The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-11-03
President johnson on Reconstruct
ton.

The following report OF conversation
between Major George L. Stcarno OF
Mas. and President johnson. Is publish
cd in the Daily Advertiser. with the Ger
tiiicate OF the president that ii is suborli-
nateiv correct -
WASHINGTON. ID. c.. Oct. >, 1860.
III A. NJ.
have just returned from an interview
with President johnson. i'll which he talk
ed Tor an hour on the process of recon-
Struction of rebel states Ills manner
was a> cordial and h> conversation a. free
rs in 1868. when | met him in Nashville.
His countcnancc i healthy. even more
50 than Wien lir>t knew him.
| remarked th;.; The people OF the North
were ANXIOUS that the prnrc,, OF recon-
struclion should be thorough. and they
wished to support him i'll hi> ar,luou>
work. but their ideas were confused bv the
conflicting reports constantly circulated.
and especially 10y the present condition OF
the democratic patty. Il is indu>;ri-
ou>lv circulated in the democratic club,
that he w:- @oin@ over to them H.
laughin"lv replied, Major. have vou
never known man who Tor many wears
had differed from Your views because vou
Were in advance OF him. claim them is his
own when he came up 10 Your >ianl
point -
Irepiied, have often. He said. so
have |. and went on the democratic par
ty finds lis old position untenablc, and Is
coming to ours if il has come 10 our po-
silion, | am clad of it, You and need
no preparation for this conversation we
can talk freely on this subject. ior the
thoughts are familiar to Us; we can he
perfectly frank with each other lie then
commenced with >ayin. that the states are
in the Union, which is whole and indi-
visible.
individuals tried to carry them out, but
did not succeed, Is Il 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 il.
individuals may commit treason. and
be punished, and a large number OF indi-
vldlal> may constitute rebellion. and he
punished rs traitors. Some states tried 10
GET out OF the Union, and we opposed ii,
honestly, because we thought it to he
wrong and we have succeeded in putting
down the rebellion. The power OF those
persons who made the attempt has been
crushed, ana now we want to reconstruct
the state governments and have the power
TO do it. The state institutions are pros
trated, laid out on the ground, and they
must be taken up and adapted to the pro-
gresS OF events this cannot be done in Il
moment We are making very rapid pro-
gress, so rapid | sometimes cannot realize
it it appears like dream.
Wemust not be in too much of 4 hur-
ry it is bettey to let them reconstruct
themselves than to force them into il: for
if they 90 wrong, tie power is in our
hands and we can check them at anv
stage, to the end, and oblige them to cor
rect their errors: We must be patient
with them. did not expect to keep out
all who were excluded from the amnesty.
or even large number of them, but | i'll
tended they should sue for pardon, and so
realize the enormity of the crime they
have committed.
You could not have broached the sub
Ject of equal suffrage, at the North, seven
years ago, and we must remember that the
changes at the South have been more rap
id, and they have been Obliged to accept
more unpalatable truth than the North
has We must give them time to digest a
part, Tor we cannot expect such large af-
fairs will be comprehcnded and digested at
once. We must give them time TO under
stand their new position.
have nothing to conceal in these mat
tiers, and have no desire or willingness to
take indirect courses to obtain what we
want.
Our government is grand and lofty
structure in searching for its foundation
we find it rests on the broad basis of pop
ular rights. The elective franchise is not
a natural right, but political right. !