Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-08-09


no man ever offered bribe wouldn't under
certain circumstances take one; and no Con.
SrcsHman ever bought another's vote until
ne haa had some experience in the mercan
ulo value by selling his own. The matter
contained III tins paragraph is fit subject
lor tic Judiciary Committee, or some 9th
er committee of investigation. Let q fair
chance be given to let all the facts beknown
or, as Mr.. johnson said to mo Oh the sub-
lect, Let them clean out the Augean sta.
BILE entirely while they are at it. They
have been inuuiring into my corruption
now let them inquire little into their
own
THE ACTION OF THE HOUSE UPON 1MrEAUH.
MENT.
MIR. Johnson said he could hardly tell
what to think of the action of the House
on the question of impeachment-first Or
derlng the report to be made, and then re-
tuslng to let Mr.. Wilson make it. He re-
1erred TO the subject good-naturedly, and
as one whe, though deeply interested, was
not very fearful of results. It would he
strange, he said, if they couldn't make a
case out, after all the trouble they had gone
TO. They even examined my private
banking account to find out about some
bonds that 1 had. have had these bonds
1or good many years. Whenever got
any money put it into them. Some I got
while was a mechanic. They were the
only things 1 saved out of the war all the
rest OF my property that could be carried
OF, lost" He spoke of the action of the
House IN ordering the arrest of Lafayette
o. Baker for not answering to summons
from the Judiciary Committee, and wonder
ed what more they expected him to swear
to- 81 understand" said he, 'that he testi-
ued to having got possession of letter writ.
ten byme to jeff Davis during the war, while
was In Nashville. / think he SAYS he got
it through Jim Brownlow. Now, the fact
is, never wrote a letter to JEFF. Davis be-
fore, during or since the war. Davis and
L never agreed very we'll, and never liked
each other If you'll look in the Globe,
you'll find this from debate between us on
bill of Davis's for the increse of the reg
ular army. was oppose dto the bill; first,
because / thought L saw in it something
like the inaguration of the secession war,
and then was opposed to big standing
army always. Davis had just been Secre-
tary of War, and knew where all the new
would come from, and what
kind of men they'd be. I hunted up all
sorts of authorities against his proposition
and especially the writings of Washington,
where the MALTA is spoken of as the great
arm OF the Constitution. thought that
was beautiful and truthful idea"
[ then said to the President that it had
been asserted that he was intimate with
Wilkes Booth at Nashville. He replied
that he had never seen Wilkes Booth, that
he was aware of, Booth might have called
upon him at the Capitol in Nashville, as O.
great many persons did, but he couldn't
it. It has been said that Booth
played at the theatre, in Nashville, while
he was Provisional Governor, but he had
no recollection of it, and never went to
the theatre while he was Provisional Gov
ernor. cit is very hard" said he, "that
such charges as this should be made against
me in Congress, and that there is no redress
for me, and those making the accusation
have had an opportunity to prove it, and
have failed to show the slightest foundation
for it. Long after 1 am dead and gone,
people will see where 1 have been charged
with that dreadful crime by men making
speeches in Congress. That will
be history. The accusation will be quoted;
but there will be no retraction to effset it.
l think about this very seri-
ously, and l often wonder if the people
really believe what these people said"
a. THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY.
Frequently during the conversation the
President spoke of the condition of the
country as extremely perilous, and beset
with many difficulties. First" said he,
"there are ten States totally disorganized
and torn to pieces. 1t is hard to see how,
under the existing laws, this matter can be
settled up. Then there is the
Mexican question-and a very complicated
question it is, too. Men may talk as they
please i'll Congress and on the stump about
it, but it is IL subject that must be arranged
by the law of nations. | don't wish to be
understood as saying exactly what will be
done about it, but merely to say that it will
be u difficult and complicated question to
adjust before We get altogether through
with it. Then there's great national debt
to pay, and the people are getting restive
under heavy taxation. Then we have an
Indian war on our hands, the possible ex-
tent and cost of which are not easy to fore
see. Now, all these things demand atten-
ton, and 1 fear they will be lost sight of
in the great struggle for the Presidency
The country needs all the friends it can get
now, irrespective of party, to help save it
from breakers. Any man who will help me
in the work is my friend, don't care what
his noliticS NAV be "