Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-01-08
INTERVIEW WITH PRECEDENT JOHN

"Mack." the old and reliable cores
pondent of the Cincinnati Commercial
has had long talk with President John
son, of which he gives full report. II
contains many important facts and sug-
pestions. of which we give below the
material portion. Our readers will find
il interesting. In relation to the Phila-
delphia harmonizing convention, with
Raymonds letter and the World COM
meuts thereon, the President said in
substance:
"The idea of that convention was not
10 exclude any party, but to invite and
secure the cooperation OF oil parties
favorable to the restoration OF the Union,
and opposed to the extreme men and
measures which. on the one hand, had
brought about the war, and, on the other,
were now attempting to change the form
and character of the Government" He
had said, as stated by Mr. Raymond,
that he did not want such men az VAL
landigbam to go in there and take pos
session for the purpose of proclaiming
the very doctrine that had brought about
the war. ~ believed then, and believe
now, that there is majority in the coun'
try, and very large majority, opposed to
the policy of the Radical party; but many
who want to oppose that policy cannot be
made to do it by joining the Democratic
party. They will not make accessions
to the Democratic party, or fall into the
Of Il under iiie leadership OF such
men as Vallandigham. The October
elections in Ohio showed this. Negro
suffrage, which represented the Radical
policy, was beaten by fifty thousand, and
vet General Hayes was elected Governor.
Well, now, if the people were as much In
favor of the Democratic party as they
are opposed to Radicalism, they would
have given fifty thousand majority for
Thurman. In the Philadelphia Conven-
ton we wanted men of ell parties TO
come together and unite, independent OF
old platforms, for the sake of defeating
the extremists of both the old parties.
he thinks the President does not con-
slider that Convention movement at an
end yet, but to be revived, should the
Republican and Democratic parties 60
into the next election one for negro
suffrage and the other for liquidation
and State Rights" As to the removal
OF Generals Pope and SwnyDe, he said of
Pope:
He had been constantly transcending
the limits Of bis authority and ayowedly
espousing the cause of the Radical
party, instead Of confning himself 70 the
discharge Of his duties under the Military
Lsw. He (Pope) bad recently written a
private letter, which had been published,
10 which he virtually acknowledged that
he considered il bis business to help the
Radical party into power, and keep it
there. if be could There had been no
contradiction Of this letter, and, there
fore, be supposed it was genuine. This
was part Of the cause Of his removal
Another fsgrant yiolssion of law, and
of the Constitution of the United States,
was contained in an order issued BY Gen.
Pope, on the Goth Of December, which
contained, among other things, the fol-
lowing:
at is further ordered that. in compli-
ance with the request contained in the
foregoing ordinance, the boards Of regis
tration will instruct the proper officers
conducting the election on the question
of ratifying the constitution; to conduct,
also, at The same time and place, the
election for such State dad county Off
GERS, and members of Congress, as the
above ordinance indicates, aud 70 make
returns Of such election as therein re-
quested."
The words / have put in italics form,
according to the President, violation,
not only Of the Constitution, OF the Uni
ted States. but Of the Reconstruction
Law itself The Constitution declares
TART. /, Section A. that the times, places
and manner Of holding elections for
Senators and Representatives shall be
prescribed in each State by the Legisla-
ture thereof And the Reconstruction
Law requires the approval by Congress
Of the constitutions of the Southern
States, before they can be entitled to
representation. and before they can have
Legislatures whose acts will be considered
valid. But" said the President, General
Pope set aside both law aud Constitution,
and ordered an election for State and
county officers and members Of Congress,
before any constitution had been adopted.
he did this so as TO interest as many per
sons as he could in getting the constitu.
tios adopted. But suppose a majority
voted against the constitution al the
same time that they elected members Of
Congress uuder II; or suppose, after it
had been adopted, Congress should refuse
TO ratIfy II. 10 any event be was getting
things mixed Up, and going FAR beyond
his limit Of authority. BE has always
been ready to help whichever side ran
into tie worst excuses. The law is bad
enough, any how, but he was making it
worse than il really is
Swsyne, the President said, had been
cooperating with Pope in extreme
measures, and was seeking to secure bis
own election 70 the United States Senate.
Asto Ord, Grant was the FIRST 10 sue-
eest his removal, and Mr. J. let Grant
have bis own way.
As 10 the charge that be wss en- i'm
pediment 10 reconstruction, M johnson
said be had executed the Law 70 the let
ter, and vbeb Sheridan said Wells wa