Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-11-01
TIE Prssident Of the United States.
WAsHINaroN, d. c., Oct. "a, 1865, III, A. NJ.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Oct. ID, 1865, III, A. Nj.
have Just returned from an interview with Pres
ident 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 l met him in Nashville
His countenanco is healthy, even more so than
when first knew him.
l remarked that the people of the North were
anxious that the process Of reconstruction 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 espec-
tally by the present position of the Democratic party
It's ndustrousy circulated in the Democratic Clubs
that he was going over to them. He laughingly re-
piled, Major, have you never known man who
for 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 standpoint
] replied, have often. He said so have l, and
went the Democratic party finds its position un-
enabe, and is coming to ours; if it has come up to
our position, l am glad of it. You and l need no
preparation for this conversation; we can talk freely
on this subject, for the thoughts familiar to us
we can be perfectly frank with each other. He 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
succeed as a man may try to cut his throat and be
prevented by the bystanders and you cannot say
he cut his throat because he tried to do it.
individuals may commit treason, and be punish
ed and large number of individuals may constl-
tute a 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 be wrong
and we have succeeded in putting down the rebel
lion The power of those persons who made the at
tempt has been crushed, and now we want to recon-
struGt the State governments and have the power to
do it. The State institutions Frustrated, laid out
on the ground, and they must be taken up and
4 IL, oT o4 h.
done in a moment We are making very rapid
progress so rapid sometimes cannot realize it; il
appears like dream.
We must not be in too much of hurry; it is bet
ter TO let them reconstruct themselves 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 Oblge them TO correct their errors we
must be patient with them. ] did not expect to
keep out all who were excluded from the Amnesty,
or even large number of them, but intended they
should sue for pardon, and so realize the enormity
of the crime they had committed.
You could not have preached the subject of equal
suffrage at the North seven years ago. and we must
remember that the changes at the South have been
more rapid, and they have been obliged to accept
more unpalatable truth than the North has; we
must give them time to digest part, for cannot
expect such large affairs will be comprehended and
digested at once. We must give them to understand
their position.
have nothing to conceal in these matters, and
have no desire willingness TO takeindirect courses
TO obtain what we want.
Our Government is a grand and lofty structure;
in searching for its foundation find it rests on the
broad basis of popular rights The elective franchise
Is moi q natural right but political right. | am
opposed to giving the States too much power, and
also to great consolidation Of power in the Central
Government
If interfercd with the vote in the rebel States,
to dictate that the negro shall vote, might do the
same thing for my owa purposes IN Pennsylvania
Our only safety lies in allowing each State to con-
troll the right Of voting by its own laws, and we
have the power to control the rebel States if they
wrong. If they rebel. we have the army, and can
control them by it. and if necessary, by legislation
also If the General Government controls the right
to vote in the States it may establish such rules as
will restrict the vote to small number of persons,
and thus create a central despotism.
Ny position is different here from what it would
be if l was in Tennessee.
There l should try to introduce negro suffrage
gradually; first those who had served in the army;
those who could read and write and perhaps prop
erty qualification for others, say 5000 or $3.50.
1t will not do to let the negroes have universal
suffrage now it would breed Of races.
There was time in the Southern States when the
slaves of large owners looked down upon non-slave-
owners because they did not slaves; the larger
the number of slaves their masters owned, the
prouder they were and this has produced hostility
between the mass of the whites and the negroes
The outrages are mostly from nOn-slaveholding
whites against the negro, and from the negro upon
the nOn-slaveholding whites.
The negro will vote with the late master whom
he does not hate, rather than with the nOn-slave-
holding white whom he does hate. Universal suf-
frage would create another war, not against us, but
a of races.
Another thing. This Government is the freest
and best on EARTH and feel is destined TO last
but to secure this, we must elevate and purify the
ballot. l for many years contended at the South
that slavery was political weakness but others said
it was political strength; they thought we gained
three-ftths representation by it, l contended that
we lost twO-tifths.
If We had no slaves, we should have had twelve
representatives more according to the then ratio Of
representation by States not districts and the State
apportions by districts.
Many years ago l moved in the Legislature that
the apportionment Of Representatives to Congress,
in Tennessee, should be qualified voters.
The apportionment Is now fixed until 1879; be-
fore that time we might change the basis of repre-
sentation from population to qualified voters North
as well rs South, and in due course of time, the
States, trithout regard TO color, might extend the
elective franchise to all who possess certain mental
moral or such other qualifications, as might be de-
termned by an enlightened public judgment
BosIoN, Oct rs, l8G5.-The above report was re-
turned to me by President johnson with the follow
ing endorsement. GEO. /. STEARNs.
| have read the within communication, and find
it substantially correct.
have made some verbal alterations.