, 1865-10-26
A CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT
JOHNSON.
His Policy on Reconstruction.
Views on Negro Suffrage

1 uf, Do2Jn, o- n,nonof,,,,n}{n
A"n'' Y" noe'A''' - '|SS1'
| ----
views Oh negro soAEHse'
| MEDFoRD, Mass, Oct. s, 1865.
NxDEAR S1n-I was 20 ,nuch impressed
with our conversation Of last Tuesdny. that
! returned immcdiately to nv room ard Wroff
down such of the points made as I could re
member, and having pondercd them ali tbo wn,
home, nm to-day, more than ever. conyinee3
] that il corrected by you. and returned 10 me
for either public or private nae. II will m fa,
to pro1note q good understanfiinr between
| you and our leading mon.
It will also unite the public mind In fayo,
Of your plan, 60 lar 1T least Is you wonld car n.
You arc aware that do mt ossoc1a4a n, mr.,
with men in poiftical 1ifa Int ro.her Nil,
/ those WIN. renresentin, 1hn of1ronccd mnrai
sense Of tlle conntrv' cG,ncs.iv Iahnr fnr fhe
| GOOD Of our nconir without Honn nf. or even
desire for Office Or other tnmediatc reward.
your plans. and. If possible. sapport your nd.
| ministration.
think the publication of your proeess al
reconstruction. with tIe reasons for your faitb
| In it, will commend itself to their caudtd
Judgment, and, as I told You. insp1rc an
whole Northern people with confidence 10
your administration.
WAsu1yoros. D. c. Oct a-11x
Ihave inst returned fron7 an 3n+orr;aw viii,
President Iohnson n Witch h. toisa ror rts ~,
hour on The process - Of recon- 1nctinn ,f rahc3 1
States Hss nnnnor " ras a. ,osdio a., =. ~;
Conversation ~ froo w l. - 1e9 er,, a1u NJ
him iai1r IN Eoshsi'la :" Aoo'' "1e" 14et
than when iiTsf Inew hi5' him 1fea lulu ~
rcmortcd thst % H. A.t.at' r,anr,, oe +h, ,,..,,
,yc,a nnxr,pn. +hn+ AZ kon. kopae -. .us asot ~
tion sbonId he tl,oronrf md thcv n 1v;ahed ~ J.,
s1nnort h;n T., ~ unu .nJ ~ ~
ideas were connsn " t somict}n Dus rcnnris
nnSs.a.t eoHua y tnE conGtms EcpuIts .ns
ronss5 .,sss+t Hu!Atsa, nna espee!aY " l4e
SsJns p1sMun ~ s4s nsWocG +. IT. patty. ~
E,. MuuStsiously encu.ateo ~ t4c Usnaoc1anIc ~
E.ugs Lnnt " NJ eoinS vsci ~ tncna. ~
itnr iau1osy aePrsa P,E,, nn's .a,a, aess
,1ou ,Ia ,,a.a ~ ~, auS 9es .a ~ G.uSea
lI1tI 9out VIEWS oecauSe you Mcle ~ Au'ance
OF ann, claim tnem as us own "hen ne came
up 70 yuu5 sta4qPolnt. uc
tIcfnieu, naVe olten- nc sala, 20
uaec Il anu "ent ". " Uenocla:c
pal.y NUS a.s oiq poslsloa untenapie, anu Is
eGmiog e;,a. 70 0 QUIZ u; ms come up 70 our po
PIeIaialoe1n, loE tnis eonsersation we San talk
1lee.in On thls supJect, ior nc inous1ts aIe
laMlla1 70 Us we can be pel1cclly frank Elth
Saea @ t"t o,n r., Mo tncn eonmGneea @ M1tn & ~
anS 1hat tnc e1ates nrc III the Union, WHICH Is
whole and intlivisible. ,
a;d ant e,,'nnaa tsea 10 cary mem out, + Pu.
alo mol succeed, rs man may try 70 cut Ills
tnroat ahd DC prevented ny inc bystande7s; !;
and yo1 cannot say he cut his throat because
hc tried TO DO It, ---..,.-..-..
individuals may commit treason !and DC
may constitute rebellion and be punished o.
traitors. Some States tried to get out Of tho
Union, end VIC opposed II, honestly. because
ne believed It to be wrong; aud we have sue
ceeded in putting down the rebellion. The
power Of thosc persons who made tho attempt
has been crushed, and now We want to recon-
s,1uct the State Goyernnents, and have the
power to do 1t. The State institutions are
prostratcd, lald out on the ground, and they
must he taken up and adapted to The progress
ofcycnts; this cannot be done in moment.
