The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-09
Opinions of Prominent Republicans on
Public Affairs.

Opinions of Prominent Republicans on
Public Affairs.
A correspondent Of the Boston Advertiser. who
has recently had interviews with Senator's SIMMER
and WILSON, and Gen. BUTLER, narrates at length
the conversation held with them. We have room
for only the following extracts
THE REMOVAL OF STANTON.
"Stantons removal at this time. said Mr. Sum-
ner, is national calamity. Ofcourse. the rebels
everywhere are encouraged They see that the
President is with them, and this makes them hard
hearted and stiff-necked. You cannot measure the
extent OF this evil influence 1t is terrible blow
at reconstruction. And yet am confident that re-
construction on just principles will prevail in the
end. But its trials are increased. It is sad enough
to think of So great transition ought to be made
under favoring circumstances instead of adverse.
To carry it over the transition period with perna
nent advantage to all the parties to it, the Presi-
dent and all officers, military and civil should bo
friendly and congenial. But We shall succeed in
spite Of every impeachment
GRANT AS CANDIDATE.
ssDo YOU think" asked, ethat General Grant ia
aiming for the Presidency?"
81 do not know" replied the Senator ''There
I understand, speaks OF him as Candidate.
This is not like Grant, who is thoroughly modest
gentleman. Wellington, whom he resembles in
some respects, was older and more experienced,
with what distrust But the great difficulty in his
position is that are left in narrowing uncertain
tv with regard to his opinions. Who can say that,
as President he would give to the freedmen, dur
ing the coming year. and through the process Of
reconstruction, that kindly and sympathetic sup
port which they need? Can we afford to be in any
uncertainty on this point2 have from the begin
ming been insisting on 'llreversible guarantees'
Our next President must be in himself an irrever-
sible guarantee Is Grant such? wish knew.
Personally, I like him. In conversation he is neat
and precise, with clean cut ideas and words. en-
loved much what he said to me about Sheridan. I
said Is Sheridan q great general or a great
cavalry officer? He replied promptly and with
very suggestive emphasis. "A great General 1t
must have cost him pang to sign that orCer re-
moving the officer he admired and loved so much"
PRESIDENT JOHNSON.
Mr.. Sumner then spoke Of President Johnson.
s'With person, he said, ofordnary sense and
heart, reconstruction would be easy. The Presi-
dent is perverse, pig-headed and brutal His
talent, such as it is comes from pugnacity, or as
the phrenologists have it, combativeness. When
aroused against JEFF. Davis in the Senate, he was
on the right side, and his temper gave to his argu-
ment additional force. We all sympathised with
him then. We did not know how foolish and shall
low he was, nor did we see his pSejudices. Little
did We think of the evil he would dol have often
evil to his country in the same time. or course
he is a usurper and tyrant. The wonder is Con-
oress did not act accordingly long ago. 1t will
read badly enough hereafter that Congress did not
put him at once in straight jacket. His crime is
shared by Congress- But 1 am blameless. have
protested and insisted. TO me the case for pro-
ceeding was always clear as noon."
CONGRESS AND IMPEACHMENT.
ssWhat were the true reasons, in your opinion,
sor tha haaifancy of Congress- 2"
ssCongress, replied the Senator, 'has hesitated
on every important point and ut every important
stage OF Its recent history. 1t hesitated about
emsncipation; it hesitated to assume Jurisdiction
the hands Of the blacks; and it hesitated to confer
the suffrage upon the same colored citizens. And
so it has hesitated in its duty tc ward the Presi
dent. or course the country loses by this.
Business, commerce, manufactures, finance,
everything suffer. It is futile to expect specie
payments and financial prosperity until reconstruc-
ton is established and society at the South
assumes condition OF permanent securty have
preached all this over and over. But at last
Congress has done its work: l have; meyer
doubted that the President would be inn
peached. do not say, what judgment should
pronounce, as Senator, il he were before us; but
bave always felt 1t proper to declare what l
thought OF him and my own sense OF the duty OF
proceeding against him. Some good men nave
bsen befogged on the law. Onlya little study is
needed to clear this up. Let them read Story and.
Bishop. AS general rule impeachment is poll
tical proceeding for political misconduct There are
persons who think that impeachment would con-
vulso the country. Such talk reminds me OF what
Charles James Fox said 70 Napoleon when Napo1
leon said that the English Ministry had employed
nonsense There IS bit ono thing the country
cannot stand, and that is misrule, which is pre-
cisely what we have now But am not making
speech-you have led me far enough"
RutIar the Ram6 cOrr6SDOudeQt 6aya.
ON IMPEACHMENT.
l now asked General Buffers opinion Of the
prospects of impeachment
He replied
Impeachment is sure to come. The same
causes which hindered it heretofore will now tend
to bring it on"
We extract the following passagess from his &C
count of his interview with Senator Wilson:
THE SITUATION.
in regard to the condicon Of affairs, continue
to take hopeful view OF it. Nothing that the
President has done has weakened my confidence
at all in complete triumph OF our friends In the
Southern country, believe that the negroes VINO
have been enfranchised, and the loyal men OF those
States will carry the election, will conform their
constitutions to the requirements OF Congress in
sympathy with the Republican party of the United
States and that the President can do nothing that
will prevent this.
ON IMPEACHMENT.
"a few weeks ago" said the Senator, ''the great
body of the Republicans Of the country hoped to
be able to accomplish their purpose without re-
sorting to impeachment and the removal Of the
President but the course he is now taking is car
ryng the great body Of the party the other way.
and to-day the great mass Of the Republican party
believe the President will be impeached, and that
he deserves impeachment"
Inquired of Mr.. Wilson as to the
POSITION OF GENERAL GRANT.
"Well," he replied, my opinion is that Gen.
Grant has taken that Office for the sole purpose Of
trying to do what good he can to the country.
know that Mr. Stanton kept that Office for eighteen
months for this purpose. talked with him often
about it and during the last sessan Of Congress,
in the presence of Gen. Grant, Mr. Stanton said he
would not be driven out of the Office If he could
help it. That he felt it his duty to do what he
could for the country and he said 10 me that he
had done some good and prevented much evil (;
and our friends, added Mr.. Wilson, {" will see by
und-by that Gen. Grant and he we're entirely in
agreement in regard to the course of affairs. K
Mr.. Stanton felt keenly the criticisms Of his
friends, and now Gen. Grant has the same feeling
He expects to be misunderstood, but he believes
no is acting in the light of public duty which he
owes to the country, and holds that greater than
anything else Ny belief is that he Is acting the
| part of patriot, and the whole country will
see it by-and-by, as they do now in the case of
| Stanton"