Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-08-09
From the National Intelligenccr
A Conversation w it'll the President.

A Conversation w it'll the President.
The correspondent of the Cincinnati
Commercial recently visited the President,
and has published in that paper lengthy
report of the conversation which ensued.
Several extracts will be found subioined.
We have reason to believe that the report
Of this conversation, from it's intrinsic
probability, and unlike many others which
have met the public eye, purporting to
have been held with the President, is sub
stantially correct. We have already ad-
verted to the position of General Grant, as
developed III the testimony before the Ju-
dietary Committee, and the view of it here
given accords with that given by us. Mr..
Greeley himself, in the Tribune, gave cur
rency to the rumor that the Secretary of
State had influenced his nomination to the
Austrian mission, and inquiries, excited
by this fact, resulted in information from
sources other than the Chief Executive,
that such rumOrs were utterly groundless.
The facts narrated, also, in this conversa-
ton, furnishing the animus of Impeacher
Ashley's crusade against the President
have been known in political circles here
for Il long time and if there be any vari-
ance between the statement here given and
the exact state of the case, it is to be attri-
buted solely to the forbearance of the
President. The remaining extracts below
bear intrinsically unmiStakable evidence of
authenticity. In short, we have no doubt
this conversation Is accurately reported,
and gwe, consequently, give it publicity as
furnishing interesting facts and commen-
taries upon subjects which politicians have
sedulously endeavored to hide or falsify
EXTRACTS.
THE POSITION OF GENERAL GRANT.
Speaking Of Presidential candidates and
aspirants, Mr.. Johnson asked me if [ had
any idea what was the nature of Gen@al
Grants testimony before the Judiciary
Committee. [ told him 1 only knew of the
rumOr that had been floating about Wash
ington, attributed to Mr.. Eldridge, a Dem
ocratic member Of the Judiciary Commit
tee, to the effect that Grants testimony
made him good candidate for the Demo
cracy but that [ had also heard that the
Radical members Of the committee assert
ed the very reverse of this, and claimed
the testimony as fitting Grant for Radi-
cal nomination. The President replied
that he had regarded Grant as an endorser
Of his policy all along. "You will remem-
ber," said he, " that the message for which
I was first denounced in the Senats as
white washing the condition of affairs in
the South, was based partly upon informa-
ton furnished by Gen. Grant in his report
which accompanied that message. I have
never spoken very much to General Grant
on the subject of politics, but I should be
to find out at this time that he
has been opposed to what I have been at
tempting to do for the restoration of the
Southern States' These were the words
of the President on this point, as nearly as
[ can rememember them /; they express the
idea, at any rate. My impression is, that
when Grants testimony is printed, it will
be hard to determine from it whether Ulys-
ses is on both sides or on neither at the
present writing.
GREEEY's NOMINATION AND REJECTION.
On the subject of Greeley's nomination
as Minister to Austria, Mr.. johnson said
he had seen it stated that this was an idea
Of Seward 's.to get Greeley out of the coun-
try. " Greeley, and Weed, and Seward
have been quarreling for some time" said,
he "and [ have heard it said that Sc
ward got this appointment to put Greeley
out of the way. There is not word of
suggest GreeleY's name at all. We agreed
upon list of appointments in Cabinet, on
Friday, and [ sent Greeley's name to the
Senate without it's coming through the
State Department in the regular way. His
was not suggested to me by
anybody. They had objected to Raymond.
[ was anxious to see the place filled, and I
wanted man who was honest and capable
to put there. / picked out Greeley be-
cause / thought he would suit, and [ didn't
think the Senate would throw him over
board. Greeley has queer notions about
some things he has his freaks and his
whims and he has not been very friendly
to me, but have always thought him an
honest man. So thought I'd send him IN,
and ] did SO without consulting anybody.
But it seems they have objections to him
too. Meantime, the mission is vacant, but
the fault of the vacany is not mine. have
done my duty toward filling it.
IMpEACHER AsHLEY's GRIEVANCE.
Referring to the member from Toledo,
and replying to a question as to what was
the primal cause of that gentleman's anger
towards the Administration, Mr.. Johnson
related the following interesting circum-
stances Soon after my accession-( think
it was the day after the assassination OF
Mr.. Lincoln not much later, at all events) -
Mr.. Ashley called on me and said that he
had made bargain with Mr.. Arson Her
rick, of New York, a Democratic member
Of the Thirty eighth Congress, that if he
would vote for the constitutional amend
ment abolishing slavery, he Ashley would
get the appointment of internal revenue
collector for his Herrick'sl brother. Ash
ley said Herrick had performed his part Of
the bargain, and nov lie must have the col
Iectorship for his brother, according to
agreement He seemed to be very domi-
neering, just as if he had a right to say
what he wanted, and have it done forth
with. "Well, said l, Il don't know about
that. I am glad that the amendment was
passed by Congress, because there seems to
be some doubts as to the validity OF the
emancipation proclamation, and this Will
settle the question i'll the right way.
don't know whether am to take the Presl-
lency cum onre, as they say when you buy
/ farm, with all the impediments. L en-
lorse. and shall carry out the measures and
policy of Mr.. LincOln's administration, bat
can't be party to any such bargains with
Ir. Herricl, or anybody else. Ii there Is
vacancy and Mr.. Herrick's brother is re- |
10y the Secretary of the Treas
Try as a competent person to fill 1t, will
make the appointment. But L won't turn
anybody else out, or appoint an lncompe-
ent man, to pay for a vote in Congress.
Ashley got very much veXed at this, and