The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1865-11-01


- The following is the substance of a
conversation, held between Mr.. Geo. L,
Stearns, of Medtord, Mass. and President
johnson. They are old acquaintance
and their talk seems to have been free
and ingenious. Mr. Stearns has author
ity of the President to find it as an ex-
pectation Of his views on the subjects
discussed. No subjects now more before
the public and this will be read with no
little interest. 1t will give little satisfac-
ton to the Presidents new friends O. of
the democratic persuasion. We do not
observe that their journals are in hurry
to print 1t. We think that all well bal
anced minds will see the fitness Of these
views to TIE true state of the case, and
though they may. not attach to him any
stronger the friends who have of late
made the most demonstrative exhibitions
Of affectionate confidence, he will be in a
stronger position with all who are willing
to make love of country paramount to all
inferior questions. 4,u. r,
WASHINGTON, ID. c.,
Oct. 3, '65-1l IL a. m.
i have just returned from an interview
with Pres. johnson, 10 which he talked
for an hour on the process of reconstruc-
ton of rebel states. His manner was as
cordial and his conversation as free as in
1868, when l met him daily N Nashville.
His countenance is healthy, even more
so than when first knew hin. o. r.f. i
l remarked that the people of the North
were anxious that the process of recon.
struction should be thorough, and they
wished TO support him in the arduous
work, but their ideas were confused by
the conflicting reports constantly circulated
and especially by the present position of
the democratic party. 1t is industriously
circulated in the democratic clubs that
he was going over to them. He laugh
lngly replied, "Alajor, have you never
known "a MIN who TOR 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 I" l replied, have often. He
said so have |, and went on. The dem.
ocratic party finds its old position unten-
able, and is coming to ours if it has
come up to ouI position, | am glad of il.
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. Ile then commenced with saying
that the states are in the Union, which
is whole and indivisible. Individuals
tried to carry them out, but did not sue
coed, as "A man may try to cut his throat
and he prevented by the bystapders; and
You cannot say that he cut his throat be-
cause he tried TO do it. Individuals may
commit treason, and be punished, and a
large number of individuals may consti-
tute rebellion, and be punished as trait
ors. Some states tried 10 get out of the
Union, and We opposed it, honestly, be-
cause we believed il 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
government and have the power to do il.
The state institutions are pfostfated, laid
out on the ground, and they must be TAX
en- up andadapted to the progress of events,
this cannot be done in moment. We
are making very rapid progress, sd rapid
that sometimes cannot realize it: it ap-
pears like dream. ,.4i g..
We must not be in too much of hur-
ry; it is better to let them reconstruct
themselves than to force them to il fol
II they 60 wrong, the power is in oul
hands, and we can check them at an,
stage, to the end, and obIige them to cor.
rect their errors; we must be patient with
them. i did not expect to keep out al
who were excluded from the amnesty, OF