The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-09-19
GreeIy a. a F,aciscntor.


/ Gen. Imboden, of Virginia, has been
/ published. 1t relates in detail his efforts
to effect a reconciliation between the
/ United States Government and the peo-
pie of the South after the termination of
the war. His ruling idea was that a
policy of leniency towards the latter
would, more speedily than any other
method, bind up the shattered fragments
of the Union. With this view, he pro
posed the appointment of Commissioners
10 represent both sections, and in behalf
of the South especially recommended the
great and good ROBERT E. LEE:
NEW York, jane 20, 1872.
MY DEAR SIR have your letter TO Mr.
W. Reed. / would not wish TO publish any
thing with respect to private conversation
with President Johnson, without his assent.
did visi- him just before Congress assem-
bled, after his inauguration. l supposed l
was invited by him, but would not assert it
if he dissents. oId adv Use him to call thu
representative Northern men and three
equally eminent Southern men to counsel
MIN to the best mode of pacifYing and
harmonizing the country, | asked him to
invite these to remain in the White House
as his guests until they should have agreed
upon plan of reconciliation, he meeting
and consulting with them, whenever his
daily duties should permit. | did suggest
to him as cOnfereeS on the part of the North
Gov. John A. Andrew, of Massachusetts,
GerritJ Smith, of New York, and Judge
Rufus z. Spaulding of Cleveland. Ohio. /
did propose that he should designate and
invite Gen. Robert Z. Lee as one of the con-
ferees on the part of the South. If named
another Southern man to him, cannot now
recall the circumstance So much l feel at
liberty to state, because it refers solely to
my own action in the premises. As to Mr..
Johnsons part of the collOquy, ] cannot
speak without his permission but you are
at liberty to send this letter to him, and he
may state what he said on that occasion, or
not, as he shall see fit. | can remember
nothing more of consequence said by me on
the occasion. except that pledged myself
to support to the utmost any plan of of re-
Cancellation which the conferees should
agree upon, and he should adopt and recon-
mend. (Signed), Yours.
Gen.J d. IMBoDEN, Richmond, Va.
Gen. Imboden accompanies this letter
with statement that it was "a knowledge
of these and similar facts, and that in
side view of his high moral and iatellec-
tual traits which several years of per-
sonal acquaintance gave me, that enlisted
me as an active though humble supporter
of Mr.. Greeley for President, long be-
fore his name was very prominently dis
cussed in that connection. / don't care
what he thought or said about slavery; 1
don't care what bitterness he may have
exhibited in act or speech during the
bitter years of the past on that score. If
our words were az fully recorded as his,
we should appear even with him. The
goodness of his heart made him an enemy
of African slavery, and the same sym
pathy for the oppressed, makes him to-
day the friend of the dOwn-trodden white
people of the South. If he is elected,
(says Gen. Imboden), his firm admins
tration of the government, guided by
degree of intelligence, knowledge and
experience so infinitely superior to the
present executive, universal harmony and
confidence will be restored to the coun-
try, and we of the South must be the
largest gamers by such happy change" "