The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-02-12
Grant, the Confederacy and Mexioo.

John RUSSELL Young, who made th,
tour of tho world with Gen. Grant, Il
writing an account of the travels Of IN,
party. In the advanced sheets publishes
appear the following remarks by Gen
Grant, in speaking of the Confederacy Ii
connection with Mexico:
when our war ended, urged upoT
President johnson an immediate invasion
OF MEXICO. ] am not sure whether
wrote him or not, but pressed the mat
ter frequently upon Mr.. johnson and
MIR. Seward. You see, Napoleon in Mex.
leo was really part. and an active part
of the rebellion. His army was Us much
opposed to US rs that of Kirby Smith
Even apart from his desire to establish q
monarchy and overthrow friendly re.
public, against which overy loyal Ameri-
can revolted, there was the active CO.
operation between the French ani! THE
rebels on the Rio Grande, which made il
an net of war. believed then, and /
believe now, that we had Just cause of
war with Macmillan, and with Napoleon,
If he supported him-with Napoleon
especially, as he was the head of the whole
business. We were so placed that we
were bound to fight him. / sent Sheri-
dan off to the Rio Grande. sent him
pcst-haste, not giving him time to par
ticipate in the f.Tewell review. MY plan
wss to give him O corps, have him cross
the Rio Grandej join Juarex, and attack
Maximilian. With his corps ho could
nave walked over Mexico. Mr.. johnson
see,ned to favor my plan, but Mr. Se-
ward was opposed and his opposition was
decisive. I was for fighting Napoleon.
There never was a more just cause for
war than what Napoleon gave us. With
our army we could do as We pleased. We
had victorious army, trained in four
years of war, and we had The whole South
to recruit from. l had that in my mind
when proposed the advance on Mexico.
WANTED to employ and occupy the South
ern army. We had destroyed the career
OF many of them at home, and wanted
them to 60 TO Mexico. I am not sure
now that was sound In that conclusion.
have thought their devotion to slavery
and their familiarity with the institution
would have led them to introduce slavery,
or something like it, into Mexico, which
would have been calamity. Still. my
plan ut the time was to induce the South
ern troops to go to Mexico-to 20 Ga
soldiers under Sheridan, and remain as
settlers. ! was especially anxious that
Kirby Smith, with his command, should
go over. Kirby Smith had not surren-
dered, and was not sure that he would
not give US trouble before surrendering
Mexico seemed an outlet for the disap.
pointed and dangerous elements in the
South-elements brave and warlike, and
energetic enough, and with their share OF
the best qualities of the Anglo.Saxon
character, but lrreconciable in their
hostility to the Union. The best place
for cur defeated friends was Mexico. 1t
was better for them and better for us. /
tried tc make Lee think SO when he sur
rendered. They would have done per.
haps as great work in Mexico as has
been done in California. No one dreaded
war more than did. I had more than
/ wanted. But the war would have been
national, and we could have united both
sections under one flag. The good results
accruing from that would in themselves
have compensated for another war, even
IL it had come, and such u war as it must
havo heen under Sheridan md his. army
short, quick, decisive, and assuredly
triumphant. We could have marched
from the Rio Grande to Mexico without
O serious battle" 4s