The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-06-27
A CHAT WITH SIMON CAMERoE.
Interesting st6ry OF tho Plot to unRest
President Lincoln.

A correspondent of the New York
Ifmes met ex-senator Simon Cameron
the other day at his Pennsylvania farm.
and had long talk with him about hij
life and public service. he was hale and
hearty as ever, in spite of his seventy.
nine years of active life and constant
struggle. In the conrse Of theinteryiey
the ex-senator took occasion TO remark
that he commenced life in o printing Of.
ico, became ali assistant SGsistof2, anu Sc,
far from dislikiDg press men he had nl-
ways had high regard for them. "That
story" he aa:d, "they tell of me talking
Of them literary fellows Is made up cut
of whole CLOTH, He told also how he
then got into tbs; banking husiiasss and
made money, and then into politics.
After while General Cameron drifted
into war times, aud related what he
termed secret effort which was made to
unseat President Lincoln, an effort which
was even then known to but few people.
He said:
at was shortly after I, came back TO
America, lfrom Russin. In 1862,) and
while ] was resting at my home in Penn
sylvania, that received from a number
of most prominent gentlemen an iaviSa-
ton to visit Washington aud attend O
consultation which was 20 hs held e rs!
gard to national affairs. I afterwards
discovered that this invitation was ex,
tended TO me because it was believed that
my somewhat unpleasant exit from the
War Department bad rendered me hostile
to Mr. Lincoln and his administration.
Knowing nothing of this at tho time,
however, / went to the capital and found
assembled there number Of influential
gentlemen, who had come together osten-
Bihly tor the purpose of advising together
regarding the condition of the country.
This, say, was their ostensible purpose
for calling the meeting, but / soon found
that their real object was to find means
by which the President could be i'm
peached and tnrnef out Of his Office.
The complaint againlj Mr. Lincoln as
that he lacked ability and energy and
that he was not pushing the wai with
Sufficient vigor. These reasons, and the
plan of attack, if I mag nse the sgn:es- n:es- :
sion, were all made known to nae, and 1
was asked for my advice. / gave it at
once, stating with as much earnestness as
/ could command that the movement pro-
posed would be disastrous one. and
strongly urging that it would be little
short of madness to interfere with A.r.
Lincoln's administration. Then / lesns
Washington and returned TO my home a
frmer friend of the President than I had
ever. been before. And, as you know,ni
the Senator said, in conclusion, ,"the ;rl-
peachmens scheme never amounted to
anything. Indeed, it was soon afterwards
utterly abandoned."t
Mr. Cameron, it may be mentioned, ;,
was OF tho opinion that with the bs.itie
of Gettysburg the war should have ended,
and after taat engagement he visited
General II zleaa'= ; hesa.s..e:= ks.e be
became SO strongly impressed with the
conviction that the advantage of that
fight ought to be followed un With q fresh
attack that he was on the point Of tele-
graphing to President Lincoln. He did
not, however, but shortly after, on seeing
HIM in Washington, related the circnm-
stance, when lincoln assured him that
had he received his telegram he would
have ordered general and immediate
battle; but, returning to Mead, he aaid /:
ave cannot blame him, Mr.. Cameron; !;
Nc cannot CefisiiTa man Tiu i,i.n Si;,I,i,
go much because he did not do more.':
In the course OF the 'interview" Mr..
Cameron takes considerable credit &c
himself Tor having from the first seen
that the war was to be q long and bloody
struggle, while Seward aud Others thought
i yes 20 lest caly 8 fes' months. With
the Republican talk now Of rinseating
Hayes, the disclosure Of q Republican
plot to unseat Lincoln is not inoppor-
tune. -, Z.