Year: 1866

Contests-His Opinion OF orthern Sympathl1ers


with the ReGels.


The Chicago Republican, in letter from lts
reporter travelling with the Presidential party,
makes the following interesting statements In
connection with General Grants refusal to pre-
sent himself to the soldiers who attempted to
call him out in advance of the Presidents
arrival at Cincinnah:- =,


The fact is that General Grant knows, as has
been patent to every one during the whole Of
this trip, that continued forts have been made
to embitter, If possible his relations with the
President by exciting the jealousy OF the latter,
or by making invldious distinctions between
them, and he is determined that no act of his
shall lend any encouragement 20 any such con-
temptlble proceeding on the one hand, or those
that have been made with like persistency to
identity him with the political views Of the
that next to the President, he is the head of the
army of the United States, not the leader OF q
political party. He does not consider the army
place for politician, and therefore will not
permit himself to be committed to the support
OF either of the present political parties nor that
the army shall be made party machine.


General Grants Endorsement.


have submitted the above to the General,
who entirely approves OF what | have written,
and says that il fully and exactly expresses his
views. Will, however, state that as originally
written, the concluding sentence was in these
words:-"When he becomes partisan he intends
Immediately TO resign his present position to
this the General objected saying 1t might be taken
to imply that at some future time he did inter
to become partisan, whereas his only intention
in using those words was to express, as an ofl
Ger of the army, his disapprobation of any at
tempt to identify him with any political party
whatever. a


The above conversation with General Grant
took place in the baggage and refresnment car
attached to the train in the presence of Major
General Rawlins Chief OF Staff TO General Grant;
also of another Major-Gencral, who, think,
was General Stoneman. but of this am not
certain for did not take any particular notice
who it was.


In addition to these military men, there were
also present Mr.. Warden, who Is connected with
the New York Times; John Began, of st. Louis
Missouri; Mr.. Chadwick, of Willard's Hotel
Washington, and one or two members OF the
Columbus delegation, whose names l don't
know.


In about minute afterwards, General Grant
who had been in the Presidents car to present
himself to the people assembled at West juno
tion, he re-entered the car, and, having seated
himself, beckoned to me to come and speak With
him. l did so and, on seating myself by his
side, he went on to say that he thought that ii
published the account already submitted to him.
he would like it to be understood that he had
refused TO receive the proposed demonstration
entirely because he felt it his duty to refuse
any reception or demonstration rendered sepa-
rately to himself while travelling with the Pre-
sldent, or to do anything which might be con-
StTueu as 1dVOrlnS any pOlltlCdl lie UQen
went on 70 relterate his determination not to
be used by those who sought 10 commit
him either for or against the Presidents policy,
or to attach any political significance to his
presence on the Presidents excursion. He had
also been much annoyed at the use which had
been made of his name by John Hogan, who
has presumed to state that General Grant was
politically with the President, and on one SINH
lar occasion by Mr.. Seward. He ielt that it
was, above all things, desirable for officers of
the army to avoid participation in ordinary
political conflicts, except 1t was their duty as
citizens to support only men who could show
record of consistent loyalty. Whether a mans
sentiments were Johnsonian or Republican, he
said he felt chat it was an insult to any loyal
man to ask him TO vote for any candidate who
was not loyal man IN 1897. In this connection
he said that without expressing any views of
his own for or against the johnson policy, he
yet felt it to be misfortune for Mr.. johnson
that the advocates OF his policy in the States
through which he had just passed, Missouri,
Illinois, and Indiana, had in some intances put
on their ticket men who in 1861 and
1862 had been guilty of known dis
loyalty to the Government; because land
manner) he felt that to ask men whose
sons had shed their blood for the Union
to vote TOR men who had been disloyal to it, was
the greatest insult that could be offered. South
ern men he could make allowances for, and he
could ride through the South and get out On a
platform and shake hands in friendship with
such men as Lee, Johnston, OF Forrest, because,
though they had been almost educated into
secession, they we're now truly honest and loyal
| in their adherence to the Union. and were
seeking 10 strengthen it. But he did
| not feel ia that way towards Northern
| men who had once been disloyal and neither


desired to associate with them nor have them
| for his friends. No such men should have
his support, nor ought they to be supported by
| Mr.. Johnsons friends throughout the Northern
| States. He particularly instanced as speci-


men of this Objectionable class of men, Heister
| Clymer, the Democratic candidate for Governor
| of Pennsylvania, saying that to ask any soldier
| to vote for such a man, of at one time known
| disloyaIty against another who had served foui
| wears in the Union army, with credit 70 himself


and benefit to his country, was gross insult


II men desired to support Mr.. Johnson's policy


let Them but, at all events, let them vote only


for such men as were true 10 the country in 1861