Marshall County Republican., 1865-11-02
The President OF the United States.
wAsHrSorcy, D. c., October 3, lees,

WASHINGTON, ID. c., October 3, lees,
1880 AN.
have just returned from an Interview with
President johnson. in which he talked an hour on
the process Of reconstruction OF rebel States His
manner was as cordial, and his conversation As
free as in 1863, when met him daily in Nash
vile.
His countcnance is healthy. even more so than
when first knew him.
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 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 laughngly replied:
major, have you never known a man who for
.n1ny years had differed from your views because
you were in advance OF him, claim them as bis
own when he came up to your standpoint
replied, 81 have Often" he said, $50 have
l." and went on: "The Democratic party Gnds its
old position untenabe and is coming TO ours; II IL
has come up to our position am glad of IL. You
and | need no preparation for th. conversation;
we CAL talk freely this subject for the thoughts
arc familiar to us we can bc perfectly frank with
each other" He then commenced with styins
/ that the Southern States as in the Union, which
Is whole and ndivisibe. Individuals tried to
ry them out, but did not succeed, rs a man may
/ try to cut his throat and be prevented by the
bystandcrs; and you can not say he cut his throat
because he tried to doit. rr-
individuals may commit treason, and be pun
ishcd, and large number Of individuals may
constitute rebellion, and DO punished as traitors
Some States tried to gel out OF the Union, and we
opposed il, honestly, because ws believe it to b,
wrong; and we have succeeded in putting down
the rebellion. The power Of those persons who
made the attempt has been crushed, and now NC
want to reconstruct the State governments, and
have the power TO do it. The State institutions
are pro.trated, laid out on the grouni, and they
must be taken up and adapted to the progress OF
events. This can not be done in n moment. We
are making vory rapid progress; so rapid | some
times can not realize il; it appears like dream.
We must not be in too much OF hurry; 1t Is
better to let them reconstruct themselves than
to force them to it, for If they 20 wrong the power
is in onr hands, as can check them ut any stage
to the end and oblge them to correct their errors
We must be patient with then. did not expect
to keep out ali who were excluded from the am
,ur..y, or even large portion Of them, but intep
drd they should sue for pardon, and 30 realize the
enorm ty OF the crime they had committed.
You could not have broached the subject o.
equal suffrage at the North seven years ago anc
we must remember that the changes at the Soutt
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 we not s1pect such large affairs vii
be comprehended ard disestcd at once. W.
must give them time to understand their new
position.
hare nothing TO conceal in these matters, anC
have no desire or willingness - take indirect cour
, ses to obtain what We want.
Our Government is grand and lofty structure
in searching for its foundation we find IL rests
LII n r.rhfo he al ttr
franchise is not natural right. but political right
am opposed to giving the States too much power
and also 20 a great consolidation Of power in th,
central Government.
If interfered with the rote in .he rebel States
TO dictate that the negro shall vote, might d.
T the same thing for my own purpose in Pennsyl
vania Our only safety lies in allowing each Stat
control the right of voting by its own laws, ant
we have the power to control the rebel States
they 90 wrong. II they rebel. we have the arm,
and can control them by it, and, il necessary, b.
Legislation also. II the General Government con
trolls the right to vote in the States, it may estab
lsh such rules will restrict the vote to q smal
number ofpersons, and thus crease central des
potism.
, NV position here is different from what j. wou
be If was in Tennessee.
There should try TO introduce negro suffrag
gradually; first; those who had served in the army
tho.e who could read and write. and perhaps
property qualification for others, say 5000 or $3.50
1t will not do to let the negroes have universe
sufrags now. it would breed war Of races.
There Was time in the Southern States whel
;. the slaves oflarge owners looked down upon non
slave owners because thcv did not own slaves; th'
larger the number Of slaves their masters owned
the prouder they were, and this has produces
h ostility betwee the mass Of the whites and tn
negroes. The outragcs are mostly from non
eholding whites against the negroes and iron
the negro upon the non veboldins whitee
Tee negro will vote with the late master, whom
he does not hate, rather than with the non.slare
holding white. whom he docs hate. Universe
suffrage would create another war, not against u,
but war Of races.
Another thing: This Government is the frees
and best on the earth, and feel sure is destins
to last; but to secure this, we must elevate an
purify the ballot, / for many years contended a
the South that slavery was a weakness. but other
said it was political strength; they thought "
gained three-ff,hs representation by it; contend
ed that we lost two-fifths.
FIVE had no slaves, We should have had twelv
representatives more. according to the then ratio
of representation. Congress apportions represen
taton by States, not districts, and the State appor
tons by districts. i-IA
Many years ago, moved in the Legislator
J that the appointment OF representatives to Con
tgress, in Tennessee, should be by qualified voters
, The apportionment is now fixed until 1872; be
fore that time we might change the basis O
representation from population to qualified voter'
North As well as South, and in due course OF time
the States, without regard to color, might extcn
the elective franchise to al who possessed certain
mental. moral or R.ch other qualifications a
might be determined BY an enlightened publ
Judgment "'l [i. 70 ,oe.
The above report ~as returned to me by Presi
, dent Johnson, With the following Endorsement
=. Gro L. SfEARss.
> al bays rad ths within communication and I'm