Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1880 — “LET US HAVE PEACE.” [ARTICLE]

“LET US HAVE PEACE.”

Grant the Citizen Versus Grant the Partisan. [From the Philadelphia Times. ] There are many intelligent citizens of all parties in the country who would regretfully accept the belief that Gen. Grant is, after ail his opportunities and distinction, no more than the flexible politician, who can change his opinions on great public questions with every presumed party necessity or every dictate of ambition. The whole nation heard his appeals for and assurances of sectional peace only a few months ago, when he returned from a protracted journey in the South, and the nation will now read with profound regret his awkward mid positive contradiction of himself. How Grant, the thoughtful and fearless patriot, answers Grant, the facile politician, may be seen by the fol- : lowing: i Grant’s Speech at Bloom- Grant’s Speech at Warren, : ington, 111., April 17, Sept. 28, 1880. 1880. I am a Republican, as It may be appropriate the two great political on this occasion to refer warties are now divided, to my trip through the because, the Republican Southern States, and to party is a national party, what I have seen while seeking the greatest good traveling. I have been for the greatest number of gratified at my reception citizens. There is not a in all the recently lebel- precinct in this vast naHoub States. I passed from tion where a Democrat Philadelphia to Florida on cannot cast his ballot and | my way to Havana, and have it counted as cast. I on my return came via No matter what the promTexas from Mexico, thus ineuce of the opposite passing through all thejparty he can proclaim his 'rebellious States, and it political opinions, even if will be agreeable to all topic is only one among a i know that hospitality was thousand,without fear and tendered me at every city without proscription on through which I passed, account of his opinions. 1 and accepted iii nearly aliiT/iere are/onrieen States i of them by me. The same and localities in some ether ■ decorations were seen in States where liepublicans every State that are seen have not this privilege. here to-night. The Union This is the reason why I /lag floated over us ever//-am a Republican. But lam u>/iere, and the eyes of the a Republican for many people in those States are as other reasons. The Ue'familiar with its colors aslpublican party assures yours, and look upon it protection tolifeandpropguarantecing to them aZ/jerty; the public credit the rights and privileges of and the payment of the a free people, without re- debts of the Government, gard to race, color, or pre- State, county or niuniaivious condition of servi- pality, so far as it can conI tude. In most of the trbl. The Democratic I States, upon the reception party does not promise ■ committees, side by side this. If it dees it hasbrokI were, men that . wore-the en its promises to the 1 blue and neu that wore extent of hundreds of I the gray, and reception millions, as many Northi addresses were made in ern Democrats can testify part by those who ivore to their sorrrow. | the blue and those who j wore the gray. We have ' no reason to doubt that : those who wore the gray, : tcill f til fill all they have I promised in loyalty to the I flag and to the nation. Nor was Gen. Grant alone in his party in declaring the madness of sectional strife a few months ago. Gen. Garfield, whose I election to the Presidency Grant ostensibly proposed to advance by his Warren i speech, thus spoke to the nation in the ; present Congress, when there were no i Presidential necessities to cloud his ; patriotism and statesmanship : So far as I have studied the current of public ' thought and of political feeling in this country, ! no feeling has shown itself more strongly than I the tendency of the public mind in the past few : months. The man who attempts to get up a [ political excitement in this country on the old 1 sectional issues will find himself without a party and without support. The man who wants to ' serve his country must put himself in the luie ; of its leading thought, and that is the restoraI tion of business, trade, commerce, industry, ! sound political economy, hard money and hon- ! est payment of all obligations ; and the man I who can add anything in the direction of the ■ accomplishment of any of these purposes is a I public benefactor. That Gen. Grant told the truth at Bloomington in April last, and that Gen. Garfield uttered the sincere belief of himself and of the country on the floor of Congress, is not doubted by any intelligent citizen. Why, then, must both assail themselves, dispute their own honest convictions, and declare their own teachings to be false, in the heat of a great partisan struggle ?