The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-26
To the President.
The next day the Chief Justice addressed
the President again on the same subject;
ntrTrwopw Anrfl 10

the President again on the same subject;
BALTIdoRE, April IL.
DEAN SIR: The american Of this morning con-
tsins your speech OF lGstgvCning. Eeeing that yOu
say something on the sutject OF my letter to you
yesteTday-TeOTganizlIiOn-and refer, though with
ont naming me. 10 the Suggestions L made IN Iela-
tion to the amnest proclamation, when you
brought Il before the heads of departments, 1 Will
add Eome observations TO what l havo already
written.
I reeoTeot the suggestioss you mention my I'm
preston is that they were in writing. There was
another which you DO not mention, and which /
think wss not In wri Ing. 1t Is distinct in my
memory, though doubtless forgotten by you. It
was az objection to the restriction Of participation
in reorganization to persons having the qua hca-
lions Of voters und-r the laws l. force just before
the rebellion. liver since questions of recOnstruc-
ton have been talked abOut, il has been my Opin.
ion that colOred ~lOyRii1rs ought 10 be allowed to
participate in il; aud it was because Of tlis opinion
that l was anxious to have this question lefs open.
1 did not, however, say much about tho sestIictisn.
I was the only ono who expressed q wish for its
emf sioni and did not desire to seem pertinsoiOus.
You will r. msmber, c%oubties5, that tho drrt der
ever issued for tnTOllmeut, with q view TO reOrg2n-
ization, won't to General shepley, and directed the
enrolment Of ell loyal cGizeus; and l suppose
that since the opinion of Attorney Gen rsl Bates, no
en- connected With our Administrator has ques-
toned the CT itensh.p OF Tree oolortd men, moro
than that II fres white men. The restriction IA
the amnesty proclamation operated as a revocation
Of the o,ds. to General shep.ey but as under
stood you nos to be welded 10 any particular plan
of TecOnstTucti-n / h ped that reelection and oh
EervstiOn wOuli satisfy you that the restriction
should lot be adhered to. 1 fully sympathized
with your desire Tor the restoration Of the Union
by the chang OF rebel slave States into Union free
States, and was willing, II l could not get exactly
the pan L thought best, to take tbs plan yOu
thought best ana trust to tie futare for m ,didcn-
on.
know you attach much Importance to tho adj
mission Of Louisiana, orrstter to her right to rep,
nseutation in Congress, as a loyal STATE in the
Union. If 1 am no. m sinfOtmed, there Is nothing
in the way except the iueisp Jsiti0n Of her Legis.
lsturo 10 give proof satizactOry OF loyalty by a
sufficient guarant o # saety and in tie to colored
citizens, through the extension 10 loyal cOiored mn
Of the right Of suffrage. Why not, then, a. almost
every loyal mzn conCurs wi h you as 10 the des' r
ablen0ss of that reconstruct n. take tho short
est road to il, by ca fsing every proper representa-
ton to be made 10 the Louisiana Legislature, Of the
importance Of such exteuhion2
Mr.. Chase entered more in detail into a
discussion Of the question, covering, in the
main, his Often-expressed views, and con-
Guiding thus:
Once I should have boon, II not satishs ID, par.
TALLY, ~stleast, o~ontented with suffrage for tho in
~telligent and thoto who have bsen soldiers now
1 am convinced that Universal Suffrage is demand
written too much already, aud will no. trouble you
with my reasons. 1 shall return to Warrington in
e day or two. and perhaps 1t will not be disagreo-
able to you to have the whole sutjcc. talked over.
Truly and faithfully yours, s.. r. CHASE.
To the President,
That conversation never came. The
shot which struck down the martyr-P resi-
dent, in the midst of splendid success and
noble purposes, left the Chief Justice on
his return no other duty than that of swear-
ing into Office MI. LincOln's successor.
The last of these letters, however, was
received by the President on the evening
before his assassination 1t happens 70 be
within my personal knowledge that on the
next morning he showed it TO q leading
member of the Cabinet; and it was so well
known IS TO have been currently taxed Of
among tho administration leaders at Wash
ington that at the Cabinet meeting that
day, which followed, Mr.. Lincoln's expires
sions in favor of the liberality toward ne
gro citizens in the reorganization which
Mr.. Chase had urged, were fuller and more
emphatic than in either Of the instances
already quoted
Never were the hopes cfthe progressive
loyalists Of the country in Mr.. Lincoln
stronger ; was their confidence in
him more perfect never was the sssur-
ance that his wisdom, ~benevolence and
power would secure perfect protection TO
the rights of all men so complete, as on the
day when he was lost to the Nation and
to Mankind. The country ean Judge with
what lack of reason his authority is now
invoked against these latest expressions Of
his faith and wish. .frffI
July %. AGATE.