The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1866-10-18
mob"

w ~ ne'p re]olnln!g promptly, that hi
heed q y: oot be at Nashville, for at Wash.
flnston his hand was on, the long end d
the lever with which he could easil,
move all Tennessee; referring. Of cou,se
to the powerful but legitimate inau:
ence which he might exercise 10 his
own State by the expression Of his
desires. Let me confess that his hcs;.
tatlon ON this occasion disturbed me
but ! attributed it to an unnecessarv
caution rather than to any inideIity.-
he had been SO positive with me, how
could ! suspect him!
IN other occasions the conversation
was renewed. Such was my interest
in this question, that l could not see
me President without introducing it,
AS l, was about to return home, / said
that that 1 desired, even at the risk of repe-
tltlon, to make some parting suggestions
on the reconstruction Of the rebel
states, and that, with his permission, |
would proceed point by point, as was
the habit Of the pulpit in former days.
lie smiled aud said pleasantly, Have |
not always listened to you?" I replied
"you have, and l am grateful" After
remarklne that the rebel region was
still in military occupation, and that it
was the plain duty Of the President to
use his temporary power for the estab-
llshment Of correct principles, 1 pro-
ceeded to say: First-Sce to it that no
newspaper is allowed which is not
thoroughly loyal and does not speak
we'll of the Nationa! Government and
Of equal ri ghts; and here 1 reminded
him Of the saying of the Duke Of
Wellington, that in place under mar
tlal law, an unlicensed press was as
impossible as on the deck of ship of
war. Secondly-Let the officers that
you send, as Military Governors or
otherwise be known for their devotion
to equal rights, so that their names
alone will be proclamation, while
their simple presence will help educate
the people; and here mentioned Major
General Carl Schurz, who still held
his commission In the army as such a
person. Thi-dly Encourage the popu
Iation to resume the profitable la5ors
Of agriculture, commerce and manu-
factures without delay, but for the
present to avoid politics. Fourthly-
Keep the whole rebel region under
these good influences, and, at the
proper time, hand over the subject OF
reconstruction with the great question
Of equal rights, to the Judgment of
Congress, Where it belongs All this
The President received at the time with
perfect kindness, and I mention this
with the more readiness because re-
member to have seen in the papers a
very different statement.
Only short time afterwards there
was change, which seemed to be like
a summelsault or an apostasy; and
then ensued strange sight. Instead
Of faithful Unlonists, recent rebels
thronged the Presidential ante-cham-
bers, rejoicing in new found favor.
They made speeches at the President.
and he mate speeches at them n rnu-
tual sympathy was manifest On one
occasion the President announced him
self a 'sSouthern man" with Southern
sympathies," thus quickening that sec
tional fame which good men hoped to
see quenched forever. Alas! if after
all our terrible sacrifices We are still to
have President who does not know
how to spurn every sectional appeal and
make himself the representative of all,
Unhappily, whatever the President said
or did was sectional. He showed him
self constantly a sectionatit. Instead
of telling the ex-rebels that thronged
the Presidential ante chamber, as he
should have done, that he was their
friend, that he wished them we'll fror,
the bottom of his heart; that he longed
to see their fields yield an increase and
peace in all their borders, aud that, to
this end, he counselled them to devote
themselves to agriculture, commerce,
and manufactures, and for the present
say nothing about politics; instead OF
this, he sent them away talking and
/ thinking of nothing but politics, and
frantic for the re-establishment of Sec
tional power. Instead of designating
officers Of the army as Military Gov
ernors, which l had supposed he would
do, he appointed ex-rcbels, who could
not take the oath required by Congress
of all officers of the United States. and
they in turn appointed ex-rebels to office
under them, so that participation in
the rebellion found its reward, and
treason, instead of being made odius,
became passport to power. Every
where ex-rebels came out OF their hid
ing-places. They walked the streets
defiantly, and asserted their old domin-
ation.,, Under the auspices Of the Pres.
ident, new campaign was planned
against the Republic, and they who
tailed in open war now sought to enter
the very citadel of political power.
Victory, purchased by SO much loyal
blood and treasure, was little better
than cipher. Slavery itself revived
in the spirit Of Caste. Unionists, who
had been trampled down by the rebel
lion, we're trampled down still more b,
these Presidential governments. There
Was no liberty Of the press, or liberty of
speech, and the lawlcssness of slavery
began to rage anew.
Every day brought tidings that the
rebellion was reappearing in its essen
tial essence. Amidst all professions Of
submission there. was an immitigable
hate to the National Government, and
a prevailing injustice to the freedmen.
This was last Autumn. / was then in
Boston. Moved by desire to arrest
this fatal tendency, ! appealed by let:
ter to members Of the Cabinet, entreat-
ing them to stand firm against a "poli.
cy" which promised nothing but disas-
ter. As soon as the elections were
over I appealed directly to the Presi-
dent himself by telegtaphic despatch
as follows: ...,
-'l BosroS, 18th Nov, 1865. 3.
ssTo the President Of the United States,
Washington:
Gas a faithful friend and supporter
Of, your administration, | must respect
fully petition yo- to suspend for the
present your policy towards the reLel
States. l should not present this prayer
if were not painfully convinced that