Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-10-24
Yesterday Evenings Edition
From New York.

] = -
The President on Reconstruction.
New YORK, October 23.-T The sub
stance of President Johnson's remarks on
| the subject of reconstruction in the South
ern States, during a recent private inter-
view, is given with the Presidents
approval by Major George L. Stearns, of
Massachusetts. The President, in reply
to the remark that the Democrats claimed
that he had gone over to them, intimated
| that the Democratic party had discovered
thar he was in advance of it and that it
was now trying to come up to his standard,
and he hoped it would succeed in doing so.
He recommended his doctrine that not
withstanding the sO-called secession of
certain States they were never out of the
! Union, but that by their rebellious course
! they had forfeited their civil government
to reconstruct the machinery of which, as
soon as practicable, he considers the chief
duty Of the time. This cannot be done
in a moment, but such great and happy
progress Is being made in it that the re-
suits sometimes appear to him like a
dream. He did not expect to forever de-
prive them of their former civil rights,
even a majority of those who were ex-
cluded in the amnesty proclamation, but
he intended that they should sue for par
| don, and thus realize the enormity of their
crime. He is in favor of allowing negroes
who have served in the army, those who
can read and write and those who are
possessed of certain other qualifications, to
vote, but does not think it polite, or that
he has the right, to force these conditions
on the white people of the South, though
he believes that they will, ere long, con-
cede this privilege to the freedmen. The
President also favors basing representa-
tion in Congress on the number of quail |
fed voters instead of on the population as
at present.
From North Carolina.
The Herald Raleigh correspondent says
Of the North Carolina Convention: A
singular announcement was made by the
chairman to the effect that after diligent
search he was unable to procure national
flag to hoist over the Capitol, and had to |
send to New York for one.
Nothing, it is said, but the timely receipt |
of the telegram from President johnson |
saying that North Carolina should at once |
and forever repudiate every dollar of the |
Indebtedness contracted to assist the rebel
lion, prevented the staving of, by the Sc
cession members, of a vote on the Ordi- |
nance completely ignoring that debt, as |
they had they had their plans very adroit- |
ly laid for the purpose. But on the read |
ing of the Presidents dispatch the ordi-
nance was Immediately taken up and |
passed amid cheering and great enthus-
iasm, there being not few negative votes. |
The proposed amendment to submit it to a |
vote of the people was not adopted.
The ordinance which was passed for the |
organization in some of the counties Of a |
militia force to suppress outlawry has, it |
is understood, the approval Of the national
military authorities.
Resolutions were adopted requesting the |
President to restore to the people of North |
Carolina all their Constitutionairights, to
remove the military; and to transfer civil
ian prisoners to the civil authorities.
Mississippi Affairs.
The Heralds jackson, (Miss.) CORES
pondent presents an unpleasant picture of
the political and soeial condition Of affairs !
in that State The Legislature, which met |
on last Monday, has some difficult work |
before it, the worst Of which probably Is
the resuscitation Of the State finances, |
which are in a startling condition. The |
debt of the commonwealth is large, but |
though many of the people favor q second |
resort to the expedient of reputation, it is |
thought that Mississippi has had enough |
of this and will not again try it, except so |
far as regards that portion Of her indebt- |
edffess contracted to assist the rebellion, |
all of which, it is believed, will be ignored. !
Another knotty question with which the |
members will have to deal Is that IN |
relation to admitting negro testimony IN |
the courts. A majority Of them are said |
to be in favor Of this concession, as indi- |
Gated by their election of Gov. Sharkey, |
who insists on it, to the position of United
States Senator, and by their choosing for
State Printer a gentleman who also favors
it. These are only two of the many d1f1- |
entities with which this Legislature Will |
have to wrestle, as industry generally |
throughout the State has been paralyzed |
bv the war, and there is great lack Of the |
native energy necessary to resuscitate 1t. |
Some practical but cruel jOkers have |
hoaxed the Mississippi negroes with
story that on next Christmas Day the
Government intends to give each of them
tract of land, and hence many Of them
refase 70 enter into contracts with the
planters for period extending beyond
that time.
Fsnian Designs.
The Herald's Toronto correspondent
saws the members of the Provincial Gov
erhment and their supporters in Canada
are in a state of great agitation IN regard
to the Fenian movement. The Fenlsn
Order has been known 10 exist there Tor
years, but has occasioned little concern /
until the occurrence of recent events !
Owing to what has transpired in this |
country, England and Ireland, the Cana
dian government has; it is said, organized |
and distributed throughout the province
force of spies.
Great activity IS reported to prevail IN
military affairs, changes in the disposition
of troops being made, garrisOns being
strengthened in regions where the irish
predominant Investigations regarding
the loyalty of officers and soldiers are be-
ing instituted, and arms are being distri-
buted for the use of the citizens known to
be opposed to the Fenian designs. The
custom authorities are nervous over the
large importation ofwar munitions, which
it is believed will ultimately find their
way into the hands of Fenians, and it is
rumored that the present movements in
ireland are merely ruse and that the
grand design is, when England has thrown
| her troops into that country, that the arm
ed forces of the Order on this side of the
Atlantic, shall seize Canada and declare
it an independent State, and place it un-