Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-09-19
VOLUME XXXIII
LETTER FROM HENRY J. RAYMOND
TO HORACE GREELEY.


NEW York, September l5.-The follow
ing letter appeared inthe Times this morning:
TO Horace Greeley, Esq.:-DEAR SIR: In
a card, published few days since, you stated
facts which lead YOU to the conclusion that
President Johnson, at the time referred, did
not want harmony with Congress; that he
had already made up his mind to break
loose from the party which elected him and
seek further lease Of power through the
favor and support Of its implacable enemies.
i do not think the facts you mention war
rant the inference you draw from them, as
] the President may have had other reasons
| for declining 10 act upon your suggestions
than the one you assign, but Of this tie pub
lie is tie judge.
Ny object in this note is to state certain
| facts within my personal knowledge which
| led me then, and which leads me still, 10 be-
| lieYe that throughout the winter the Presi-
dent did not wish to break with the Union
party, and that he had no thought or pur-
pose Of seeking a farther lease of power
through favor and support of its enemies,
or otherwise. / eonversed freely, though
not frequently, with the President upon the
action Of the Union party in Congress dur
ing the winter While 1 never presumed TO
/ never failed 70 express my sense of the inn
portance Of relying upon the liberal members
of the party forsueh action as the good Of the
country might require, and l repeatedly told
him that, while there was a strong conviction
in the party that his mode Of restoring peace
and harmony to the Union was the only prae-
ticable one, great obstacle to its adoption
was found in the fear that he would go over
to the Democratic party, in which, as
political organization, the country had lost
confidence. He never failed in response,
TO say that all such apprehensions were
utterly unfounded; that he had no such
purpose or thought, and be relied with con-
fdence on the judgment and good sense Of
the party which elected him, and 10 whose
principles and policy as declared at Balti-
more, he should rigidly adhere. He said
the action Of the Democratic party, as an or
ganization, during the war, had demOralized
il, and deprived il Of public confidence. He
believed that gradual process of disinte-
grafton was going on in both parties, which
would bring together all patriotic Demo
Gratis who had stood by the Government
through the war, and the liberal Republi-
cans, who waged war for the Union, and who
were for Union now that the war is over.
He always disclaimed any intention Of going
over 10 the Democrats, or of using the pa
tronage Of the Government for their benefit
saying always that he should fight out his
differences with Congress within the lines of
the Union party. 1t is but just also to say
that he uniformly disclaimed any wish for
reelection, saying he should deem himself
fortunate 10 get successfully through his
present term, and that his only anxiety was
TO secure speedy and efiectual restoration of
the Union TO peace and prosperity. He also |
laid express stress, moreover, on the impor- |
tance 10 the Union party of bringing South |
srn States back by a liberal and friendly |
policy. Why, said he, more than once,
why can't our friends in Congress see that |
the Southern States will be our friends, if |
we show them that we are theirs, now that |
slavery is abolished? He added, there is |
no longer any cause for sectional division |
of parties. We can get rid of that, and un-
der wise and judicious policy, half the |
Southern States at least will vote and act /
with the Union party Why should we be |
hostile and drive them back into their old |
alliance with the Democratic party of the |
North? This was the uniform tenor of the |
Presidents language in conversation through |
out the winter, and it satisfied, as ] endea- /
vored to satisfy, my friends that he neither i
desired nor intended TO break with the party |
which elected him 50 long as it should adj
here to the Union principles upon which
that election was carried, and even after the
call Cor the Philadelphia National Conven-
ton had been issued the President urged
that it could not fail to exert wholesome
influence upon the Union party by showing
that men from both sections could again
unite on common ground and work together
for common objects. Yours, etc,
II. J. RAYMOND.