Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1866-04-19
Pnlifital,
THE SITUATION,

| I'LL SlIUAIlUN,
Opinions Of Judge Chase, Postmaster Dennison
attorney General Speed, and Secretary Stanton.
The Chief Justice is frank and out
spoken in his opinions. He believe,
that the President is honest and patri
otic, but that he started wrong in his
work of restoration or reconstruction
that having builded upon an unten.
able foundation, his superstructure,
his policy, must fail and fall. Mr.
Chase feels warm personal friend
ship for him in the trials and labors
that are upon him. He would be
glad to consult with the President
and aid him in the solution of these
difficult questions; but the President
does not seek his advice, and proba,
bly, distrusts him, and he therefore
can not volunteer his opinion or aid.
When this question of reconstruction
first came up. Mr.. Chase had long
interview aud consultation with the
President upon the subject, or, rather
several long interviews and persist
emily urged the President to issue a
proclamation recognizing all persons
in the rebel States, black and white.
as citizens, having equal rights in the
work of reconstruction that this
proclamation would immortalize him
as the Proclamation of Emancipation
will immortalze Mr.. Lincoln; and
that it would be fitting accompani.
ment to that great paper. This plan,
at first, seemed to strike Mr.. johnson
with great force: lie did not dissent
from it. Soon after, Mr.. Chase left on
his visit to the Southern States, and
MIR. johnson asked him to advise him
from time to time of what he saw and
learned, which he did 1t is believed
that, after this advice and counsel of
Mr.. Chase, and after his departure for
the South, bad and designing men
got the ear and confidence of the Pres,
ident, and poisoned him against Mr..
Chase, and led him to distrust his
counsel, charging that the Chief
Justice had given him this advice for
his own personal ends; that he was
an inspirant for the Presidency, and
that. to follow his advice would be to
weaken him the President), }, rather
than to give him strength.
Mr.. Chase does not think that Con-
gress and the President will ever har-
monize. He thinks that the President
has not the power to destroy the Un-
ion party; that one man, as he ex.
pressed it, however elevated his posi-
tion, fills but q small space in ma
tion or in a great party; and that the
Union party, at this time, embodies
the intelligence and conscience of the
country, and, turning to the person
with whom he was in conversation,
inquired: "Do you see any of the in
telligent, honest young men of our
country attaching themselves to this
old, corrupt, and disloyal Democratic
party 7"
Mr.. Chase does not indorse Mr.. Sum-
ner he thinks him impractical, and
that his course is accomplishing no
good TO the race he seeks To serve;
that he rouses against them united
antagonism and ill-feeling; that he is
domineering, intolcrant man; that
Mr.. Stevens is a better and more
practical man than Mr.. Sumner; that
Sumner would lead to destruction any
party that followed him; that if we
cannot secure at once all that we
wish for this oppressed race, we
should take each good as it comes
within our reach, and work for the
eventual attainment of full justice to
them. why do you not act as me-
diator in this contest, and try to save
our great party?" was said to him.
81 would be glad to act as mediator
il could, but no man has the power
to accomplish it. Mr.. Johnson has
his policy and theories, from which he
will never swerve; Congress is an un-
wieldy, unyielding body, follwing too
much the leadership of impractical
men," Mr. Chase is full of faith and
hope that all things will come out
WE'LL. He does not believe that this
war has been fought, the country
saved, and these millions made free,
for the nation now to be destroyed, or
that God will permit any of that
great work to be undone.
MR., DENNIsoN