The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-19
GEN. JOE JOHNSTON.
HIS VIEWS UPON THE SITUATION
THE NORTW AND SOUTH.
The Position that the Southern Members
of Congress Should Take,


| Washington Post.l
| RICHMOND, Va, Nov. 13-Late last even
corded an interview by Gen Joseph E. John
| ston, who will represent the metropolitan
district Of Virginia in the next Congress. A
| painful though not serious accident resulting
in bruised knee. at present confines the
| General to his modest residence on Grace
street, in the city of Richmond; but, aside
! from this, his more than three score and ten
years have left him straight as an arrow and
| as full Of vitality as many q man of fifty
years. There has been such o cry already
| raised by the vindiCtive Radicals of the terri
bic disasters to be brought upon the country
by q solid South, that the views of Con. John
ston, who will naturally be leader will have
an interest for people Of all parties. Replying
to a question as to the probable financial
policy Of tho Southern Representatives, the
General said:
"Spealing first for myself, am unaIterably
for honest money. II my views were other
wise | could not have stood upon the plat
form upon whica was elected Upon this
question I stand with the intelligent and
patriotic men of the South, who are not to be
deluded by fiat sophstres. The war taught
illimitabe, and God knows we are now too
poor to try a repetition Of the experiment.
"What is your opinion OF the attitude that
the Southern majority will assume in shap-
ing the policy OF the party?
without any advice at all upon the uues-
ton, will venture to say that the attitude of
the gentlemen from the Southern States will
be such as to disappoint the irreconcables of
the opposition, who have, sGe already begun
an effort to array o solid North against q
solid South. We will probably have little to
say In reply to Radicals Of this stamp. Our
acts will speak more emphatcally for us.
Sectionalism was killed last Tuesday, and
long before 1880 the "solid South and tho
people Of the South have known for thirteen
years that the war was at an end but these
long range Radicals and latter-day warriors
cannot, seemingly, be brought to O realization
of this fact The revival of the charges that
it Is our settled policy to saddle the war debt
Of the Confectionery upon the country is ab-
surd-contemptibly so-and it passes my
comprehension how any Intelligent reader
can receive such reckless inventions with pa
ticnce. The South is now as close q part Of
the Union rs Is New England; Virginia has
the same interest in the general prosperity Of
the country as Massachusetts, and her Rep
resentatives, and the Representatives Of the
South, will be found to be as active in support
OF all sections Of the country as the gentle
mon from Maine or Vermont.
General what is your opinion Of the f,I-
ture,, of tha Greenback party i'll Virginia Or
the South p
"They have nc future, sir. They were
buried beyond hope Of resurrection on the
fifth, and deservedly SO. Here in Virginia
they had no principle. The corner stone Of
their hopes was Laid in dishonesty and their
doom was foreordained. TO their scheme for
piebald currency they added here the policy
of reputation of the State debt, and though
congressman can have no share in the settle
ment Of that question, still the election of
their candidates would have been hailed us q
signal victory for the repudiationists. But,
to the credit of Virginia, they have failed
sgnally, and the world will now understand
that we will meet our honest obligations
In the closing moments Of the interview
the conversation turned upon the probable
course Of the Southern delegation regarding
the SDeakership; and while Gen. Johnston
declined to commit himself thus early, the
tenor of his remarks left the clear impression
that the sentiment Of the South would be in
favor of the election of q Northern Democrat.
The General said in SO many words that that
would be the wsest course to follow.