The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-07-13
Greeley and the South.

Greeley's Pacific Policy Advocated by
Him Seven Years Ago---His Opinion Of
Lee.
| Correspondence of the Courier-Journal1
RICHMOND, Va, June 25.-An Incl
dent in Mr.. Greeley's history, SO credi-
table to his head and heart that it
ought long ago to have been made
public, has just been narrated to your
correspondent, and he hastens to
place it before the readers of the
Courier-.JOurnai, not less as an act of
justice to Mr.. Greeley than matter
of general interest to the country.
The wonder is that this incident
should so long have been kept secret,
dating back as it does seven years
ago.
Soon after johnson was installed as
President he sent IL gentleman named
Camp to New York to solicit an inter
view with Horace Greeley. Unable
to leave the capital, Greeley must
come to him at once at the White
House. Greeley promptly complied
with the request. After the first for
NAL civilities were over, Camp rose to
leave, but President johnson re-
quested him to remain and he did so
during the whole interview.
johnson opened the conversation by
saying that he found himself in most
trying position. The nation was con-
vulsed with passion in consequence
of Mr.. Lincoln's assassination he felt
inadequate to the task to which he
had been so unexpectedly called, and
he felt need, as he had never before
felt it, of the counsel of some cool and
sagacious man. He had, therefore,
sent for Mr.. Greeley. What course to
pursue, how to stem the torrent of
Northern frenzy, how to manage the
reins of government in a crisis SO
awful, was aproblem too deep for him
to solve. Placing himself in Mr..
Greeley's hands, he asked, what must
| do?
Thanking him for the confidence
he thus reposed in him, Mr.. Greeley
replied that his best course was to call
to his assistance few of the wisest
and hest men in the country. They
should he representative men from
the two great sections. On the part
of the North, he wOnld suggest Gov
ernor Andrew, of Massachusetts, Ger
ritt Smith, of New York, and Judge
Spalling, of Ohio. A like number of
| Southern gentlemen should be called !;
they should be invited to the White
House as guests of the President, there
to remain and deliberate as long as
they saw fit; and, having agreed up
ON some policy, they should submit it
to the President for his approval, and
if approved by him, as Mr.. Greeley
doubted not it would be, it should be
faithfully and rigidly pursued, despite
the popular clamor which might for Il
time ensue.
Mr.. johnson thought well of the
suggestion. " But what Southern
men should l invite, Mr.. Greeley, to
meet the gentlemen you have named
from the North ~
I" First and foremost" said Mr..
Greeley, Robert E. Lee, of Virginia. y
"Great heavens!" exclaimed john
son, ''he is the very head and front
of the rebellion"
:" know that" said Mr.. Greeley,
"aId for that very reason you should
invite him. He knows, if any man
does, the wants of the Southern peo-
pie; he of all men possesses the con-
fidence of the entire South he is up
right and pure he would not recon-
mend u single action on your part
which would not meet the approval of
your advisers from the North, and the
result of the deliberations in which
Robert E. Lee, Judge Campbell, of
Alabama, and third man like them,
from the South, took part, would not
only insure the appreciation of the
tlisaffected States but in the course
of few months, would, / am firmly
persuaded, bring to your support
every right-minded and right-hearted
man of the North. The pacifcation
of the estranged sections, your main
difficulty, would thus be solved,
and your path made clear to-
ward the solution of minor difficulties.
How are you to discover the true sen-
timents of the South and the wants of
its people if You do not consult
IleT representative HlcII Alu NHub
sort of restoration will that be
in the plan of which the South has no
part whatever? 1t must of necessity
be one-sidetl, partial and unjust. Be
persuaded, Mr.. President, and call to
your aid men of the standing, position
and temper l have suggested, and by
all means call them from both sec
tions."
In this strain Mr.. Greeley continued
until he had fairly won the President
over to his way of thinking. The in
teryiew ended with the assurance from
the President that he would adopt the
views of Mr.. Greeley and follow them
exactly. He would however, make n
single moditication-he would substi
tute Horace Greeley IN place of Ger
rit Smith.
every well,' said Mr.. Greeley, "if
you call me, l will come gladly, and
aid you to the best of my ability"
They parted, and ten days after