New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-10-23
A CONVERSATION
PRESIDENT JOHNSON.
His Policy On Reconstruction.
Views on Negro Suffrage.
kEDPoRn Mars, Ook E, 1866.

with our conversation OI Iatt TUESDAY, tLa ftrbeu
Immediately TO my room ond wrote down such q the
points made "A could remember and having pondered
them all the way home today, more than ever.
that corrected by you and returned n me
either public private use, II VIII 20 FAR "a pro-
mote good understanding between you and our lead
ing meg
plan. far at least You would cary u out without
modification.
You are aware that do not associate much with men
in poital life, bat rather with those Who represent
ing the advanced moral sense Of the country earnestly
labor for the good Of our people, without nope o. or
even desire for office or other immediate reward Tie
latter class desire earnestly to undesand your plans
and il possible. support your administration.
think tho publication OF your process Of feeonstrue.
ton with the reasons for your faith IN IL will comment
itself to their candid judgment and as told VOC, IN
spire whole Northern peOpc with coniAdonLe III
Your administration.
The report 10 heager and unsatisfactory. but think
IL conveys for the Nest part the sprs OF our c0nvirsa
ton. Therefore although the v lo'e tenor OF pour
words led 10 believe II was not Intended 10 be kept
private, have refrailed from nwering the spccilc
Inquiries Of anxious friends, whom | met on my way
home best might in some way, leave wrong impress
sion on their minds IIuly your trend,
GEORGE l.. SIEiRSs
Tie President Of the United States.
W,tHINGIoy. u. C., Oct. 3-lli AN.
Ihave list returnc, from an interview with Pres
dent johnson IN which he talked for an nr on the
process Of rcconsructon OF Rerel States His man,cf
n
when met hin daily in NashviNe
His counte nance is healthy. even more so than when
frs, knew him.
remarked. that the people II the North were aux
ious that the process Of reconstruction Should e thor
ough and they wished "a support hir N the arduous
work hut their ideas confused by the conflicting
reports constantly circulated. and especially Dy the
present position a. the Democratic party II il indus
irusiy circulated In the De0cI ltc ClnDs bot he was
going over 10 them. lie laughiDgy Replied Major
have you never known "a man ho for many years had
"a, al fr.r. tscaI
Of him. claim them his own when he came up 10 your
stand rOinif -
on the Democratic p.ry finds its old position nn,cna
Bile aud is coming ours Il has come up to oar po,
tion, am glad * it. You and need 90 preparation
Inn ,s%asSs ar. amr to we can be- PERFECTLY
ftank with each other. He then commenced with say
ing that the States are In tine Union which Is Whole
\ and ndivisible.
Ipdyidu,s tried 10 carry them out. bit did sue.
coed as man may try Ia cut his throat and BE- PIE.
vented BY the bysandes; and you cannot say lie cut
| bic throat because be tried ~ do Il.
individuals may commit treason. and be punished,
and large number oi individuals ma. constitute re
bslon and be punished traitors. some states tried
10 ret ont of the Union and opposed H. honestly
because We believed II to be wro and We have sac,
ceeded In putting down the Pcbenion. Tue power OF
those persobs vho made the attempt las been crnbed
and NO want 10 reconstruct TIC state Lo'erbmeuis
snd have the power TO do it, The State institutions are
Frustrated laid out the ground ana th.y must pe
taken up aud adapted TO the prog.'a 81 ami
progress rapid sometimes cannot realize II; IL up
pears like q dream. +. :, 49,.
We must not he in too much OF bury! - ps liter
10 let them reconstruct themselves than 70 ioce th'
10 il; for IL they go wrong. tie power IN our names
and eau check them at any stage, 70 tbe ehd ana
oblge them to correct their errors; we must De patient
with them did not expect ~ keep out all who were
excluded from the Amnesty. or even q large NUMBER
Of them but ] intended they should sue for pardon,
and realize the enormty OF the crime fh! hnd COM
mitted
You could not have preached the subject OF equal
sutIage Mt the North seven years ago. ald We rust
remember that the changes ct the South have been
NOR. rarid and they have obliged 10 accept more
nrant able truth than the North has; We must give
them time digest part for we cannot expect such
large AFT Ire will be comprehended and digested AT
once We must give them time to understand their
new position. :,
no desire Willingness u take lhutet courses 10 Cd
tain what We want.
Our Government Is grand and lofty structure; IN
,esrching for it's foundation We lind It rests on the
broad basis ~ popular rights The elective franchise
/. NOT A natural right but a political right am op.
posed 20 giving the States too much power and also 10
great consolidation Of power IN the Central Govern.
ri interfered With the vote in the Rebel States 10
dictate that the negro shall vote, mish do the same
Iinv for INV own purposes In Pennsylvania. Our only
safety lie. IN allow ng each state O control the right Of
voting BY iis laws, aud We have to con-
troll the Rebel States If they wrong II they rebel
We have the army and can control taem Dv H. ana. II
necessary. b, Legislation also. IL the General uovern.
o.. ablish such rules will re,tict the vote to small
number Of persons and thus create central despot:sm
My position here II different from what II would be
II / Was In Tennessee.
There should try to introduce negro suffrage grad
ually first those who had served In the army those
who could read ard write, and perhaps proper quail
icati,n for others say 500 or $2J0
1t would not do To let the negroes have universal SUI
frage now: 1t would breed "a war Of races
There was n time In the Southern States when the
slaves Of large owners looked down upon non'saye'
o ners because they did not slaves the larger the
number " slaves their masters owned the pronder
they were and this has produced hostility between
the mass Of the whites and tie negroes The ouTages
are mostly from n.saychoding whites against tio
negro aid from the negro upon the non siavehoIdiLg
whites.
The negro will vote with the late master whom he
does not hate rather than with the slaveholdiDg
white whom he does hate. Universal suffrage would
create another war. not against u.s. Out war Oh
races. =,
| Another thing. This Government Is the frcest and
best TIE earth and feel sure r. destined 10 last
but secure this, We must elevate ana pur, the pal
lot for many years coDtended nj tue nouth mat
Slavery was political weakness. but others said 1t
was political strength; they thought we gained three.
hiths representation by IT. commended that We lost
i,wO-ffths.
| I've had no slaves we should have had twelve Rep.
more according to the then ratio OF repre-
sentat0n. Congress apportions representation ,Dy
States not districts and the STATE appor'iohs ny us
trcts ,
Many years ago moved In the Legislature that the
superintendent Of Representatives to Congress- IN Ten
nessee, should be by qualified voters
| The superintendent Is now liked until ie'2; before
that time We might change the basis Of representation
from population to qualified voters. North as wen an
South and in due OF time the States. thoure
rayd TO color might extend the elective franchise 10 al
who possessed certain mental moral. or such other
qualifications AZ might be determined by an enlisht
ensd public Judgment.
| EO,rOy Oct. IN. 1865.
! The above report wes returned to me by President
johnson with tie following Enforcement.
/ IL. 4 Gsn