Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-03-02
TgF PRFSTDENTs POLICT.
INTERVIEW WITH GOV. COX, OF 0HI0.-WHAT
ne HAS DONE AND WHAT he PROPOSES.


important letter was read tonight BY
Governor Cox, of Ohio, to the Represen-
tatives in Congress from that State:
WASHINGTON, Monday,
Feb. 26, 1866.
General Geo. B. Wright, Chairman In
ion Central Committee Columbus, o.:
DEARSTR: On Saturday last I had an
interview with the President L regarded
it as of sufficient Importance to reduce to
writing my remembrance OF his state
mentS whilst fresh in my memory. L
waited upon him this morning to make
known what had done, to ask his verl-
ication of the truth of my report. and his
consent to make the same known to the
country. He frankly gave his consent,
and assented to the accuracy of my report.
The President said he had no thoughts
he was not willing to avOw; that his
policy had simply aimed at the earliest
possible restoration of peace on the basis
of LOYALTY. No Congressional policy had
ever been adopted, and therefore when
he entered upon the duty of his Office, he
was obliged to adopt one of his own. He
had in some sense inherited that Of Mr..
Lincoln, with which he thought he agreed,
and that was substantially the one which
he had carried out. Congress had no
lust cause of complaint for what he had
done so far. They had not seen fit to de-
clare their views, or adopt any measures
embodving what could be called policy
of restoration. He was satisfied that no
long continuance of a military govern
ment could be tolerated that the whole
country would properly demand the res
tOratiOn of truly civil government, and
not to give it to the lately rebelllOus
States would be an admission of the fall
L Il L. y y =, IL.
the war to prove themselves equal to the
exingency. Now that the work of des-
truetioD was over. and the rebuilding had
begun. military government alone would
not pacify the South. At the end ola
long period of such government, we
would be no nearer, and probably not so
near the end as now, and We should have
the same work to do. Hence there Is a
real necessity for the adoption Of policy
which should restore civil Government
lust as soon as the rebellion should be
thoroughly ended, and those conditions
accepted by the South, which were to be
regarded as absolutely necessary to the
peace of the country. The proper sys-
tenn Of pacifcation should be one tending
everywhere to stimulate the loyalty of
the South, rather than to impose upon
them laws and conditions, by direct ex-
ternal force. Thus in the case of the
Freedmens Bureau, he was not against
the idea of the Bureau in toto, for he
had used it and was still using it. It
might continue for period Of more than
a year, yet he had contemplated that Ell
ther by proclamation of his own, or by
some action of Congress, the condition of
peace, the technical end of rebellion,
would probably be declared at some period
not very remote, and as he understood the
present law, the Bureau might continue
a year from that time. Meanwhile, he
would say to the South, it depends upon
Yourselves to say whether the Bureau
shall be discontinued at an earlier day
for [ will put an end to it just as soon as
you make it unnecessary for the protec-
ton of the freedmen Thus, the hopes of
getting rid of the institution stimulates
them to do right, whilst they are not dis
couraged by the idea that there Is no
hope of an end to what they regard as a
sort of military government. If on the
other hand the Bureau were made per-
manent by legislation, all the objections
he had urged in his message applied in
full force to it, and instead of encourag-
ing the South to loyalty it would tend to
make their hatred of the Government
inveterate The same principle of stimu-
lating loyalty was shown in the manner
he had held martial law over them
Whenever they should show that martial
law was not needed, it should be remOv-
ed. Their own conduct would thus deter
mine the matter, and the desire and in
terest of all the best people be increased
to obey the laws, because by so doing.
they would hasten the withdrawal and
interference of the military arm in their
affairs.
In precisely the same way he had acted /
in regard to civil affairs generally in that 1
section regarding it as necessary to i'm
pose conditions upon the rebelliOus States .
which would guarantee the safety of the /
country, and regarding the existing Of
hcers of government as having disquali-
fed themselves by their treason from con-
tinuance in power, he deposed them and
established provisional governments
Then he asked himself what conditions
ought to be demanded of them, and how
their disposition to accept them, in good
faith, might be stimulated. The condi-
lions were, namely, the amendment of
State Constitutions excluding slavery;
of the amendment of the Con
of the United States repudia-
ion of the rebel debit and the admission
If freedmen to various rights, &c. To
stimulate them to accept these conditions, ;
1eing such as, using his Judgment and
n the absence Of any congressional plan, ,
he thought nearest right of any he could
rame, he engaged that on their accep- I
ance with evidence of good faith he !
7ould permit them to reorganize their
State Governments, elect their own Leg
stature, &C. and, so far as Executive y
cts could do, would restore them to
heir position In the Union Of States
hey had so far accepted his conditions, /!
hat he regarded the experiment a sue |
ess. He had accordingly reorganized P
be PostOfice Department among them
ad reopened trade and removed restric-
ons thereon through the Treasury De- /
and IN like manner in all the r
Executive departments recognized them v
States in the Union, only keeping d
lough military hold to protect the freed d
len and to induce them to do something p
.ore thorough in that direction.
Now but one thing remained in which "
lose States did not exercise the full L
ghts of States, and that was representa- 81
on in Congress. In this he had advised
lat some principle of stimulating loyalty tr
applied as in the other respects named. j.
e l00uId admit only such Representatives tv
are IA fact loyal men, giving Satisfactory
jdence Of this. Whenever State or n
strict sent a loyal man, properly cleo n,
d aud qualified, he would think it right n
admit him, the same as if from any al.
her State; and he JCOUId admit none but
ch loyal men, so that other States or ~
stricts may be thus induced to elect and ln
nd similar men. When they had all W
Al L