, 1870-04-21

weeks, v mora Of less. II the people opposed
to tho government nox Jse3d, they will
tkve tho further expenditure Of blood and
rc,su1e, aud will be treated with lberality.
terms On almost any conditions. Indeed, most
a1sbody can now have most anything they ask
for. But WHIT is not worth asking for is not
worth having" This remark WAS understood
10 spbIy to pazlops, snd waa prompted by
reIofted remark Of Jet Davis th1t he would
never ask pardon Of the President Of the
The Preridsnt concluded tho interview By
ea1tpc: II hare been considering the ques-
tiop of retmitting the Legislature Of Virginia
to assemble - you suggested yesterday. l
deem it exceedingly appropriate and desirable
that the same power that attempted 70 take
arsiu. Il can work the matter out satisfnc-
torily to my own mind, will let you know"
T6is ended the conversation On poltica! sub
tects, and very soon altar Judge Campbell and
bis friend withdrew With WARM expressions OF
respect towards the President.
On the following morning the lrcsldent
went to City Point. After spending short
time On his own yessel, he proceeded to Gen
eral Grants headquarters, to Which tho nc,
torious General had not yet returned, aud
tl,erc renned the following lu4ier to General
Weitze1. showing that be had worked out"
the Virgins question in his OWL mind, and eya-
dentlv TO his oHn satisfaction:
"HEspQrARTERs AaanEs OF THE UsITED
STATES, Cr7Y PotNr, Arril G, 1865.
Mojo,+ General Nsitael, Richmond, Fa.:
'1k has been intinaated to mo thst the gen.
tlemen who have acted aa tho Legislature OF
Virginia, in eupport OF the rebellion, nsy now
desfiro to assemble It Richmond, aud
fake measures to withdraw the vir-
Cipia troops and ether support from
Feshtance to the gen.ral government. If
they attempt it giye them Permission and l'rs>-
ton hostile 10 the Cnited statcs, ia which ca=e
you will notify them and gise them reasonable
time TO lcavc, and at tbs end Of which time
arrest any who may remain. Allow Judge
Campbell TO see this, but do lot make it pub
lie, Yours, kc, 4. IIScoLS."
destination, and was in the hands Of General
Weitzel on that evening. and also read and
copied bv Judge Campbell Tue latter at nnce
Interested hTElself in preparing call for thu
Legislature 1T Virginia to assemble At an
eady day in Ri2hrnoul, which call WEB signed
conls conveniently be found 1t was ttrn pub
lishca in the 1dchmoEd papers, and issued in cir
cuIar furu,. accompanied by the authorization Of
General Weitzel and profEer Of safe conduct
through the military lines, aad to and from
the city, TO- the members who shall attend.
Tic rrouulgation of thia call created a pro-
fonnd sensation throughout the country, and
many and bitter the dcnunciations that were
he17,cd upon General Neitzel for what wae
term ed hie " unauthorized assumption OF Au-
thorltv-" The General was placed in an In
pleasa. ut pretlIcament- He was hut Carrying
ont hit: written Instructions from the Com
maudc.--in~C Chief Of the Army which left him
TO alter native; and vet those Instructions,
which "a pressH charged him not to make them
public required him to shoulder all the re-.
might bc attending the initiative political re-
cOr1@tructft IN movement
In the N. 'autir,e tho President returned to
Washington, whtUe he 1t once laid before
his Cabinet report OK statement Of his
official acts during his absence; These
lated in this paper. were condemned by the
majority Of tht. constitutional advisers Of the
President, and he was constrained bv their i'd
vice to revoke his own acts, and withdraw all
oficinl rspess that he had iasued in the prem
Tres, which he did in the following executive
order, transmitted BY telegraph:
"OtF1cE U 8; MILITARY TELEGRAPH
"WAsn1SeIos, ?: G. Aprl =, 1861
II have Just seen JudEe Cautpbe1's letter
to you Of the 9Th. He aaRumed. as appears
to me, that hAve called the insuTgent Legis-
lature Of yirginia together, as tie rightful
Legielature Of the State, to settle al differ
such thing. spoke Of them not - LSgisla-
hture, but as the gentlemen who have acted
as the Legislature OF Virginia in support Of the
rebellion / did this on purpose to e1-
elnde the assumption that xas recognizing
Them - riehtful body I leal. With them .s
thing. to wit: To withdraw the Virgins troops
and other support from resistance to the gen
eral government for which, in the paper
handed TO Judge Campbell, I promised a
ueciac sepivslent, 70 Wit: remission 70 the
tho connscaion Of their properly. l meant
this and no more. 1nssmuch. however, AZ
Judge Campbell misconetrues this. and is still
pressing for an armisticc, contrary to the e1-
Fllcit statement Of the paper gaso him. and
particularly as General Grant has since capttr-
ed the Virginia troopa, 50 that giEing con
ede1ation for their withdrawal is no longer ap-
plicable, let my letter to you, and the paper TO
Judge Campbell both be withdrawn or counter
manded, and he be notified OF it. Do not a.
low them to assemble, hut il any have come,
allow them safe return to their homes.
4. LINCOLN"
THUS terminated Alr. Linco1ns first and last
actual effort ut political reconstruction, ana
thus ended in nothing all the good results
lie hoped 10 accomplish by his visit to the rebel
capital