Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-01-30
Views of the President.

$4,000.
Views of the President.
The very careful and intelligent Washington
correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette, who is
a strong sympathizer with the radical policy,
has written a letter to that journal, in which he
processes to state accurately the utterances of
President johnson, ON the subject of recon-
struction, during recent interviews between
leading Congressman and the President Care
full minutes of some of these interviews were
made at the time, and he wrote with these be-
fore him.
In one case he states that several members,
popularly known as Radicals said to the Pres-
dent that if he would be satisfied with constitu-
tional amendments, basing representation on
voters, making all men equal before the law,
excepting the matter of suffrage, repudiating
the Confederate war debt, and guaranteeing
national obligations, they would make an effort
to bring the party in Congress to an adjustment
of the reconstruction question on that basis, and
would even 60 to the length of admitting Ten
nessee in advance of all the other States and of
the general adoption of this policy by the South,
if she would individually agree to these amend
ments.
Without entering into any serious considera-
ton of their subject-matter the President said
that he had objections on general grounds to
any constitutional amendments. He had once
been in favor of some himself, and was on the
record in their favor; but these were changed
times, and the tendency was too great toward
quent amendments were calculated to weaken
the force and solemn sanction of the Constitu-
ton, and make it's provisions like the work of
town meetings. As to any proposition for ma
king the payment of the Confederate debt I'M
constitutional, he considered them unnecessary,
and doubted their propriety.
furthermore, there was gross inconsistency In
the proposed mode of securing these constitu-
tional amendments. They were to be proposed
by Congress from which the South was exclu-
ded. Then the Southern States, who were I'm.
considered fit to ratify constitutional amend
ments. IF they were expected, as States, to act
upon the question of ratifying them, they should
be permitted, through their representatives in
Congress, to act in proposing them. In effect,
he did not think it right to demand the adoption
of any constitutional amendment as condition
Of admitting Southern members to Congress, be-
cause those States were in now and entitled to
all the rights of States.
Numerous Congressman have urged upon the
Presidents attention bill making the rugged
issue Of general negro suffrage condition pre-
cedent of Southern restoration. To such sug
sidered the proposed measure simply bill for
the dissolution of the Union. The people Of
the country stood and had stood upon the posi-
ton that the rebellion was to be put down, and
the States thereby kept in the Union. The
proposed bill now proposed to turn them out,
and prescribe conditions for their return. He
thought the true course for the Union party to
pursue was with open arms and cordial hands,
to welcome these States into participation in
the Government. In such connections, the
President has more than once stated his own
theory of reconstruction in words much more
explicit than have found their way into the pub
lie documents. During the war the loyal Gov
eminent had in sense been overthrow. 1t
was, therefore, the duty of the United States
and of the President, during this time, to do
all in their power to secure to these States re-
publican government. In fact these States were
entitled to be represented in Congress all through
the war, Indeed, there was greater reason for
their being then represented than there was at
other times. Congress had repeatedly dealt
with them as States during the war. Members
from Virginia, for example, were admitted. Di
rect taxes were apportioned among them just
are, therefore, now in the Union In numer-
Gus interviews the President has stated to diff
ferent gentlemen, in substantially the same Ian
guage, his views concerning the admission Of
Southern congressman. In one Of the minutes
the correspondent says he found memorandum
to this effect:
He repeatedly alluded to its being the pre-
"rogative and constitutional duty of each House
ito judge of the merits of each claimants cleo
''tion By ITSELF This also was the wise way of
keeping bad men out Of Congress, who might
mot, through personal disqualification, be en-
titled to seats. But it was grossly wrong to
Exclude States because of objections to indi-
'viduals. Each claimants case should rest on
s'and be decided according to his individual
merits
In the same line of conversation, the Presi-
dent said to certain Representatives, that the
South had travelled a great way in short time.
They had freed the slaves. They had provided
that no future legislation should enslave them.
They had recognized certain civil rights Of the
late slaves They had adopted the constitution
al amendment prohibiting slavery. Under such
circumstances the public sentiment of the coun-
try would sooner or later insure their recognl-
ton by Congress.
The correspondent adds that, throughout all
these interviews the President s manner has ex-
hibited no sense of dependence upon Congress,
and no feelings of even the slightest apprehen-
sion as to the result. He constantly refers to
'the people with manifest conviction that
public sentiment is overwhelmingly on his side,
and that in the event of any difference between
himself and Congress on these points, the coun-
try will be sure to sustain him.
Splendid Prize for $780,!