Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-10-04
The Prcsident---Co nEress--Hen
Ward Bcccher.

The persistent efforts Of Mr.. Beecher to
cast blame on the Republican majority Of
the present Congress as-at least equally
with President Johnson-responsible for
the grave existing difference between them,
impels me, in the interest Of truth and
Justice, 10 make q statement Of facts.
l was one Of the many who early ap-
pretended and a~nxiously deprecated a
breach between Congress and the Presi-
dent. Soon after our last State election,
and before the assembling Of the present
Congress, / went, not invited. to Wash
ington, expressly to guard against such q
difference. Being admitted to an inter-
view with the President, l urged him to
call to Washington three Of the most imi-
nent and trusted expositors Of Northern
anti slavery sentiment, and three equally
eminent and representative Southern en-
rebels, and ask them to take up their resi-
dence at the White House for q week, q
fortnight, so long as they might find
necessary, while they, BY free and friendly
conference and discussion, should earnest
ly endeavor to find q common ground
wherein the North and the South should
be not merely reoonciled, but made ever
more fraternal and harmonious. I sug-
gested that the President should OCCASION
ally, as he could find time, drop in on
these conferences and offer such sugges-
tons as he should deem ft-rather as O
moderator or common friend, than as q
party to the discussion.
A suggestion Of names being invited, !
proposed those Of Gov. Andrew, Of Mas
sachusetts, Gerrit Smith, of New York.
and Judge r. p. Spaulding, Of Ohio, as
three who seemed to me fair representa-
,ives of the anti.slavery sentiment Of the
North, while neither specially obnoxious
to mo- disposed to deal harshly with the
South and I added that I hoped they
would be met by men like Gen. Robert
E. Lee, Alexander H. Stevens, etc., who
would be recognized and needed by the
South as men in whose hands her honor
and true interests would be safe. But
added that / had no special desire that
these or any particular men should be Sc.
lected, wishing that those chosen from
either section should be such as to COM
mand their peoples confidence and sup
port. And l pledged myself to support,
to the extent Of my power, any adjust
ment that should be thus be matured and
agreed upon.
Some two months later, after the meet
ing of Congress, and when the political
sky had become darker, I went again to
Washington, on the assurance Of q mu-
tual friend that the President desired to
see me. The Joint Committee on Recon-
.struction had then been appointed. AT
an interview promptly accorded, I urged
the President to invite the Committee to
the White House, and discuss with them,
as friend with friends, all the phases OF
the grave problem Of reconstruction, with
a fixed resolve to find q basis Of agreement
if possible. urged such considerations
as occurred to me in favor of the feasible
ity of such agreement if it were earnestly
sought, as I felt sure it would be on the
side of Congress. The vast patronage in
the Presidents hands-the reluctance Of
the majority in Congress to see their
friends. supporters and nominees expelled
by wholesale from Office, and their places
supplied by bitter adyersaries-the natu-
raj anxiety of every party in power to
maintain cordial relations with the head
of the Government chosen by its votes
these, and q thousand kindred considers
tons, rendered morally certain an agree
ment between Congress and the President
without q sacrifice Of principle on either
hand, If the latter should sincerely seek it.
speak only Of what l said and pro-
posed, because I have no permission and
no right to speak further. That my sug-
gestions were o followed, nor anything
akin to them, the public sadly knows.
And the conclusion to which I have been
most reluctantly forced is, that the Presi-
dent did not toant harmony with Congress
he had already made up his mind
to break with the party which had elected
him and seek a further lease Of power
through the favor and support Of its i'm
placable enemies. HORACE GRERLHY.