Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-05-29
Opinions Of the President and Cabinet.
Y l.. 1 L II =

several members of the Cabinet were serenaded
by the National Union Club, in Washington
In response, the President, after thanking them
for the compliment, said :-'tAll that will be
necessary is to persist in the support and main
tenance Of correct principles, and the day is not
distant when the American people will satisfy
you that the good work you have commenced
Is right, as it viii SO prove in the end APP
plause
Secretary Weles said II thank You, gen
tlemen, for this compliment, which, [ suppose,
Is to the Administration and its policy, which
we one and all approve. lCheers. You need
not expect any remarks from me, for [ do not
intend to make any. You are, one and all, |
suppose, for the Union and for the establish
ment Of the rights Of the States. Cheers l.
These arc my views Cheers %
Secretary lcCulloch defended the course
and policy Of the President, and said ST is
pretty good evidence Of the correctness Of the
Presidents policy, that Congress- after having
been in session nearly six long, weary months,
has been unable to present one which they can
agree upon as substitute Cheers and laugh
ter. 1t was once said, ] think by John Ran
dolph, that Of all the thinkers the constitution
tinkers were the most to be deprecated. -
Cheers. II he could rise from his grave,
what would he say to the present Congress, In
ton tinker Cheers and laughter. But they
are not wise enough to amend that grand old
instrument, the work Of our patriot fathers, Of
the founders Of the Republic the glory Of the
United States, and the admiration Of the world.
lChcers.
Secretary Stanton entered at large into
statement OF the measures, of the President and
Congress, endorsing the policy Of President
johnson. He stated that every member Of the
cabinet was now in accord with the President,
-thatronly one ground of difference existed at
one tihe, which was in relation to negro suf-
frage that at first he (Stanton1 inclined to the
opinion that negro suffrage in at least a quail
fed form, should be granted, but that he final
y yielded to the force Of the arguments adj
vanced and became convinced that such
measure was impracticable. He was far, how
ever, from objecting very strongly, II at all, to
the proceedings in Congress. and stated that he
was onn0sed to the veto of the Freedman s Blu
reau bill, and rather seemed to approve Of the
3'tgiyil Rights bill He gives his reasons for
Directing TO, the demonstration plan, report
ed by the Reconstruction Committee, but. dis
claims any purpose to interfere beyond the ex7
preston of his opinion as Congress must be
the Judge Of the matter.
The Postmaster General said in reference to
the difference between the President and the
Radicals, advocating however the policy of the
President: Let me refer one moment to the
difference between the President and Congress.
[ want to deal frankly with you when say that
do not believe these differences are nrecenci-
able do not believe there is any cause of
separation between the President and the ma
iority in Congress. Applause. Nay, if / am
not greatly at fault, time and discussion are
bringing the President and Congress rapidly to-
gether on the basis Of a common platform of
action Applause. Certain it is they are not
as wide apartaas at the opening Of Congress
Secretary. Seward was absent in New York
and Attorney General Speed was absent on bust
ness Secretary Harlan, of the Interior, sent a
letter from which the following is an extract =
u have been four times elected to a seat in the
United States Senate by the Legislature of To-
wa, as a representative of the Republican Union
party, and, as a member Of that political organ
ization, was appointed to the Office lnow hold.
To betray the confidence thus reposed in me
would be manifestation Of ingratitude so gar-
ingly dishonorable that [ am sure no intelligent
member Of your organization expects it. Nor
can it be expected that | will do or say anything
which would in my opinion tend to divide,
weaken, or delnoralize the great Union organ
ization, until the purposes Of its creation shall
/ have been fully accomplished