Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-05-23
THE SUUTH AND GRANT.
FtF+ 1919 q WIZ
LETTER FROM COLONEL EwELL.
Grants Reelection Urged-1is Services
for the South.
WILLIAMSBURG, VA, May Is, 1872.

quest here repeat the substance of Ou
, conversation onthe lastdafld approachin!
Presidential elections, though I do not sup
pose my opinions on such subjects arr
; worthy of attention or repetition. YOU
expressed some aStOnishment when | in
formed you that in 1868 [ was favorable tt
General Grants election to the Presidency
of the United States, and was as decidedly
in favor of his reelection. I will, again
give, my reasons for this preference.
Itwas my conviction, in 1868, that the
election of President, opposed by decided
maiOrities of both Houses of Congress,
would serve no purpose but to increase the
ill feeling and disquietude that followed a
like condition of affairs during Mr.. John
sons administration, and, perhaps, to
pave the way for more serious disorders
and uneasiness. 1t was also my convic-
ton that an assured and peaceful Union
was a necessity to the people of Virginia,
and as much so to those of the Othe South
ern States Whatever tended, directly or
| indirectly, to produce undue excitement,
and thence, possible, revolution, / depre-
Gated as the greatest evil that could befal
| this country, agreeing with Bulwer, that
| "a cause, which the nOblest allow to be
| good. and which, when successful, all time
approves. may seem to Justify the attempt
at a revolution yet recalling now all the
| evil passions it eXcites, all the ties it dis
| solves, all the blood it commands to flow
all the healthful industry it arrests, all the
madmen it arms, all the victims that it
| dupes, | question whether one man 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 WTested
from his hands amidst the uproar of the
elements that the battle has arOusedu
Then, too, | had implicit confidence in
General Grants earnest wish to "have
| peace" in his good will, and in his patriot
! ism. This confidence originated in the
| terms he gave at AppOmatOX Court House
to his great opponent and the battered
remnant of that brave army that had
staked its all upon cause for which it was
|. mo more to combat or to bleed" and that
had so long resisted his legiOns. These
terms, that leach 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,n are
without a precedent in the history of all
such struggles for their liberality and were
as wise as liberal. While they effectually
terminated the contest they protected those
who surrendered from the legal cOnSe-
ment, and probably saved from execution
or imprisonment Lee and scores Of his gal
liant associates.
The effect of those terms, rs stated in
General Grants report of the closing Oper-
alton of the war, was "that General Lees
great influence throughout the South
caused his example to be followed and, to-
day, the result is that the armies lately un-
der his leadership are at their homes, de
string peace and quiet, and their arms are
in the hands of our ordnance Officers.u
In the closing sentence OF this report he
pays to the Southern troops so lately in
arms against his own the following tri-
butte:
"Let them" (the Eastern and Western
United States armies) 'hOpe for perpetual
peace and harmony with that enemy
whose manhood however mistaken the
cause, drew forth such herculean deeds of
valOr." A tribute most grateful to the de-
voted men composing the Southern armies,
and most honorable to its author.
1t seems to me that since the return of
peace General Grants aim has been to re-
lieve the Southern people to the extent of
his ability, attempting nothing which the
controlling 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 con-
dition of the South, made as general COM
manding 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-
ginia" is one result of General Grants
sympathy and good feeling for the State
and people and his active interference in
their behalf.
Virginia is the only State whose reIa-
tiOns to the general government have been
renewed since he became chief executive
officer of the nation. Without his aid the
people would not have been allowed to
vote separately on the offensive and reject
ed 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 gov
erned Southern State.
Looking at all this, | think [ am right
in asserting that General Grant has done
more to heal the the wounds of war than |
any other one of the great political party |
to which he belongs. Believing this, aC-
knowledge it, and an ready and willing to |
show nv appreciation and gratitude i'll |
any becoming manner.
There is loud cry Of corruption against |
the present administration, but [ have |
heard like cry so long; IL was Iouuei III
the days of Jackson, so much louder that |
my ears still ring with its echoes, and SO |
often-it is always the battIe-cry Of the |
"outs''-that 1 do not put full trust in it or
pay much regard to it.
Of the reasons you Of the North have |
for supporting General Grant perhaps l |
ought not to speak, yet l will say that II
military successes ever merit civil rewards |
then is General Grant entitled to all you |
can give.
Executing the important victory at Get
tysburg, he was the leader in almost every |
triumph Of the Union arms. Fort Donel- |
son, Nicksburg, with vast stores and up |
wards Of 81, 600 prisoners, Chattanooga and |
Missionary Ridge, and the finale at Apo
matox Court House attest this. Though |
the end was reached by fearful losses, by
ern armies, yet such losses were required |
to diSOrganiZe and nvercnrnn snch armies.