Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-10-27


vnws Oh SDsno svvsaAoE.
MEDroRD. MAss, Oct 8, 1885.
Mr. DEAR STR was 10 much impressed
with uar 0ahvstsAtion ofh1k Tuesdsy, Tint
! returned Immediately to my room and
wrote down su~h Of the points made ~
could remember, and having pondered
them all the way home, am to-day, more
than ever, convinced that, ifcorrected by
you and returned 10 me for either public
or private use, it will 60 far to promote
good understanding between you and our
leading men.
Il will also unite the public mind in
favor Of your plan. 70 far at least as you
would carry it out without notifications
You are aware that l do not associate
much with men in political life, but rather
with those who, representing the advanced
moral ssDse of the country, earnestly labor
for the good Of our people, without hope
Of, or even desire for Office or other imme-
diate reward The latter class icsire ear
nestly to understand your plans, and, II
possible, support your administration.
think the publication Of your process
Oh IeCOUstIuCtOu, WIN SIC 'V"Sv'S W.
your faith in it, will commend itself to
their candid judgment, and, as told you,
inspire our whOle Northern people with
confd. nee in your administration.
The report is meager and unsatisfactory,
but think it conveys, for the most part,
the spirit Of our conversation. Therefore,
although the whole tenor Of yCur words
led me 10 believe it was not intended to
be kept private, have RETAINED from an
swcriDg the specific inquiries OF anxious
friends, whom met on my way home, lest
might, in some way, leave wrong i'm
preston on their minds.
Truly your friend,
GEORGE L. STEARNs.
The President of the United states.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Oct. 3-11a a. IN.
1bayc lust returned from an interview
with President johnson, in which he
talked for an hour on the processes Of re-
construction of Rebel States. His manner
was as cordial, and his conversation IS
free, as in 1868, when met him daily in
Ma hvillc.
His countenance is healthy, even more so
than when first knew him.
remarked, that the people ofthe North
were anxious t ut the process Of recon-
struction should be thorough, and they
wished to support him in the arduous
work, but their ideas were confused 10y 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 laughingly
replied, "Major have you ever 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 he came
up to your stand point,"
i replied, have often. He said, So have
|, and went on the Democratic party finds
its old position untcnable, and is coming
to ours; lift has come up to our position,
am glad Of it. You and I need no pre-
partition 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 commenc.
ed with saying that the States are in the
Union, Winch is whole and invisible.
individuals tried to carry them out, but
did not succeed as q man may try to cut
his throat and be prevented by the by
ISLANDERS; and you cannot say he cut his
throat because he tried to do it.
individuals may commit treason, and be
punished and q large number Of individ-
,Ials NAV constitute a rebellion and be pun
shed as traitors Some States tried TO get
out Of the Union, and we opposed it, hon
estlv, because we believed it to be wrong
and we have succeeded in putting down
the Rebellion The power of those per
SONS who made the attempt has been crush.
cd and now we want to reconstruct the
State Governments and have the power tc
do it. The State institutions are prostrat
ed, laid out on the ground, and they mus
he taken up and adapted to the progress
| of events; this cannot be done in mo
mcnt We are making very rapid pro
gress, SO rapid l sometimes cannot realize
it /: it appears like a dream.
We must not be in too much of hurry
| it is better to let them reconstruct them
selves than to force them to it !; for if they
go wrong, the power is in our hands and
we can check them at any stage, TO thu
end, ana obligc them to correct their or
rois; we must Ike patient with them.
did expect to keep out all who were ex
number of them, but intended they should
SUE lot IuTuOIi, anu 81 ICdiiZc tilc cuOlHlltN
If the crime they had committed.
You could not have preached the sub
jcct of equal suffrage, at the North, sever
years ago, and we must remember that the
changes at the South have been more
rapid, and they have been obliged to &C
cept more unpalatable truth than the Nortl
has we must give them time to digest .
part, for we cannot expect such large Of
fairs will he comprehended and digested
at once We must give them time to un
derstand their new position.
| l have nothing to conceal in these mat
tcrs and have no desire or willingness t.
take indirect courses to obtain what WI
want
Our Government is q grand and loft,
structure; in searching for its foundation
we find it rests on the broad basis of pop
ular rights. The elective franchise is mo-
a natural right, but political right. Ian
opposed to giving the States too mucl
power, and also to a great consolidation o
power in the Central Government.
If interfered with the vntc in the Rebe
States, to dictate that the negro shall vote
| might do the same thing for my owl
purposes in Pennsylvania. Our only safe
ty lies in allowing each State to control tn,
right of voting by its own laws, and VI
have the power to control the Rebel State
if they 60 wrong. If they rebel, we hav
the army, and can control them by it, and
if necessary, by legislation also If tn
General Government controls the right 1,
vote in the States, it may establish sucl
rules as will restrict the vote to small
number Of persons and thus create ten
trail despotism.
My position here is different from wha
it would he if | was in Tennessee.