The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-10-25
THE PRESIDENTS VIEWS.
What Mr.. johnson Thinks of the Resto-
ration of the Southern States.
THE PUNISHMENT OF TREASON
STATUS OF THE coLoRED MAN.
INTERVIEW WITH MR.. JOHNSON.

MEDfoRD, MAss, October 8, 1855.
My Dear Sir II was so much i'm
pressed with our conversation Of last
Tuesday that returned Immediately to
my room and wrote down such of the
points made as / could remember, and,
having pondered them all the way
home, am to-day more than ever con-
WINGED that, If corrected by you and re-
turned to me, for either public or pri-
vate use, 1t will go far to promote good
understanding between you and our
leading men.
1t will also unite the public mind in
favor of your plan, so far, at least, as
you would carry it out without modif-
cation.
You are aware that ! do not associate
much with men in political life, but
rather with those who, representing the
advanced moral sense of the country,
earnestly labor for the good of our peo-
pie, without hope of or even desire for Of
flee or other Immediate reward. The
latter class desire earnestly to under
stand your plans, and, if possible, sup
port your administration.
think the publication Of your pro-
cess of reconstruction, with the reasons
for your faith in it, will commend itself
to their candid judgment, and, as | told
you, inspire our whole Northern people
with confidence in your administration
The report is meagre and unsatisfac-
tory, but think it conveys, for the most
part, the spirit of our conversation.
Therefore, although the whole tenor of
your words led me to believe il was not
intended to be kept private, / have re-
Trained from answering the specific in
quiries OF anxious friends, whom / met
on my way home, lest / might, in some
way, leave wrong impression on their
minds. Truly, your friend, =
GEORGE L. STEARNs.
To the President fthe United States.
THE PRESIDENTS VIEWS.
WASHINGTON D. C.. Oct, silly Am.
have just returned from an interview
with President johnson, in which he
talked for an hour on the process of re-
construction of rebel States. His man
ner was as cordial, and his conversation
as free, as in 1868, whenI met him daily
in Nashville.
His countenance is healthy-even
more SO than when first knew him.
I 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 ar
duOus work; but their ideas were confus-
ed by the conflicting reports constantly
circulated, and especially by the present
position of the democratic party. 1t is
industriously circulated in the demo-
cratic clubs that he was going over to
them. He laughingly replied, major,
have you never known a man who for
many years had differed from your views
because you were in advance of him,
claim them as his own when lie came
up to your standpoint ?"
l replied, II have often.n He said,
$50 have l." and went on-"The demo-
cratic party finds its old position unten-
able and is coming to ours. If it has
come up to our position, 1 am glad oft
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" He then commenced with say
ing 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 punished, and a large number of in
dividuals may constitute rebellion and
be punished as traitors. Some States
tried to get out of the Union, and we OPP
posed it, honestly, because we believed
it to be wrong; and we have succeeded
in putting down the rebellion. The pow
er of those persons who made the at
tempt has been crushed, and now we
want to reconstruct the State govern
ments, and havethe power to do it. The
State institutions are Frustrated, laid out
on the ground, and they must be taken
up and adapted to the progress of events
this cannot be done in moment. We
| are making very rapid PROGRESSED rapid
| I sometimes cannot realize it; it appears
l like dream.
| We must not be in too much of hur-
nv. 1t is better to let them reconstruc-
| themselves than to force them to it; for
| if they 60 wrong the power is in our
hands and we can check them at any
stage. TO the end, and oblige them to
| correct their errors. We must be patient
| with them. / did not expect TO keep
out all who were excluded from the am
nesty. or even large number of them !;
but I intended they should sue for par
4 don. and so realise the enormitg Of the
crime they had committed.
You could not have preached the sub
ject of equal suffrage, at the North, sew
en- wears ago, and We must remember
| that the changes at the South have been
more rapid, and they have been obliged