Shreveport semi-weekly news. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-09-02
l Talk with President Johnson.

4 Talk with President Johnson.
We clip the following interesting
description of an interview with the
President from the Washington let
ter Of the New York World:
The doorkeeper informed me that
the President was at leisure to see
my party; 80 We entered the private
Office and were introduced. One of
us was member Of Congress, and l
infer the President judged our errand
was a political one. for, after the usu-
nj courtrsies b I'd passed. he proceed
ed TO remark upon some Of the lead
ing questions Of the day. Hi. re-
marks had nothing the character OF
a speech, but were the ofhand suS-
gestions which arose uppernost by
reason of the close attention his mind
had already given the subjects which
he touched upon. think my friends
were quite as delighted as my self to
find him so thoroughly prepared for
the exigencies Of the times, and 'hen,
too, it appeared to us all that there
was something in what he said, or
else the manner he said it, which re-
minded us we had heard or seen the
same before. We should have felt
thus had we not seen the fine por-
trait of Andrew Jackson which hung
over the nantel, but now it seemed
the old hero himself spoke, and in
deed, could hardly persuade myself
he did not smile an approval at the
discourse which l am able to give in,
think. quite the language in which
it was spoken.
Thu President said he should do
his duty in the light which Provi-
dence had given him; that he had
no party to build up, no favorites or
cIiqu-s TO serve: that, to be sure. he
had always held to fundamental prin-
cirl.s, and these he should never
abandon; that he had riskcd every
thing Of a personal or pecuniary ma
tur- for the union of States. and he
should no, now abandon principle
he has fought for 81 long and riske !!
SO much, 50 that, when he was asked,
as h. 50 irrquentl V was. What Is
to be your policy with reference to
the seeded States there could
not. in his mind, be but one answer:
That the recent struggle had been TO
preserve III. union of the States-to
prevent disint-gration, as it We're.
and III, effort now was to restore the
States 20 the status which they held
before the rebellion.
1 Much has been said about the
elective franchise. So far a h" was
concerned, h should be glad to Sc.
every man exercise it if il could BE-
properly done but he asked the
/ question ii it were proper for the
. Federal Government, or its Exccu-
( i've, to interfere in the matter The
position assumed by us had been
I that the acts of secession We're void :;
that the States claiming to b" on,
were still in tn. Union. This was
/ not only correct, but the only posi-
,iDn we could safely assume. Now,
/ it in the Union. those States wcr" 20
b. recognized a. possvs=lng thu gish's
Of States, what should be done -
What would til" Stat. Of Prnnsvlva-
ma say II he ~'F. to attempt 10 oic-
az" as 10 VINO s!!"u'a exercise ~"
"'"ct''r fiahc!iS" IN 'h"' state ne
presumed such interference ould not
bee agr"rably considered. He did
NOT think, either. tina, i. was enough
TO say tha' the s!a'" hao served 'he
country. h'ys "' sixteen MAG '"''h-
ihiIy served tn. country hNo many
''"''7 IA" IN 'n ,, Sph''r :'"o'F'"
V"inapi'' ana mere must o" s''"r
, con'."i!!"S priHcipir' ana "Ea' was
,I'"' 70 DC it' iit' o',en III ."''' VI
III" l non vain S'a'"'E' ne WAS no"
Tor IN" iH"h' "'''lo"' slavery i"e
"h''' ma ia" s"I' in'' MS ~" "a,
possessed Oh certain powers ana ne