Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-03-08
THE PRESIDENTS POLICY.
Interview with Gov. Cox, Of O.
what he has done and what he
Proposes.

!
Central Committee, Columbus, o.:
DEAR SIR: On Saturday last had al
interview with the President. | regarded
it as of sufficient importance to reduce t
writing my remembrance OF his statements
whilst fresh in my memory. | waited upor
him this morning to make known what
had done, to ask his verifcation 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 ao
curacy of my report. The President said
he had no thoughts he wac not willing to
avow that his policy had simply aimed at
the earliest possible restoration of peace on
the basis of floyalty. No Congressional policy
had ever been adopted, and therefore when
he entered upon the duties of his Office, he
was obliged to adopt one of his own. He
had in some sense inherited tlat 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 complaint for what he had done
SO tar. They had not seen fit TO declare
their views or adopt any measures embody-
ing what could be called policy of restora-
ton. He was satisfied that no long con-
tinuance of military government could be
tolerated that the whole country would
properly demand the restoration of truly
civil government, and not to give il to the
lately rsbeliousStatos would be an admission
of the failure of the party which had carried
through the war to prove themselves equal
to the exigency Now that the work of
destruction was over, and the rebuilding had
begun, military government alone would
not pacify the South. At the end Of a long
period Of such government 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 real necessity for the
adoption of policy which should restore
| the civil Government just as soon as the re-
bellion should be thoroughly 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 pacifcation should be one
which tended everywhere to stimulate the
loyalty of 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. fer he had used
it and was still using it. 1t might continue
for period OF more than year, yet he had
contemplated that either bya proclamation
Of his own, or by some action Of Congress, the
condition of peace the technical end Of re-
bellion, would probably be declared at some
period not very remote, and as he under
stood the present law, the Bureau might
continue year erem that time. Meanwhile,
he could say to the South, it 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 freed,
men Thus, the hope of getting rid of the
institution stimulates them to do right,
whilst they are not discouraged by the idea
that there is no hope of an end to what they
regard as sort of ofmilitary government. If,
on the other hand, the bureau were made
permanent by legislation, all the objections
he had urged in his message applied in full
force to it, and instead of encouraging the
South to loyalty'it would tend to make their
hatred of the Government inveterate. The
same principle of stimulating loyalty was
shown in the manner he had held martial
law over them. Whenever they should
show that martial law was not needed, it
should be removed. Their own conduct
desire and interest of all the best people he
increased to obey the laws, because. by so
doing, they would hasten the withdrawal
and interference of the military arm in their
affairs. ..t as. s..~ -. 49,. .s,-..'
In precisely the same way he had acted
in regard to civil affairs generally in that
section regarding it as necessary to impose
conditions upon the rebelious States which
would guarantee the safety of the country,
and regarding tho existing officers of gov
ernment as having disqualified themselves
hy their treason from continuance in power,
he deposed them and established provision
al governments. Then he asked himself
what conditions ought to be demanded Of
them, and how their disposition to accept
them in good faith might be stimulated
The conditions we're, namely, the amend
ment OF State Constitutions excluding slave
ry; acceptance of the amendment of the
Constitution Of the United States; repudia,
tion of the rebel debt, and the admission Of
| freedmen to various rights, &c. Te stimu-
late them to accept these conditions, being
such as, using his best judgment, and in the
absence ofany congressional plan, he thought
nearest right of any he could frame, he en-
dence Of good faith he would permit them to
reoraanize their State Governments, elect
Legislatures, &c. and, so far as Executive
acts could do, would restore them to their
position in the Union OF States. They had
SO far accepted his conditions, that he re-.
garded the experiment a success. He had
accordingly reorpanized the Postoffice De-
partment among them had reopened trade
and removed restrictions thereon through
the Treasury Department, and IN like man
ner in all the Executive departments recog.
niged them as States in the Union. only
keeping enough military bold to protect the
freedmen and to induce them to do some
thing more thorough 10 that direction.
Now, but one thing remained in which
those States did not exercise the full rights
of States, and that was representation in
Congress. In this he had advised that some
principle of stimulating loyalty be applied
as in the other respects named. lie oould
admit onL such Representatives. as are IN
fact loyal men, giplag satisfactory svidence
ofths. Whenever o State or district sent
, a loyal man, properly. elected and qualified,
! he would think it right to admit him, the
same as if from any other State; and h.
,,oos.ld admit none but such loyal men, so that
other States or districts may be thus induced
to elect and send similar men. When they
: had all dsne this their representation would
be full, aud the work would be done. Such
was his plan, He did not ask to be judge
of the elections and qualifications Of mem
: bers Of Congress, or of their loyalty. Con
sress was its own judge, and be had no dream