Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-11-02
The Designs of the Radicals.
Washington Correspondence New York Hera
October 22nd


October 22nd
When President johnson was on his late
trip in the West, a United States senator and
two major generals of the army, who be-
longed to his party, were approached at In
dianapolis by a prominent conservative Re-
publican, who had been colonel of an Indiana
regiment during the late war, and who is now
captain in the regular service, and who made
the following startling statement: He had
been making speeches for the Republicans in
Indiana in August last, and at the request
of Governor Fletcher, of Missouri, visited
that State and made one or two conservative
speeches. He was told by Gov. Fletcher
that his speeches were too tame; that the
most radical of declarations were wanted in
Missouri; that the people must be told that
the Republicans had decided that the rebels
should not vote, and that the State was to be
carried by force of arms if necessary Gov
ernor Fletcher also told him that he had 3d.
600 muskets in the State in loyal hands, and
that they should be used, if necessary, to
carry the State The Indianian told Cover
nor Fletcher that he was a Republican in
principle, but did not approve of such meas
ures, and would not advocate them. Gov
ernor Fletcher thought him merely weak
kneed, and answered him that he would come
into the harness after while. b'
A few nights subsequently he was pres
cnt, on invitation, at secret meeting of Rad
ical leaders at the Linden Hotel About ff-
ty prominent Radicals were present, inclu-
ding Governor Fletcher, of Missouri; Gov
ernor Oglesby, Of Illinois, and Senator Yates
and John A. Logan, Of Illinois. The whole
plan of the impeachment of the President
was discussed, even to the arrangement of
filing Washington with an armed force of
Boys in Blue to protect Congress, and al
so to decide who should succeed johnson in
case Vice-President Foster, as his successor,
should not prove equally positive and pliable
to the will Of the Jacobins. Butler, Gov
ernor Morton of Indiana, and others, were
discussed. Butler was looked upon as lack
ing in courage, and Morton was feared as be-
ing too ambitious for the purposes Of the con
spirators. General Grant was mentioned as
too conservative, and Sherman was secuted
as Copperhead Finally, Senator Yates
was decided upon as possessing more stami-
ma and less scruples than any other available
man. If President johnson offered serious
resistance, and Foster did not act vigorously,
Yates was to be put in to control affairs
When he was about leaving St. Louis the
Informant the case was requested by Cover
nor Fletcher to ask Governor Morton of In
diana, what number of arms he could spare
to Missouri Governor Morton replied. when
the message was delivered, that he could not
say that he had any to spare that there
were about 100, 600 stand, with plenty Of
ammunition, in the arsenal; he would see
what could be spared, and confer with Gov
ernor Fletcher Out of the correspondence
grew the conference of the Governors at Phil
adel phia, which it is now we'll known was for
the purpose, among others, of distributing
arms throughout the country. Outside Of
the statement of this officer there is indubita-
BILE evidence in the hands of President John
son of the secret distribution of large quaint
ties of arms throughout the Northwest On va
rous pretexts, all of which, however, are le-
gal and plausible enough.
While the startling character of this story
causes it to be incredulously received by
many, the character of the officer making the
statement, the known desperate characters Of
the leaders implicated in the scheme, and
much corroberative evidence received, cause
it to be generally believed among the Presi-
dent adherents.