Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-09-27
THE SOUTH AND MIR. GREELEY.
GENERAL IAIBODEN RELATEs INCIDENTS
IN SIR. GREELEY's RELATIONS WITH
PRESIDENT JOHNSON AND SOUTH
ERN PUBLIC MEN.
The Hopes and Prospects of the South.
WHY SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS RE-
JECT BOURBONISN.

Gen. j. D. Imboden has written long
letter, devoted to the exhibition of the pat
riOtic labors Of Horace Greeley in behalf of
the Southern people. The first portion of
this letter shows the patient and persistent
efforts of Mr.. Greeley to induce President
Grant to allow The people of Virginia an
opportunity to vote against the iniquitous
DISTINGUISHING sections of the State Consti-
tuition framed by the Underwood ''black
and TAM Convention. The letter estab
fishes the fact that through the personal
efforts and influence of Mr.. Greeley, Vir-
ginia was saved from the swarms of hungry
carpet-baggers and ignorant negroes who
had concocted Constitution which had
been planned for the transfer Of that State
bodily to themselves, through the operation
Of the proposed DISTINGUISHING clause and
the famous irOn-clad oath, of which the
State Constitution was purged when the
people were accorded an opportunity to
vote separately on these questions.
Gen. Imboden further writes:
Last Fall gentleman asked me in my
own room, in New York, if had ever
heard of an interview between Mr.. Greeley
aud President johnson, few days after
the assassination of Mr.. Lincoln, in
which Mr.. Greeley advised that leading
Southern men should be consulted on a
plan of reconstruction. L told him | had
not. He then said he thought it probable
Mr.. Greeley might have mentioned the
matter to NE, though he never heard of
his doing so to any one. This gentleman
then gave me a full and circumstantial &C
count of the interview, at which he was
present, and in fact had been sent as a
friend and messenger by President John
son to New York for Mr.. Greeley and ac-
cOmpanied him to Washington. / was eX-
lIy cd in Ia Eo
OF what transpired and expressed the
opinion that it was an historical circum-
stance that ought to be known to the
county, showing that there was at least
one man-Mr. Greeley-in the North who,
in the midst of the frenzy of excitement
produced by Mr.. Lincoln's tragical death,
had the nerve and the wisdom to suggest
that the South should be consulted Oh the
mode Of their restoration TO the Union
He told me he intended some day to pub
lish the facts.
LETTERS TO MIR. GREELEY AND ANDREW
JOHNSON.
About the middle of June last | wrote
to this gentleman, through Whitelaw Reid,
Esq, editor Of the New York Trib1nle-
not having his addreSs-and asked him if
he felt at liberty to do so, to send me 3
statement Of the facts for use i'll the CAM
/
very properly, to Mr.. Greeley, from whom
l received the following private letter. Act
ing upon the permission he gave me, l
wrote to cX-Presdcnt Johnson on the 22d
i of June, enclosing copy Of Mr.. Greeley's
| letter, and asking that he would furnish
1 me with his recollection Of the circum-
| stances, and especially with his part of the
discussion, aud permit me to publish his
with Mr.. Greeley's letter, as establishing
the earnest desire of the latter for recon-
! citation at that early day; and, above all,
| his wisdom and magnanimity in suggesting
that the South should be represented in
the consideration and discussion of any
! plan that might be presented. This letter L
addressed to Mr.. johnson, at Greenvile,
| Tennessee, his post office, and supers cribed
a request to the postmaster to deliver or
! send it promptly to Mr.. johnson. lie has
not replied to it. Therefore, Difference to
| Mr.. Greeley's wishes precludes me from
publishing anything said by Mr.. Johnson
on the occasion, although informed Of all
that transpired and authorized by my in
! fOrmant, who was present, to make any
use Of it chose, as the matters discussed
were wholly Of a public character, affect
! ing the country and not the parties discus
sing them. |, however, feel entirely at lib
/ crty to use Mr.. Greeley's letter to me as
my own discretion may dictate, from other
| correspondence | have had with him since
/ its date and | think it does SO much hon
or to his head and heart, that every friend
OF the cause of peace and good will among
| our cOuntrymen, North and South, now
| represented by him, will thank me for
/ bringing out SO striking an illustration of
his wisdom and generosity, and which his
Own modesty has so long concealed. Ny
only regret is that his brief letter cannot
be read in the light of all the surrounding
circumstances Of the occasion. 1t is as
follows
MIR. GREELEY'S REPLY.
New YORK, June 20, 1872.
"AIY DEAR Sill have your letter to
| Mr.. ". Reid.
81 would not wish to publish anything
with respect to a private conversation with
President Johnson without his assent.
Il did visit him just before Congress
assembled after his inauguration. | sup
posed l was invited by him, but would not
assert it if he dissented.
81 did advise him to call three repre-
sentative Northern men and three equally
eminent Southern men to counsel him as
20 the best mode of p&cifyiDg and harmon
izing the country. L asked him to invite
these to remain III the White House as his
guests until they should have agreed upon
a plan Of reconciliation-he meeting and
consulting WIN Lneln whenever his daily
duties should permit.
81 did suggest to him as conferees on
the part of the North Governor John A.
Andrew, of Massachusetts; Geuit Smith,
of New \ ork, and Judge Il. z. Spaulding,
of Cleveland, Ohio.
81 did propose that lie should designate
and invite Gen. r. Z. Lee as one of the
C0nfarees on the part Of the South.
eff l named another Southern man TO
him, L cannot now recall the circumstance.
$50 much feel at Liberty to state, be-
cause it refers solely to my own actiC in
the premises. AS to Mr.. Johnson's 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 the occasion OF not, as he shall
see fit. | can remember nothing more Of
consequence said By me on this occasion,
except that pledged myself to SUPP ort to
the utmost any plan of reconciliation
which The conferees should agree upon and
he should adopt and recommend.
''1 ours,
EEHoRACE GREELEY.
'sGen. J. ID. Imboden, Richmond, Va
WHY THE SOUTH SHOULD SUPPORT THE
Liberal CANDIDATE.
1t was knowledge of these and similar
facts, and that inside view of his high
moral and intellectual traits which several
years Of personal acquaintance gave me,
that enlisted me as an active, though hum
bic, supporter of Mr.. Greeley for the
Presidency long before his name was very
prominently discussed in that connection.
L don't care what he thought or said about
slavery. | don't care what bitterness he
may have exhibited, in act or speech, du-
ring the bitter years Of the past. On that
score, if our words were as fully recorded