Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-11-03

earnestly labor for the good of our peo-
pie, without hope of, or ever desiring for,
Office or other immediate reward The
latter class desire earnestly to carry out
your plans, and, if possible, support your
administration.
think the publication of your process
of reconstruction, with the reason for your
faith in it, will commend itself to their
candid judgment, and, as I told you, in
spire our whole Northern people with
confidence In your administration.
The report Is meagreand unsatisfactory,
but think 1T conveys. for the most part,
] the spirit of our conversation. Therefore
although the whole tenor of your words
led me to believe it was not intended to
be kept private, | have refrained from an
swering the specific inquiries of anxious
friends, whom met on my way home,
lest might, in some way, leave a wrong
impression on their minds.
Truly your friend,
GEORGE L. SFERNS.
To the President of the United States.
W AsHMeToN, D. G., Oct. Sd 1865, |
II } A. NJ
/ have just returned from an interview
with President johnson, in which he
talked for an hour on the process of re-
construction ofrebel States. His manner
was as cordial, and his conversation as
free, as in 1863, when met him daily in
! Nashville
His countenance is healthy, even more
SO than when I first knew him. ~
remarked, that the people of the
North were anxious that the process of
reconstruction should be thorough, and
they wished to support him in the ardu-
Gus work, but their ideas were confused
! by the conflicting reports constantly cir
culated, and especially by the present po-
sition of the Democratic party. 1t is in
dustriously circulated in the Democratic
clubs that he was going over to them.
He laughingly replied, Major, have you
never known man who for many years
had differed from your views because you
were In advance of him, claim them as
his own when he came up to your stand
point p
l replied, I have often. He said, so
have [, and went on; the Democratic par
ty finds its old position untenable, and is
coming to ours; if it has come up to our
position [ am glad oft. You and need
no preparation for this conversation: we
can talk freely On this subject, for the
thoughts are familiar to US; we can be
perfectly frank with each other. He
then commenced saying that the States
are in the Union, which are whole and
indivisible.
Individuals tried to carry them out, but
did not succeed, as a man NAV try to cut
his throat, and be prevented by the by
ISLANDERS; and you cannot say he cut his
throat because he tried to do it.
| individuals may commit treason and
| be punished, and large number may con-
stitute rebellion and be punished as
traitors Some States tried to get out of
the Union, and we opposed it, honestly,
because we believe it to be wrong; and
we have succeeded in putting down the
rebellion The power of those persons
who made the attempt has been crushed,
and now we want to reconstruct the State
| Governments, and have the power to do
| it. The State institutions are Frustrated
laid out on the ground, and they must be
taken up and adapted to the progress of
events. This cannot be done in a mo-
ment. We are making very rapid pro
gress; so rapid | sometimes cannot realize
it; it appears like dream.
We must not be in too much of hurry
it is better to let them reconstruct them
selves than to force them to it; for if they
go wrong, the power is in our own hands
and we can check them at any stage, to
the end, and oblige them to correct thelI
errors; we must be patient with them l
did not expect to keep out all who were
: excluded from the amnesty, or even +;
=
they should sue for pardon, and so re
alize the enormity of the crime they hac
committed
You could not have broached the sub
Iject of equal suffrage, at the North
seven years ago, and we must remembe
that the changes at the South have beel
more rapid; and they have been obliged
to accept more unpalatable truth than tn
,, North has; we must give them time t,
digest part, for we cannot expect sucl
large affairs will be comprehended ant
e digested at once. We must give ther
, time to understand their new position.
2 have nothing to conceal in these mat
: ters, and have no desire nor willingness Il
take indirect courses to obtain what W
want
Our government is a grand and loft.
: structure; in searching for its foundatio
: we find it rests on the broad basis of pop
! ular rights The elective franchise
. not natural right, but a political righi
!. l am opposed to giving the States to
4 much power, and also to consolidate
: : of power in the central government
: III interfered with the vote in tn
! rebel States, to dictate that the negr
. shall vote, might do the same thing fo
!, nv own purposes in Pennsylvania Gu
only safety lies in allowing each State t
:, control the right of voting by its ow
: laws, and we have the power to contrC
= the rebel States if they go wrong.
: they rebel, we have the army and ca
control thenf by it, and, if necessary,
legislation also If the General Cover
ment controls the right to vote in IL
% States, it may establish such rules as wi
s. restrict the vote to small number
l. persons, and thus create central despo
Is ism.
= My position here is different from VIII,
r it would be if was in Tennessee.
r Then / should try to introduce negl
l. suffrage gradually; first those VINO ha
8. served in the army; those who could rea
ID and write, and perhaps property quail
id cation for others, say 5000 or $3.50.
IS 1t will not do to let the negroes hay
Of universal suffrage now. 1t would bree
< war of races.
le There was time in the Southern Stat
O. when the slaves of large owners locke
down upon non-slaveholders beoau