Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-06
STANTON A SPY.
How Cabinet Secrets were Betrayed
in Andrew JOhnsOn's Time.

How Cabinet Secrets were Betrayed
in Andrew JOhnsOn's Time.
Ex-Secretary Welles' paper in the April
number of the GALAXY, contains this reve-
lation:
On Sunday, the 10th of April, after the
assassination Of President Lincoln, there
was a meeting of President johnson and
the Cabinet, at 10 in the morning, at the
rooms of the Secretary of the Treasury.
The meeting was a prOtracted one. Mr..
Stanton came late and brought with him
mass of papers. Many and important mat
tiers were adverted to, and among them the
subject Of reconstruction.
The original craft, he said, had been d.
vided, and the establishment Of State
government as directed by Mr.. Lincoln
was made applicable to North Carolina,
while Virginia, with her loyal Governor and
government, was to take necessary meas
ures for the election of State officers by the
people of the whole State. Mr.. Stanton
had not, however, copies for the members OF
the Cabinet at this meeting.
was invited to the War Department that
evening, Sunday, the 10th, on some matter
of business, by Secretary Stanton, and af-
ter that was disposed of, l sat by the fire
conversing with him, when Senator Sum-
ner, Representatives Dawes and GOOch,
and several other gentlemen in pretty rapid
succession, entered the room. Messrs. Col
fax and Covode were of the number. At
ter brief general conversation, the Secre-
tary of War took from his desk the Cabinet
papers in relation to the the Government
of the Rebel States, which, without
Introductory comment or remark,
he proceeded to read. As these were
Cabinet papers not yet matured, and had
been scarcely discussed-copies of which
had not yet been furnished the members
my surprise was great, and it became a
question in my own mind whether was
not an intruder. Yet | had been invited
there by Mr.. Stanton, ostensibly on business.
l could not doubt, however, that the other
gentlemen came with an understanding of
the object which had called them together,
but such was not my case. After read
ing the Virginia plan, for a divis-
ion Of the document had been
made, and before concluding that
which related to North Carroll
ma, Mr.. Sumner interrupted the reading and
requested Mr.. Stanton to stop until he could
understand whether any provision was made
for enfranchising the colored man. Unless,
said he, the black man is given the right to
vote, bis freadom is moCkery. Mr.. STAN
ton said there were differences among our
friends on that subject, and it would be I'M
wise, in his judgment, to press it in this stage
of the proceedings. Mr.. Sumner declared
that he would not proceed step unless the
black man had his rights. He considered
the black mans right to vote the essence
the great essential. He had letters in his
pocket from some distinguished foreigners,
whom he named, S ting forth the subject
clearly and emphatically. Mr.. Stanton de-
precated the agitation of the subject, just at
this time, as unfortunate. l availed myself
of the interruption caused by the discus
sion to bid the gentlemen good evening and
withdraw. This evidence, on this Sunday
evening, that Cabinet measures, while yet
in embryo and under discussion, we're sub
iected to outside criticism aud consultation,
confirmed an opinion l had long entertain
ed, that Cabinet measures were communi-
Gated to outside parties, and gave me pain
and regret.