Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-04-13
A New and Notable Letter from General
Grant.

A Now and Notable Letter from General
Grant.
St. Louis Globe e-Denocrat.-The following
letter, written by General Grant from Galena
to his fathsr-in-law, Frederick Dent, then Of
St. Louis, has never before been published,
and is Of special interest at the present time,
when the illustrious writer is the object of q
whole nations sympathy. We do not re-
member any other letter from the General
written at such an early date in which the
whole subject of the war is SO fully treated:
y GALESA, April l9, ls6l.-Mr. F. Dent:
Dear Sir-I have but very little time to write,
but US in these exciting times we are very
anxious to hear from you, and know Of no
other way but by writing first to you must
make time. We get but little news by tele-
graph from St. Louis, but from all other points
OF the country We are hearing all the time.
The times are indeed startling, but now is the
time, particularly in the border slave States,
for men to prove their love of country. l
know it is bard for men to apparently work
with the Republican party, but now all party
distinctions should be lost sight of, and
every true patriot be for maintaining
the integrity Of the glorious cid STARS
and stripes, the Constitution and
| the Union. The North is responding to the
Presidents call in such a manner that the
rebels may truly quake. l tell you there is
no mistaking the feelings Of the people. The
Government can call into the field not only
seventy-hve thousand troops, but ten or
twenty times seventy-6ve thousand if it
should be necessary, and find the means OF
maintaining them, TOO. 1t is all mistake
about the Northern pocket being so sensitive.
In times like the present no people are more
ready to give their own time or Of their
abundant means. No impartial man can
conceal from himself the fact that in all
these troubles the Southerners have been
the aggressors, and the Administra-
| ton has stood purely on the defensive
more on the defensive than she would dared
to have done but for her consciousness OF
strength and the certainty of right prevailing
In the end. The news today is that Virginia
has gone out Of the Union. But TOR the in
fluence she will have on the other border
slave States, this is not much to be regretted.
| Her posi- ion, or rather that of Eastern Vir-
gia, has been more reprehensible from the
beginning than that of South Carolina. She
should be made to Tea: a heavy portion
OF the burden of the war for her guilt. In
all this l can but see the doom of slavery.
The North does not want nor. will she want
to interfere with the institution, but they will
refuse for all time to give it protection, unless
the South shall return soon to their allegiance:
and then, too, this disturbance will give such
an impetus to the production Of their staple,
cotton, in other parts of the world, that they
can never recover the control of the market
again for that commodity. This will reduce
the value of the negroes 30 much that they
will never be worth fighting ever again.
have Just received a letter from Fred.
Frederick Dent, jr He breathes forth the
| most patriotic sentiments. He is for the old
flag as long as there is . union of two States
| fighting under its banner, and when they dis
solve he will go it alone. This is not bis
language, but it is the idea not 90 we'll ex-
pressed a. be expresses il.
Julia ana the children are all well, and join
me in love TO you all.
l forgot to mention that Fred has another
heir with some novel name that have forgot
ten. Yours truly, U. s. GRANT.