We arc making ycry tanid prnrress SO rapfd
Isonet;mrs cnnnoi reosfzc Il II nn,eara ike
q dream.
ave must not be in too much of hurry;
II Is better to let them reconstruct thcmsclTes
than to force them to It for II they 70 wrong,
the mower Is In our hands and We can chcck
them al my stage, to the end, aud oIligo
them TO correct fhelr errors We must be pa-
ticot with diem. I did not cxpect to keep
out ali who we're excluded from thc amnesty,
mr. even n la-re number Of them hnt I in.
tended they should sue for pardou, and 50
realize The cnormity Of tho crime they had
commIttcl,
0Yon con1fl not hayc broachcd the subicct
OF eounl suffrage, ut the North. seven years
aro, anil VIC must remember that the changes
az tho South have been more rapid, and ttIey
hare bcen Obliged to accept more unpatatablc
Truth than tic North l'as VIC must stve them
such large sd.is- ~;il i'e ee,nP,vl.s.'slcd and
a'gesteo AZ onse: Me must giEe them time
to understand their new position:
II have nothing to conceal In these mat
tele, ana hasc no oe,lfe OF Willingness 70 take
ahdlfect courses 10 OBTAIN what We want.
Our Government Is gsand and lotty
STRUCTURE ~ IN sea!eAins iof rs ionnaalion We
iinl It rests on re broad basis OF popular
l,eats: me eiestise ltaneM.e y not na1nral
right, but political right. l am opposed 70
glsnE Tue o!a,sh too mnch power, ana also 70
.1s eEIsat consoAoa'4on " po"c1'1n LUG een'iu
"osSF1l4is mTF iGas., .-,.1.
s,.+as ~ dsatetet ~ r so.e - nr at
;bt IL the sa,1e Ii Ininn ~ T.,
IN Pennsrirania. M % our 6nSr sSfetV % ia Il III
1nrtnt. a:nh ctoto ~ eartrzo1 az !.it - - ~
NV. Il its n,, ~ rI ~ ~ w.
~ son},n1 ~ ,r,.e1 states e 4Ist, ~ rnnI
- .I,e.. ro,,aH m hsra ~ ~ ,'5 -
aant1 +i,a.,e and ,faa:y, ne ny, sn1 .aan
ie,ion a1so Hths Gss,crai Goxn-1,nc,t y, ~ cen.
trnSs 10 -,,i,t ns ~ MI, T., ,ta sta1as - tnar
stn3i nnn1- 1t nf ncesnna cnd tn4 a9 ceeat "
antrni sui Iaerot,e,1 " ps' t'ue '1a9 ete'''
~ al9t;a., f,.r, t. a;f,,n,, +x. :.
- r. ,r.s n Tsnasse ~ Ao" "n"e ~
etThas. s1,nr1a ~, :. ~ roI,reo 4bo ,a~~,
snoMu AZ - t,.nsa IN .aesJ
& se wbo cn11d ra"S nnd Ssrta
~ aus 10y .nosc VIZ Usi;Snattor 49, athars'
amu Ell esans Rsopcs 9'a1''''''A A'' oloes7'
s"h + ~ 19on,I " ~ ao ~ ,o+ 4ho ..r-o horo
.,Ln1 M9u.I a..a; nut ~ ~ tet .ug MeSto nasc
anlscrsea unes sunf"ee no" II "oalo ofeeo W.T.
u s.TIo,c aaT v,a . t,no In tho eont,o,, ct,to,
when tie sla5es Of larre oWncrs 1ookea da,tn
u!Nn 4onssiatG onneis necause tney qld not
oNn siases tnc M!Ser me number OF slaves
1hes masiefs owned, tae pfonaer they were,
and this has produced hostility among the
mass Of the whites and the negroes; The out
r1ges are mostly iron non-slaT eholdinE v Whitcs
against the negro, md from the negro upoo
the -Blaycho1dipr whites.
HThe nerTo will yote with the late mnster
1yro1n hc Inns mi 1,afe rathar +han viii, fhe
ni.sa1; GnoLs "u.ct "nout ~ YVES nNtc'
oni'essal sunrage "ouId create anotaer wax,
not against ns, but Ear o. races.
Another thing. This Government Is the
destined to last but to secure this. VIC must