New-York tribune., 1868-05-19
THE TRUTH OF HISTORY.

ment of fact, taking no nOtlce OF any reluta-
! ton which it may incite, must eventually
secure for it general credenCe and consequent
effect. Here, for instance, is one of its mis-
representations Of our recent history which, in
substance, it had already repeatedly made, and
which we have repeatedly refuted-viz:
"The entire course Of events since the war closed has
been colored and shaped by the attempt OF the Radical
engraft upon it their principles, and bend II wholly
and entirely TO the OF thelr or
States until this could be forced and fastened upon them
the & 0i hSIeh % D te Of power IN their
| own hands by these means were the main oWeo'S ~
| which they aimed"
In refutation of this gross pervcrsion of
our recent history, we cite the following facts ;
l. Andrew johnson, in February, 1865 while
| on his way from Nashville to Washington, be-
fore the War had closed, and before he had
been inaugurated Vice President, unfolded to
friend (Col. Stanley Matthews) his desire
and purpose that the Democratic party should
be reOrganized and restored to power-of
course, through the downfall of that party by
which he had Just been chosen Vice-Prcsdent.
2. Before he had been two months President,
| he was formally waited on by delegation
| representing the Democrats of Washington
! City, with whom he exchanged complimentary,
fraternal addresses. The Democratic organ at
the Federal City thereupOn significantly an
nounced that President Johnson was one of the
right sOrt-the same Democrat he had ever
been.
3. The sort of Republicans which is distn-
guished as Conservative" carried, or somehow
controlled, majority of the delegates to the
Republican State Convention of that year 1880,
] al fhair cI, do tIni
platform, which was most unqualified in its
Johnsonism. Having called Ia meeting in this
City to ratify those doings, the Editor of
TIE Times was impelled to visit Wash
instea via. invitAtipn vhe Presi-
dent to attend that meeting, but really
to evoke some sort of declaration or impca-
ton that he (JOhnson) desired the success OF
our Republican State Ticket No such was OBJ
tained-not even letter of declination to at
tend that could be used 70 the advantage of
the ticket. If the Editor of The Times felt at
liberty TO state and mould state, what was
said at that interview with johnson, we doubt
not that this count would be very much
! stronger. '-'~'''' - <''.-
A. In the contest which followed, that orig
inal and eminent Conservative Republican"
Mr.. Montgomery Blair, stumped our State in
company with John Vap Buren. for the entire
Democratic ticket. That he WAS an intimate
at the White House and devoted friend of
Johnson the whole country knew; that no was
acting under White-Hou inspiration in
supporting the Democratic ticket in
| preference to the Conservative Repub-
lican," was naturally presumed. His mission
was in effect a proclamation that Johnson
wanted the Republicans beaten by the Demo
Gratis. We have been told that he cOniden-
tally assured the Democratic chiefs that, if
| they succeeded in carrying the State, they
should have the Custom House, &C., put into
! their hands, aud we believe it but this we
cannot prove
8. Congress (the XXXIXth) had not yet
been in session. OF course, it had taken no
ground against johnson, and submitted no pro-
gramme adverse to his. No general or formid-
able demand for Negro Suffrage had been made.
The President had been making, unmaking
and remaking Constitutions for the Rebel States
by letter and telegraph, according to his own
good pleasure; directing his journeymen what
they must put in, what they must leave out,
what obligations incur what debts repudiate &C.,
&C., according to his own good pleasure, with
out rivalry in the business from any quarter
He urged upon Gov. Sharkey qualified Negro
Suffrage, to battle "the Radicals"-yet we hap
pen to know that majority of those Congress
men now called such (and we instance Senator
Chandler in proof went to Washington late in
November of that year not only desiring but
confidently expecting to cooperate with and
sustain johnson ns President, despite some
sinister Omens.
@. That Congress did not-as the Editor of
The Times well knows-even propose "Uni-
"versal Negro Suffrage ut did not even pro-
pose Negro Suffrage at ALL What 1t did pro-
pose was substantially this: Let each State
regulate the Right of Suffrage for itself; but,
if any State shall see fit to dsfranchise lex
cept for crime) any class or race, then that
class or race shall not be counted as basis of
representation in Congress or In the choice of
President Can we mistake in saying that
this reasonable, moderate requirement had the
hearty approval of the Editor of The Tmesf
T. Mr.. Johnson's violent Outbursts against
Congress in his ED of February speech, his
swinging round the circle" &C., &C., were all
evoked by this policy, so far as they had any
avowed pretext whatever. He vetoed the Civil
Rights bill, though Mr.. Trumbull had framed
II upon his Uohnson's) suggestions, while
Ills follower Dixon had voted for.i lie fairly |
raVed at Congress, uttering his harshest de-
nunclations of its Republican majority, before |
that majority had agreed or decided TO ground |
tie Reconstruction of the Rebel States on the |
and a