The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-11-27
washington correspondence.
WASHINGTON, Nov II, 1861


member of the Cabinet has written
letter to ''friend of the Administration
in New England respecting the Presidents
views and opinions, and has kindly fur
nished a copy of a part of the letter to
another "friend of the Administration.
We learn from this letter that the Pfesl-
dent is not going to abandon bis views be-
cause the elections have gone against HIM
that he will fearlessIy veto every bill
s.nt to him, if he does not like It, or has
constitutional scruples about it. But this
is not all. While he is fearless and even
defiant. the President will not 90 beyond
the bounds Of law and Constitution. lie
has no thought of using force with Con
eress, and he will $50 this exponent OF bis
views aIleges) execute all laws whether
passed over his veto or not.
If this letter is authentic, it was doubt
less printed with the consent OF the PresI
dent, for the purpose Of allajlng the eX-
element of the public IN reference to bis
course. -
Everybody who knew the President ex-
pocted him to cling obstinate'y to hls
'poIicy;" and Congress will care little Tor
his vetoes. SO long as it has the power to
pass bills over them.
But if it is true that the President WI /
content himself with making indecent
speeches and vetoing the most important
measures of Congress-if he will honestly
execute the Iaws-I am safe IN the assertion
that he will not be impeached by the pres
ent Congress. The Western memiess are
more generally in favor Of it than those
from the Middle and Eastern Sites, There
are indications that the President desires to
AVOID an issue of this naturs with Congress,
and will stop short Of any reasonable or
impeachable acts.
1t is rumored that an investigation into
the difficulties at Baltimore will be ordered
at an early day after the session begins. No
one can object to this, and one Of its re-
suits will be to show just what the Presl
dent did in connection with them. Gen.
Grant will not hesitate to state exactly
what he did, and what he advised; aud
those who profess to understand what trans
pired Ito a certain extentl IN the White
House assert that the General and the
President differed widely in reference to
the proper course to be pursued In BatI-
more. No doubt can exist IN reference to
the Presidents position-he was eager to
give his aid to Gov. Swami, and Gen. Grant
was opposed to military Intervention. 1t
is scarcely to be expected that an mvestl-
cation will result in giving seats IN Con
gress to the Radical candidates from the
Baltimore districts. Unfortunately, great
class of conservative Republicans have
followed Swami and Johnson over to the
Copperheads. Henceforth the battle III
Maryland will be fought upon a solid toun-
dation; and, though victory may come late,
when it does come it will be worth some
thing.
The papers to-day are filled with rumors
of an interview between Chief-Justlce Chase
and the President, and some Of them 90 so
far as to intimate that the subject OF impair
tiaI suffrage was under discussion. There
is little foundation, fear, for the rumors III
this respect; yet it is the easiest solution OF
the question for him as we'll as for Congress.
Let him advise the rebeIjou8 states to offer
impartial suffrage for a general amnesty,
and it will not be long before every one Of
them will take his advice, and we shall see
the whole country "reconstructed,' on
sound basis. When the Chicago Times
advocates "negro suffrage" why should Mr..
johnson hold back? But have no hopes
of him in this regard, though the evidence
of his disposition to be couciliatory toward
Congress is strong.
The colored people of the District of Co
lumbia are making determined effort for
impartial suffrage, and there is fair pros
pect that they will triumph this time. The
elections are over, and the politicians are
not afraid of the prejudices Of Republicans
in the Western States The equal suffrage
bill was showed over to this session, to get
rid of an issue that some of the socaIed
'1eaders" in Congress feared. Now that
the elections are happily over they will
have to face this issue-either like towards
or bold, courageous men.-D. w. B., IN
NrV Torh IndepeRdcn.