Smyrna times., 1865-10-25
Important Conversation with the Presi
dent

-Ncgr" Nngrage.
Geo, l.. StcarnS, of Medford, near Boston
had a long interview with President johnson
on his reconstruction plan on the Sd inst, and
on returning home, wrote out synopsis OF
| their conversation, which he forwarded to the
l'n-dcnt Tor examination, with view of Civ.
ing his opinions on the issues Of the day. The
President returned the report OH the loth, sta.
ting that he :" found it substantially correct "
The toIlowln2 is the report, as sanctioned by
the President. There need now be no dispute
as to how and where he stands
WASHINGTON, II. G., Oct 3, l86j-ll3 A. NJ.
have just returned from an interview with
Frcsldcnt johnson, III which he talked for an
hour OH the process Of reconstruction Of rebel
States. Ills manner was as cordial, and his
conversation a. free, as in 1863, when l met
him daily i'll Nashville
Ills countcnance is healthy even more 50
than when first knew him.
| remarked. that the people Of the North
were anxious that the process ofrccUnstruction
should be thorough, and they wished to SUP
port him III the arduOus work, but their ideas
were confused 10y the conflicting reports con-
stanty circulated, and especially by the pres-
cnt position ui the Democratic party. 1t is in,
du>trlou. y circulated in the Democratic club,
that he was gong over to them. He laugh
lngly replied, Major, have You never known
a man who Tor many years had differed from
your views because you were il advance him.
claim them as his own when he came up To
your stand-point?'
replied have often. He said 50 have |.
and went ON; the Democratic party finds its
old position untenablc, and is coming to our,
II 1t has come up to our position, am glad Of
1t. You and | need no preparation for this
conversation We can talk freely ON this sub
Ject tor the thoughts are familiar to us we can
be perfectly frank with each other. lie then
commenced with saying that, the States are in
the mon which is whole and indiyisible.
individuals tried to carry them out, but did
not succeed, as a man may try to cut his throat
and ne prevented by the bystanders and YOU
cannot say he cut his throat because he tried
to do it.
individuals may commit treason and be nun
i>hed, and large number of individuals may
constitute rebellion and be punished as trai-
tors. Some States tried to get out of the Tn
ION. and we opposed it, honestly, because we
bGi!eycd 1t to be wrong; and We have succeed.
cd IN putting down the rebellion. The bower
9i those persons who made the attemlt has
been crushed, and now We want to reconstruct
the state Governments and have the bower to
uo IT, he state institutions are Frustrated
litId ont on the ground, and they must he ta
i, Ken up and adapted to the progress of event,
lhlS cannot be dOIe in a moment. We are
making very rapid progress; so rapid [ some
tllheS cannot realIz9 1t; it appears like adream.
Z IhuHt not be III too much of hurry; it Is
better to let them reconstruct themselves than
to force them to it; for if they go wrong the
power is Ill our hands and we can check them
at amy stage, to the end, and oblige them to
correct Their errors We must be patient with
thcm. dId not expect to keep out all who
We're excluded from the amnesty, or even IA
large number OF them, but | intended they
should sue Tor pardon, and so realize the enor-
mlty OF the crime they had committed.
on could not have broached the subject of
equal suffrage, at the North, seven wears ago. |
ana we must remember that the changes at the |
! south nave been more rapid, and they have /
been Obliged to accept more unpalatable trurh /,
than the North has We must give them time
to dlgc t a part, for We cannot EXPECT such |
large affairs will be cOmprehenled and digcs
Icu al once e must give them time to un-
derStand their new position.
1 nave nothing to conceal in these matters,
and have no desire or willingness to take inli-
rect courses to obtain what We want.
Our government Is a grand and lofty struc,
-ure III searching tOr its foundation We find it
<, ,estS ON the broad basis Of popular rights
lie ecctlle franchise is not Il natural right.
Iut political right | am opposed to giving
he States too much power and also to a great
constellation OF power i'll the central govern
nCnt.
Ii | lntericred with the vote in the rebel
states, to dictate that the negro shall vote,
night do the same thing for my own purpose
icnnSylvania. Our only safety lies in al
owing each State to control the right of voting
y ITS own laws and we have the power to con
r9l the rebel States if they go wrong. lfthey =,
ebel we have the army, and can control them
y 1t, and, If necessary by legislation also. If
ne General Government controls the right to I
ote IN the States, it may establish such rules I
; will restrict the vote to IA small number of q
erSonS, and thus create a ccntrafdcSpotism
My position here is different from what it
ould be if | was in Tennessee. q
There | should try to introduce negro suf. "
age gradually; first those who had served in 4
he army: those who could read and write. u
ld perhaps property qualification for 9TH .
5, say $500 or $3.50. IL
1t Will not do to let the negroes have uni
'rSal suffrage now. 1t would breed war of 81
ccS.
There was time in the Southern States
hen the slaves of large owners looked down :,
BON non slave owners because thew did nnt "
vn slaves; the larger the number of slovcs =
Gir masters owned, the proudcr thew wcrr u u
I'd this has produced hostility between the =,
ASS .SS OF the whites and the negroes. The out 4
Scs are mostly from non-Slaveholdinp whites G.
ai.lst !lS INC negro, and from the negro upon o.
g c. non-Slaveholding whites. Ni'' % %
Inc negro will vote with the late master fe f.,
lom he does not hate, rather than with the or
n-Slaveholdlng white, whom he does hate. 50
ilversaI suffrage would create another war, at
! against us, but war of races. n
Another thing. This Government is the cr
St and best on the earth, and | feel sure is s
stned to last; but to secure this, we must Le
vate and purify the ballot l for many cI,
'rS contended at the South that slavery was b.
POLITICAL weakness, but others said il was po- ex
cal strength; they thought we gained three NJ, w
lost twO-fifths hD
I 4 we had no slaves, we should have had od
- ,lVo representatives more, according to the em
~ ~ ialo OF representation. Congress appor- 81
as representation by States, not districts ., Uai