Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-11-02
Tie whole Of the Presidents
Conversation with MAI. stearns.
[ Authorized publication.

Tie whole OIL inc FfostOenps
Conversation with Maj. stearnss
(Authorized publication
"Mr DEAR Sra: | was 80 nuch impress
cd with eur conversation Of last Tuesday,
that returned Immediately to my room
and wrote down such Of the points made as
could remember, aud having poudered
them all the way home, am to-day more
than ever convinced that, IL corrected by
you and returned to me for either public or
private use, it will go far to promote good
understanding between you and our lead
ing men.
1t will alse unite the public mind 10 favor
Of your plan, 60 far ct least as you would
carry il out without modification.
You are aware that l do not associate
much with men 10 political life, but rather
with those who, Representing the advanced
moral sense of the country, earnestly labor
for the good of our people, without hope
Of, or even desire for Office or other imme-
date reward. The latter class desire earn
estly to understand your plans. and, if pos
sible, support your administration.
l think the publication Of your process of
reconstruction, with the reasons for your
faith in it, will commend itself to their can
did judgment. and as told you, inspire
our whole Northern people with confidence
in your administration.
The report is meagrs and unsatisfactory,
but think it conveys, for tho most part,
the spirit Of our conversation. Although
the whole tenor Of Jour words led me to be-
lieve it was not intended to be kept private,
yet have refrained from answering the
specific inquiries Of anxious friends, whom
l met on my way home, lest might. in
rty,afn nQ4tnn m tkafr
minds.
Truly your friend,
GEORGE l. STEARSs.
The President Of the United States.
WASHINGTON, Oct. l3th-ill A. NJ.
have Just returned from an interview
with President Johnson, in which he talked
for an hour on the process of reconstruction
of rebel States. His manner was as cordial,
and his conversation as free. as in 1868,
when | met him daily in Nashville.
His countenaIce Is healthy, sven more SO
than when first knew him.
remarked that the people OF the North
were anxious that tho process OF reconstruc.
ton should be thorough, and they wished
to support him iR the arduous work, but
their ideas were confused by the conflicting
reports constantly circulated. aud especially
by the present position Of the Democratic
party. 1t is industrieusly circulsted in the
Democratic Clubs that he was going over to
them. He laughingly replied, "Aajor,
have you mover known man who for many
years had differed from your views because
you were in advance of him claim them as
hi. own when he camo up to your stand
peint?"
replied, I have often. He said, 50 havo
! |, and went ON the Democratic party finds
its old position untenable, and is coming to
ours; 1t has come up to our position, am
glad oft. You and | nsed no preparation
| for this conversation; We can talk freely on
this subjec, for the thoughts are familiar to
US; We can DO perfectly frank with saying,
that the States are in the Union which is
whole and ndivisible.
individuals tried to carry them out, but
did not succeed, as man may try to cut
his throat aud bs prevented by the by
ISLANDERS; and you cannot say he cut his
throat because he tried to dc 1t.
Individuals may commit treason, and be
punished, and large number OF individuals
may constitute rebellion and be punished
as traitors. Some States tried to get out
Of the Union, and We opposed it, honestly,
because we believed it to lie 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 in
stitutions are prostratsd, laid out on the
ground, and they must be taken up and
adapted to the progress of events; this can
not be done in q moment We are making
very rapid progress, 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
20 wrong. the power is in our hands and
we can check them at any stage to the end,
and oblige them to correct their errors; We
must be patient with them. did not ex-
pect to keep out all who were excluded
from the amnesty, or even q large number
of them, but intended they should sue
for pardon, and so realize the snermity OF
the crime they had committed.
You could not have broached the subject
of equal suffrage at the North seven years
ago, and Wa must remember that the
changes at the South have bsen more rapid,
and they have been obliged to accept more
unpalatable truths than the North has; We
must give them time to digest part, fol
we cannot expect such large .ffairs will be
cemprehended and digested at once. We
must give them time to understand theil
new position, A
have nothing to conceal in these mat
tsrs, and have no desire or willingness t
take indirect courses to obtain what VI
want.
Our Government is a grand and loft
structure; in searching for its foundatlonW "
find it rests on the broad basis Of popula
, rights. The elective franchise is not nat
{ ural right. but political right. | am op
, posed to giving the States too much power
| and also to great consolidation Of power i
: the central Government.
! If | interfered with the vote in the reb'
States, to dictate that the negro shall vote
| might do the same thing for my own pu
poses in Pennsylvania. Our only satet
lies in allowing each State to control th
! right of vsting by its own laws aud We hav
!. the power to control the rebel States ifthe
I 90 wrong. If they rebel, we have the a
II my, aud can control them by It, and,
l. necessary, by legislation also. If the gel
!, eral Government controls the right to, ve
|. in the States, it may establish such rules
1t will restrict the vote to small number
II persons, and thus create central despo
y ism.S =
y Nv position here is different from VIII
e. u xkauid he If was in Tennessee