The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-02-12
THE PRESIDENTS POSITION.
ii Cool Comfort for the Democrats. .

lOe 3H Va 1fi 9AI ---A---i5l 2 alfk Susf Ia.
70 "Dixon," the intelligent and reliable WASH
ington correspondence the Boston Adrer-
hser, communicates to that journal the sub
stance of a conversation between President
johnson and a distinguished Representative,
concerning his speech to the colored delega-
q ton on Wednesday last. d"Dixon" saws he Vi
olates no confidence in, making the points of
e the conversation public; that it was free
q chat between the President and his friend, oc-
clpying half an hour. 10 While condensed, the
y correspondentsays as far as possible, he has
% given the Presidents own words, --at any rate
d he insists he has fairly given the import of his
words. o lie says: s1s4hqswsa cit .hnsb IA
'ou The representative said some persons felt
= and Others would probably, for personal or fac
ID tious ends, en1eavory to show that the Presi-
:, dent was taking sides against the colored peo-
Pile, or was at least less favorably disposed to-
ward them than he had been. 80 gtiblsts y
Il. The President responded that no one could
d fairly and truthfuly do that, He was now.
what he had always been, the friend of the
poor and the lowly. He had never broken
faith with anybody, and if his past course and
y his former language were not sufficient guar
aantee that he meant well toward the colored
people and would endeavor to secure to them
fair chance, nothing he could say or do now
u would give any such guarantee He thought,
however, That it was best to speak plainly, and
ne dio not peneye that the effort now making
by some who call themselves the negroes sps,
clal friends, to force universal suffrage upon
tne otates, was wise Or judicious. He thought
LII tenqeu TO embltter feelings, while Our effort
T. should be 10 cultivate calmness and confidence
ne peneyed 1t would result in great injury to
the prospects of the colored people He did
not knoWH whetner Mr.. Douglass and his
friends expected him to talk to them. b,It he
thought it best to take the Opportunity TO state
his views. lie would repeat that he was. If
= he knew his own heart, the colored MANS
friend. He had great faith in the people. and
would endeavor to carry out their will. = HI
The representative then said that some ner
sons might take, or profess to take, the Presi
dents speech as an indication that he was AZ
variance with his party friends, and that some
others might endeavor to found upon it the
charge that he was preparing to go over. a@
The President smiled, and answered that if
the party which opposed his election INDUCED
in any great expectations on that score, they
were likely to bedsappointed. He might DIFF
fer with individuals Of what was called the
Union party as to the means to be used, but
ne considered himself in general accord with
tnat party, as whole, in the ends to be reach
to snk the partisan in the patriot But SO
Iar as ne understood the sentiments of the
un mon party, he was in general accord with it.
.fi.rl Inc representative finally, after further
conversation, said something abont tho dc
tribution OF Offices, about executive patron on
age y. - E1i59 asnos sl.ag vi -. i'''0'i'7
s The President remarked that he was t,a
servant of the whole people, but he could not
entirely forget by what party he had been
placed in his present position, and supported
Q in the administration of the duties intrusted
to him. He proposed to fight his battles with
in the lines Of the party which elected him to
office. He might differ with some of his
friends, and he should feel wholly at liberty
to SO differ, and to state the ground of his
contrary belief or opinion; but he considered
himself Identified with the great Union party,
ana mad no desire or intention of being found
outside. lie intended to exercise his own
Judgment, but was ready to yield it when he
found it was not sustained by the Judgment
OF the people, He had no sympatRies with
those who opposed the war for the Union, and