever merit civil rewards, then
Gen. Grant entitled to all you can give.
Excepting the important victory at Get
tysburg, he was the leader in almost ever
triumph of the Union arms. Fort Donelson
Vicksburg, with vast stores and upward O
80, 900 prisoners, Chattanooga and Mission
ary Ridge, and the finale at Appomatto
Court house, attest this. Though the en-
was reached by fearful losses, by the wear
ing out by attrition of the Southern armie
yet such losses were required to disor ganiz
and overcome such armies. 1t was the onl
mode of ending the war, for had the mo
rate and organization of the Confederat
armies not been thus destroyed, war woul
hot L.