The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-07-01
THE PRESIDENTS POLICY.
Interview Between Mr.. Johnson an,
General Logan.


On the 3lst of May, while at Wash
ingtOn, General Logan called to pay his
respects to President johnson, and was
most cordially, received. am able to
give the following synopsis of the con-
Versation which took place ut the inter-
view, through the pOiiteness of Il gem
tlemnn who was present.
General Logan commenced by con-
graduating the President upon the
conservative policy which he had
initiated, and which was already pro
ductive of such excellent results. He
said that tho era of war was necessarily
closed, and that of reason and concilia-
ton opened; and that it was essential
TO peace that the passions of both
sections should now be allayed by
kindly and conSiderate, yet firm, action
on the part of the Executive, and he
looked upon the Presidents as SUCH.
President johnson replied that he
desired to have the seeded States
return back to their former condition
as quickly as possible. Slavery had
been the cause of the war. That cause
was now, most happily, removed, and
consequently he desired to see the
Union restored as it wis previously to
| the war, or, rs the President laughingly
remarked, as our democratic friends
used to to say, the Constitution as it is,
| the Union as it waS,' always saving
and except slavery, that had been
abolished. The war had decided that
and forever.
| A gentleman present spoke of negro
suffrage, and suggested that i'll recon-
structing the Union, it would be neces-
sary to disfranchise some leading rebels
and CnCranchiSO othcrH (Iur0IllHS loyal
colored people.) or that the case of the
| Virginia legislature assembling would
be repeated over again. The gentleman
is a strong advocate of negro suffrage.
The President replied that the case of
the Virginia legislature was easily dis
posed OF; that il had no power ms Il le-
/ gislative body, and that it could do
nothing anyhow. With regard to the
extension OF suffrage, the sentiment of
the country mt present appeared to tend
towards Il restriction rather than an eN-
tension of the right ofsutfrage generally.
Gen. Logan seconded the views of the
| President on the above, and then said
that it might not be polite to give the
rebels the right of suffrage Immediately.
He thought that it might be found adj
visable mt first to hold them i'll n sort of
pupilage by military force. As soon
as they could be trusted, then give them
the same power they possessed before
| The General also remarked that the
wheel of Reconstruction was large and
ipondeTOuS one, and that many who
would take their stand upon it would
be ground to powder. He had been
fighting four years TO save the Union.
He now proposed that those who de-
sired to reconstruct it might 90 i'll and
see what they could do. For his part
he felt inclined to be rather a lOokcr-On
than an nctive participant in the con-
test which would naturally grow out
of it.
The President said: General, there's
no such thing rs reconstruction. These
states have not gone out of the Union,
therefore, reconstruction is unnecessary.
do not mean 10 treat them as inchoate
states, but merely as existing under n
temporary suspension of their govern
mcnt, provided always they elect loyal
men. The doctrine of coercion to pre-
serve II State i'll the Union has been vim
dicatct. by the people. 1t is the pro-
vince of the Executive to see that the
will of the people is carried out in the
rehabilitation OF these rebelliOuS States,
once more 7Inder the authority as well
as the protection of the Union"
Gen. Logan responded, "That's So"
The President then passed on to the
question of the public debt. He said
that the finances of the country were in
Il hopeful condition: that probnblyNit
was possible to resume specie payments
Immediately, were il not for the COM
mercial distress it would create through
out the country generally. AS to the
public debt of the country, he was i'll
would never countenance any man,
party, sect or measure that oven
squinted at repudintion in any form.
The debt was incurred to save the coun-
try. 1t was a legacy OF the war, be-
queathed to us for good or evil. 1t was
not possible to shirll it. On the other
hand the great question would be to
make it, if possible, an instrument OF
good, not evil, to the public generally.
The above is the substance of the
conversation between these two dis
tiEgUished men, brought up in the
same party, and it seems to me that its
purpOrt is reassUring to the loval
masses of the country. On the question
of negro suffrage the President appear
ed to be somewhat nOn-cOmmiltul
probably, like Mr.. Lincoln, on enamel
patton, Whiting to feel the public pulse
upon it, and then acting rs he Thought
they would desire him to act. At any
rate he did not utter word in opposi-
ton To it, if those having the right 10
pass upon the question acted us they
saw fit.
General NIeatIc's Farewell OrtIer.--Thc
Army Of the Potomac ceases to Exist.
| WASHINGTON, June 29.-The farewell
order of Gen. Meade is published. 1t is
us follows:
Hdqrs A17ny Potomac, June %, 'G5.