The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-12
The President-C Con gress-Henry Ward
Beech

The President Con ngress-Henry Ward
from the Tribune.
The persistent efforts of Mr.. Beecher to cast
blame on the Republican majority of the pre-
sent Congress as--at least equally with Presi.
dent Johnson-responsible for the grave exist
ing difference between them, impels me, in the
interest of truth and justice, TO make statement
of facts.
was one of the many who early apprehended
and anxiously deprecated a breach between
Congress and the President. Soon after our
last State election, and before the assembling of
the present Congress, went, not unnvted, to
Washington, expressly to guard against such
difference. Being admitted to an interview
with the President, / urged him to call 20 wash
ington three of the most eminent and trusted
expositors of Northern anti-slavery sentiment.
and three equally eminent and representative
Southern eX-Rebels, and ask them 10 take up
their residence at the White House for a week,
a fortnight so long as they might find neces-
sary, while they, by free and friendly conference
and discussion, should earnestly endeayor to
find common ground whereon the North and
the South should be not merely reconciled, but
made evermore fratemal and harmonious.
suggested that the President should occasion
ally, as he could find time, drop In on these
conferences and offer such suggestions as he
should deem fit = rather as a moderator or
cussion.
A suggestion OF names being invited, pro.
posed those of Governor Andrew, of Massachu-
sets; Gerritt Smith, of New York; and Judge r.
p. Spaulding, of Ohio, as three who seemed to
me lair representatives of the autIslavery senti-
ment OF the North while neither specially OBJ
noXious to nor disposed to deal harshly with
the South; and added that hoped they would
be met by men like General Robert E. Lee,
Alexander II. Stephens, etc., who would be re-
CogniZed and needed by the South as men in
whose hands her honor aud true interests would
be safe. But added that had no special de-
sire that these or any particular men should be
selected, wishing only that those chosen from
either section should be such as to command
their peoples confidence and support. And l
pledged myself to support to the extent OF my
power, any adjustment that should thus be ma
tured and agreed upon.
Some two months later, after the meeting of
Congress, and when the political sky had be-
come darker, went again TO Washington, on
the assurance of mutual friend that the Pre-
sident desired to see me. The Joint Committee
ON Reconstruction had then been appointed.
At an interview promptly accorded, urged the
President to invite this Committee to the White
House, and discuss with them, from evening to
evening, as friend with friends, all the phases
of the grave problem of reconstruction, with a
fixed resolve to hnd basis OF agreement ii pos
slble. l urged such considerations as occurred
TO me in favor OF the feasibility OF such agree
ment if it were earn astly sought as felt sure
it would be on the side of Congress. The vast
patronage in the Presidents hands-the reluct-
ance of the majority in Congress to see their
friends, supporter, and nominees expelled by
wholesale from Office, and their places supplied
by bitter adversa1ies-the natural anxiety Of
every party in power to maintain cordial rela-
tions with the head of the Government chosen
by its votes-these, and thousand kindred
considerations, rendered morally certain an
agreement between Congress and the President
without a sacrifice of principle on either hand,
if the latter should sincerely seek it.
speak only OF what sald and proposed, be-
cause have no right and no permission to speak
further. That my suggestions were not fol
lowed, nor anything akin to them, the public
sadly knows And the conclusion to which
have been most reluctantly forced is that the
President dad not 1Cdnt harmony with Congress-
that he had already made up his mind TO break
with the party which had elected him and seel
a further lease of power through the favor anC
support of its implacable enemies.
HORACE GREELEY.