Year: 1867

tice demand that there should be no


discrimination against any class of per-


sons in any of the States. His sympa-


thies, his convictions, snd his hopes are


now as they always have been, with the


great patriotic and loyal people that car


ried the country through the war. He


is in favor of upholding the honor and


credit of the national government, and


holds that all our obligations must be


discharged in conformity to the terms


on which they were contracted. He


thinks that there should be exercised


by Congress and by all departments Of


the government, more rigid and search
ing economy in the expenditures of the
public money. And wherever he has


had control he has struck off every use-s
less expense and reformed every abuse.


WHY HE ACCEPTED THE sKcRErARYsH1P.
General Grant occupies at the pres


ent time the position of Secretary of
War, ad interim, in the cabinet of Mr..


Johnson. His action in accepting that


position had been the subject of a great


deal of comment. 1t excited the fears


of many good and loyal men. It invok-


ed the dennnciation of enemies and


brought forth the excuses of friends


He accepted that position, not as has


been alleged, in obedience to the COM
mands Of superior officer, but from
the stern sense Of duty to his country.
The President had determined to re-
move the Secretary of War at all haz-
ards and without excuse or justification.
The President thought to relieve himself
from the ojium Of Mr.. Stanton's g remov-
al and draw attention from that action
by Offering the place to General Grant.
What was to be done? Should the Gen.
eral step into the shoes of Mr. Stanton
and WELD all the legitimate powers of
the departm ent in aid of reconstruction
and in support of the district command
ers, in the management of the Indian
war and the supervision of war con
tracts2 Should he be there to resist
the raid of the thieves and plunderers
and war claim agents, whom Stanton
had held at bay, and who were waiting
TO thrust their arms into the treasury to
hlch untold millions of the public mon- 8
ey { or should he refuse, and permit
that most important position to be filed
by .: Copperhead and johnson man.
who would demoralize the army, who
would sanction fraudulent and bogus
claims of rebels and bring reproach gen
orally upon the public service General
Grant did not therefore hesitate to ac-
cept the position and all its responsible
tiles, and his action had the concurrence
OF Mr. Stanten. Indeed, no steps were
taken in that whole business except up-
on full consultation and understanding
between those two distinguished men.
Under such circumstances the loval men
of the country would have had good
cause to censure General Grant had he
refused the position. The very man
who censured him most for taking it.
would now have been censuring him
more for not taking it. They would
have said that, protesting to be in sym
patty with the loyal men and in favor
of reconstruction, he shrank from the
responsibility of place offered to him i.
in which he could have been of inesti-
mable service to the country, and by
such refusal the War Department went
into the hands of an enemy. But the
General wants no other vindication for
his action than will be furnished by his
record, when it shall see the light, and
by his official acts. He can afford to
wait. ae4


In conclusion, Mr.. Washburne said
he was not speaking of General Grant
as candidate for the Presidency. for
he had no right to speak for him in that
regard. He had spoken as he had be-
cause SO many of his fellow citizens had
asked him in relation to the position the
General occupied on questions of the
most overwhelming public Importance
and what were his views, sentiments.
and convictions touching matters in
which all good citizens felt so deep an
interest.


TEE SWOun or Tbo