The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-07-18
PRESlEEMT JCHMSCs.
aN EEOIRS TALK WITH EEs7l.
" ssat sFC Said about Il war OF
Races. HrOvvnIOv and Gen.
Sheridan.
Washington Correspondence of the Cincin-
natl Commercial


Washington Correspondence of the Cincin
natl Commercial.
| called or the President last evening
having been previously informed by gen
tleman intimately connected with him tha
he would be pleased to have me do so, il
order to hear from me something concern
ng the status of affairs in the South t,
the extent that l had an opportunity O.
observing it during ny recent trip through
the rebel States
| had scarcely been seated. when Mr
johnson, alluding to one OF my letter:
from Georgia, said he was very glad / had
published the fact that he had advised
against the election of Alexander II. Ste
phens to the United States Senate in 1868
lie couldn't imagine, he said, where | hat
got the information, as he didn't think
anybody knew Of the facts Of the case ex
cept himself and one or two others Will
whom he correspond by telegraph.
told him my informant was an ex-oliicci
of the army, who in the spring Of 1866
was chict-of staff to Gen Stcedman. then
commanding the District of Georgia that
he had Informed me Of dispatch sent by
Gen. Steedman to the President, inquirinc
If it would be advisable to elect Stephens
and of the Presidents prompt reply that
it woull be unwisc to think cf doing So
that Mr.. Stephens was a prisoner Of war
ard ought rot to enter political life while
sIch WAS the case. :" | couldn't make out
where you got the facts. but you got them
right" said the President Il told them
not to think Of electing Mr. Stephens or
any other man who had been -ngaged in
tie rebellion as he had, and yet | was de-
nounced all over the country Cor trying to
get rebels into Office and appointing robeis
TO Office. L never did anything OF the
kind. 1t was wrong to elect such men
then, and it would be wrong to elect them
now"
| told Mr.. johnson what, in my iudg-
ment, were the views of the leading South
ern men on the subject Of reconstruction
under the military act that the mode
which was being adopted by certain Glass
of worthless and irresponsible men to Sc
cure he negro votes would engcnder strife
between the negroes and the whites In the
South, and lead to endless trouble f not
war ard bloodshed but my own observa-
lions led me to believe that the negroes
were being taught by those low-liyed fell
lows to look upon the whites as their nat
ural enemies, and that | did not see how
with that idea once prevalent among the
negroes, the two races could live together
IL the South. "They can't do it, said
Mr.. johnson. y war of races is incyit-
able if such state Of affairs goes on
People may Laugh ct the idaa of var Of
races now, but it will be brought about by
such doctrines as these" He then re-
marked that negro suffrage would have
beeG brought about by State ac.ion-that
it was inevitable, and would rot have been
by the Soathcru States if left to
1t might not come as soon
as it has been forced upon them by Con
grcsS, but said he, "it would have come
quite as soon as it ought to have come.
and quite as soon as the regroes were fit
for it,
In reply to a question, l told the Presi-
dent that had seen very few men in the
South who were in any true sense of the
word rebels, and these few were men who
had not been in the rebel army; that |
thought most of what was called "disloy-
alty' was the effect of the unjust and un-
generous treatment OF the South, b. Con
gressional legislation since the close Of the
war. lie replied that he did not believe
hat there were many rebels in the south,
md that especially the men who FOUGHT
against tie Union were not rebels now,
,na had no desire or intention to rebel
,gain.
lie seemed to be very deeply Interested
N the affairs OF Tepnessee, and listened
attentivcly to what told him of my tray
lis through that State. l was surprised
o find him as we'll posted even as to the
names of men who are candidates for of
ice there. l was describing to him the
style of man who is running on the conis-
,aton platform at Nashville told him he
sas a worthless scrub, who was accused of
stealing everything he could lay his hands
IN and didn't deny it, ard who, as learned
1t Rome, Georgia, while there was an orig
nal foul-mouthed secessionist.
"Oh, yes" said he, you mean Mason"
In regard to the Brownlow militia, he
aid he had received hundred petitions
rom the best people in Tennessee, asking
lin 10 send United States troops there to
protect them against tho outragcs how be,
ng committed by tho Estate Guard" Il
lsked him if he could, under the Constitu.
ion, send troops into Tennessee without
he request of the Governor or Legislature
lie replied that that was a difficult quesv
ion which he had not yot determined He
certainly could send troops there on re
,ruiting service and station them at Knox
lille, Nashville, Chattanooga, and such
'oints, and if any disturbance occurred,
While these troops were there it would be |
ne duty Of the commanding officer to use
hem in suppressing it. lie feared very
much that Brownlow's militia would pro-
-oke riot and bloodshed. | told him that
vas what they were organized for, and the