Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-11-26
Ben. Wade What he Thinks Of Men
and Measures.
lJehsrson Ashtabuia County o. tnov. ~ Correspon-
dent Of the Cincinnati Commercial
Ma. CHASE.

Jefferson. Ash.abuia County o. (sOv. ~ cOrrespOn
dent OF the Cincinnati Commercial
Ma. CHASE.
spoke of the movement on foot |
TO secure the republican nomination
for Mr.. Chase, aud asked Mr.. Wade |
what he tho't of it. Well, he said
be didn't know how strong Chase
was, though he didn't think that he
was strong In the Reserve as be used
to be- But be would make good
candidate, ana. if nominated, would
be heartily supported, because he was
pronounced republican. "'rhc idea,
is out somehow or other" said he,
"that have been disposed to fight
! Mr.. Chase. | lave never been any
thing of the kind. In 1860 before
the Chicago Convention, Chase wrote
mo letter, asking me to sound the
members of two Houses, and see what
his prospects were. | did so. |
took the Republican Senators one by
one into the lobby, and asked them
what were Chase's prospects in their
States. found only one man-Bing>
ham, of Michigan, who WAS in favor
ofChase in the Senate, and only few
III the house. | wrote to Chase that
the thing looked little blue, but
that perhaps he had better come on
and satisfy himself. Soon after this
Dick Parsons, of Cleveland, came to
Washington and did little prospect
ing. He found it no better than
bad told him. When the Conven-
ton was about to meet, Chase want
ed me to decline, but how the devil
could do that? hadn't been NOM
mated, and | didn't know that any
body would be a fool and present
my name, and it would have locke d
very impudent for me to decline un-
der such circumstances Ever since
that convention Chase and his friends
have an idea that was opposed to
him trying to oppose him in one
way or another. Not q word of truth
in it. If Chase can be nominated
next year, well and good At any
rate, think that Ohio ought TO pre-
sent united front at the convention,
and cast her vote solid for somebody
and if any body tries to defeat that
result they are NO friends of mine.--
l have seen it stated that there are
men in Southern Ohio who pretended
to act as my friends, and who would
support me merely to defeat Chase.
They never will do anything of the
kind with my consent. If Chase can
be nominated, | think he will make
q good President and we can elect
him.
PRESIDENT JOHNSON.
Mr. Wade related the following
about A. J. !: "Three or four days
after the assassination johnson sent
for me, and | went to him. He met
me very cordially, shaking me with
both hands, and said he was exceed
ingly glad to see me; and that there
wssn'tn man in Washington whose
advice he would as soon have as mine.
| told him Twas very glad and proud
of that. We sat down, and he said
he wanted to hear my views on pub
lie questions and publ policy. Well,
said /, the first thing I've got to say
to you is, be warned by the fate of
all Vice Presidents who have been
in your position. Look at Taylor
and Fillmore, and pray to God every
night TO save on from their fate
Johnson seemed astonished to think
that | had any apprehensions of that
kind, but | told him he couldn't be
too careful, for that he certainly
would be tempted as they we're
He said | eed have no fears; that he
meant to stand by the men and the
party that elected him. | then went
on to advise him what to do. / told
him the first thing to do was to or.
der the trial of few of the leaders of
rebellion, before military commits
sin, and to hang them when found
guilty. He said he would do that
very thing, and would commence
with jeff. Davis. He told me to hunt
up the law on the question, and |
agreed to do it if he would name some
one to help me. He named Ben,
Butler and called on him a day or
two after to find ont exactly what he
wanted. and had a long talk with
him. He told 10 he meant to hang
the leader of the rebellion right away,
as soon as they could be tried and
convicted by military commission.
AS we went away Ben. Butler said
he was delighted with Johnson; that
he seemed to be q regular trumy.-
We looked up the law of the case,
and in few days we called on him
again. talked to him about this
very question of reconstruction
He said he was very glad it was a
matter with which he had nothing
to do; that it belonged to congress
exclusively, and he should let con-
gress take care of it.. We parted
and soon after | went home, with the
assurance from him that he would
take no step not sanctioned by the
leaders of the Repub. lean party
heard nothing fl ON him until about
two months latter, when | met John
Covode at q hotel IN Cleveland, and
learned that the President had been
in close communion with copperheads
and rebels, and had said TO Covode
tina, he Johnson J could to without
him. About month after went
on to Washington for the winter, and
| called st the White House. / found
the ante room full of rebels and cop
perheads, and | was soon convinced,
from the style in which | was re-
ceived. that Johnson had found
friends and advisers outside of the
Republican party. knew then that
he had started Oh the downward
track, and made up his mind to be-
tray the party, and the country, too,
if he could. l tried my best to keep
him In, but it was no go.
MRS. LINCOLN.
During our conversation, the sub
iect on Mrs. Lincoln and her recent