Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-01
THE PRESIDENTS POLICY.
Interview with Gov. Cox, of OhiO-What
he Has Done and What he Pro-


poses.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-The following
important letter was read tonight by Gov.
Cox, of Ohio, to the Representatives in
Congress from that State:
WASHINGTON, Feb. &c, 1866.
General Geo. B. Wright Chairman Union
Central Committee, Columbus, o.:
DEAR SIR On Saturday last i had an in
terview with the President. regarded it
as of sufficient importace to reduce to wri-
ting my remembrance of his statements
whilst fresh in my memory. | waited upon
him this morning to make known what
had done, TO ask his verificatiOn 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 accu-
racy of my report. The President said he
had no thoughts he was not willing to avow !;
that his policy had simply aimed at the ear
lest possible restoration of peace on the
basis of loyalty.
No Congressional policy had ever been
adopted, and therefore when he entered up
on the duties 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 just ground of COM
plant for what he had done so far. They
had not seen fit to declare their views, or
adopt any measures embodying what could
be called policy of restoration. He was
satisfied that no long continuance of mill
tary government could be tolerated; that the
whole country would properly demand the
Sc L. a. nj
not 20 give it to the lately rebellious States
would be an admission of the failure of the
party which had carried through the war to
prove themselves equal to the e1igeney.
Now that the work of destruction was over,
and the rebuilding had begun, military gov
eminent alone would not pacify the South.
At the end of long period of such govern
ment, 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 the civil government
Just as soon as the rebellion should be thor
oughly ended, and those conditions accepted
by the South, which were to be regarded as
absolutely necessary TO the peace of the
country.
The proper system of paciicaton shall be
one which tended everywhere to stimulate
the South rather than to impose upon them
laws and conditions, by direct external force.
Thus, in the case of the Freedmen's Bureau,
he was not against the idea of the Bureau IN
toto, for he had used it and was still using it.
1t might continue for period of more than
a year, yet he had contemplated that either
by proclamation of his own, or by some
action of Congress, the condition of peace,
the technical end of rebellion, would proba-
big be declared at some period not very re-
mote, and, as he understood the present law,
the Bureau might continue year from that
time. Meanwhile, he could not say to the
South, il 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
protection of the freedmen. Thus the hope
of getting rid of the institution stimulates
them to do right, whilst they are not dis
couraged hy 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 permanent by legis-
lation, all the objections he had urged in his
message applied in full force to it, and in
stead Of encouraging the South TO loyalty il
would tend TO make their hatred of the Gov
eminent inveterate- The same principle of
stimulating loyalty was shown in the man.
ner he had held martial law over them.
Whenever they should show that martial
law was not needed, it should be removed.
Their own conductwould thus determine the
matter, and the desire and interest 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 Ne had acted in
regard to civil affairs generally in that sec
ton; regarding il as necessary to impose
conditions upon the rebellious States which
would guarantee the safety of the country,