Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-02-12
TALKS WITH GRANT.
Some Very Interesting Points.

From John Russell Young's IAround the World
"When I took command of the
army" said General Grant on one
occasion, 81 had q dream that
tried to realize--to reunite and re.
create the whole army. talked il
over with Sherman. Sherman and
knew SO many fine, brave officers.
We knew them in West Point and
the army. We had the sympathy Of
former comradeship. Neither Sher-
man nor ] had been in any way con.
nected in Eastern troubles, and we
knew that there were no better sol.
diers in the army than some of those
who were under cloud with Mr..
Stanton. Then / wanted to make
the war as National as possible, to
bring in all parties. / was anxious
especially to conciliate and recog-
nize the Democratic element. The
country belonged as well to the Dem.
ocrats as to US, and / did not believe
in Republican war. felt that we
needed every musket and every
sword to put down the rebellion. So
when came East l came prepared
and anxious to assign Mcclellan,
Buel and others to command. / had
confidence in their ability and loyal
ty, confidence, notwithstanding our
differences in politics, has never fall
tered. But was disappointed"
Tie question was asked as to
whether Lincoln's Administration
prevented General Grant from carry
ing out this purpose. "Not at all, !"
said the General, "the difficulty was
not with the Administration. The
Generals were not in humor to be
conciliated. / soon saw my plan was
not feasible, and gave it up. l was
very sorry, as | should have liked to
have had Mcclellan and Buel, and
others / could name, in important
commands.
SIN looking back at the war" said
the General, sit seems most unfortu
nate for themselves and the country
that these officers should not have
made the place in the war which
their abilities would have command.
ed, and that they should not have
rendered their country the service
which every soldier is proud to do.
| have always regretted that. We
had work for everybody during the
war, for those who knew the BUSH
ness. What interfered with our Of
ficers more than anything else was
allowing themselves a political bias.
That is fatal to soldier. War and
politics are so different. remem-
Der my own feelings about the war
when it commenced. / could not en-.
dure the thought of the Union separ-
ating. When / was in st. Louis the
year before Lincoln's election,it made
my blood run cold to hear friends of
mine, Southern men--as many of nv
friends were-deliberately discuss
the dissolution OF the Union az though
it were tariff bill. could not en- !.
dure it. The very thought OF it was
pain. l wanted to leave the coun-
TRY if disunion was accomplished.
could not have lived in the country.
1t was this feeling that compelled
me to volunteer. / was a poor man,
with family. I never thought of
commands or battles. / only wanted
TO fight for the Union. That feeling
carried me through the war. never
felt any special pleasure in my pro.
motions. / was naturally glad when
they came. But / never thought
OF it. The only promotion that ev.
er rejoiced in was when was made
Major General in the regular army.
l was happy over that, because it
made me the junior Major General,
and hoped, when the war was over,
that could live in California. / had
been yearning for the opportunity to
return to California, and / saw it in
that promotion. When / was given
a higher command / was sorry, be.
cause it involved q residence in
Washington, which at that time, of
all places in the country, disliked,
and it dissolved my hopes of a re-.
turn to the Pacific coast. / came to
like Washington, however, when I
knew it. My only feeling in the war
was desire to see it over and the
desire to see it suppressed. do not
remember ever to have considered
the possibility Of a dissolution. 1t
never entered into my head, for in
stance, to consider the terms we
should take from the South If beaten.
| never heard Mr.. Lincoln allude to
such thing, and / do not think he
ever considered it. When the Com
missioners came to Hampton Roads
to talk ce,he said peace could on
ly be talked about on the basis of the
restoration of the Union and the
abolition of slavery. That was my
only platform and whenever Gener-
ais went beyond that to talk of con /.
ciliation, and hurting brethren and
States rights, and so on, they made
a fatal blunder. A soldier has no
right to consider these things. His
duty is to destroy his enemy as pos
sible. / never knew a case of an Of.
ficer who went into the war with
political ideas who succeeded. / do
not mean Democratic ideas alone,
but Republican IS well. The Gener-
ais who insisted upon writing eman-
cipation proclamations, and creating
new theories of State governments,
and invading Canada, all came to
grief as surely as those.~ho believed
that the main object of the war was
to protect rebel property, and keep
the negroes at work on the plants
tons while their masters were off In
the rebellion. l bad my views on
all these subjects, as decided as any
man, but / never allowed them to in
fiuence me.
"With a soldier the flag is para
mount" said the General, 81 know
the struggle with my concious dur
ing the Mexican war. / have never
altogether forgiven myself for going
into that I bad very strong opin.
ions on the subject. l do not think
there was ever a more wicked war
than that waged by the United
States on Mexico. / thought 30 at
the time, when l was youngster,
only / had not moral courage enough
IN re z;un / Rad takau an oath 20