Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-05-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Justice to the Fame and Sturdy Hcroisn
Of Andy johnson.
His Gallant Fight Against Reconstruction
and Negro Domination.
A Michigan soldiers Views OF the Con
dition OF the South.

| special correspondence OF the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, May 5.-This morn
| ing your correspondent encountered
Col. Gilbert Meyers, who commanded
Michigan regiment through the
interstate war. Since 1865 he has been
a citizen of Memphis, Tenn, where he
Ia known to be modest, honest, indus
trious and most worthy gentleman.
knowing Col. Meyers to be a repre-
sentative Northern soldier, | asked
him to give his views in reference to
the political and social condition of the
South.
He said: | think It most fortunate.
Recent events in and out of congress
have substituted practical for senti-
mental issues. The high tariff East is
arrayed against revenue reformers of
the West, and now when ones state
ments affecting the South may have
an unprecedented audience, would tell
what ] do know with reference to
Southern inter-race relations. 1T is
proper to say that 1 was Northern
born, reared and educated, a
Union soldier commanding a veteran
, regiment in 1923 and 4, which won
name as honorable as that of any
in the Union service. l supposed
when fighting and digging bitches
/. aimed at was the restoration of the
Union. / supposed that Abraham
Lincoln told the truth when he said
he liberated the negroes TO promote
this result. When the end was
achieved and the Confederacy "col-
lapsed," because there was nothing in
, it; wher the cessation of .hostilities
was instantaneous everywhere, fact
, showing that the whole South assent
, ed to legitimate results of defeat, /,
with the South, supposed that peace
!, had come. was even glad that one
man stood up to declare himself an
; enemy to the Union. He became pre-
!, eminently conspicuous and served to
I show the world, by hisl very solitude,
r how thoroughly his people differed
\ from him, and how perfect was the
a unity ana unionism of the South.
!, to signalize the tomb of Secessionism.
A GRAND VICTORY.
But the politicians were not content
q that victory had accomplished its per-
feet work. Armies, in their eyes, had
n fought in vain. We soldiers, had ac-
n complished nothing. True, those
y whom we had fought were more re.
y joiced than ourselves, that the Union
d was restored, and each stakeholder as
r serted in every act and word, that
"a he was gladly relieved of responsible.
o. ties of ownership and care of negroes
Not one was heard to ask that "the in.
stitution" be reproduced. But this
was not enough. 1t was all and more
than we fought for. Surely it wa.
:, more than We expected to gain by the
u conquest of the South. 1t was grea
moral victory achieved by the force O
10 right through the bayonet, welded b,
right and sustained by valor.
VI. LINcoLN's PURPOSES THwARrED.
he Even with such a perfect victory
lie, selfish, ambitious, designing politi
ba clans were not content. Lincoln
wiser, more generous and Just, wa
by himself amazed when he aWoke on
he bright morning in the spring of 65, t
mt find the South rs peaceful and silen
ad as the million graves dug by war an
q" disease through four terrible year
by He studied the wonderful facts befoi
ess him. There was not an armed man
ia the South. There were no bandit
jill A~o ioNluB SueIIiIl'tS uhu TeIlTeu
ais swamps or mountains to show the r
in lentlessness Of popular enmity to I'll
ric- Union or devotion to the ''pecu
of lar institution" The victor
vas was perfect and Lincol
as perfectly blest. He visi
ing ed Richmond, that he might see f,
gu himself, in the very capital of the des
the Confederacy how perfect were Il
1t achievements of right and of victor
ion He was content. He ordered the co
un. venisg of the then existing ''rebe
and Legislature. He intended that "reco
this struction" should be as instantaneo
as the collapse of the empty Confedt
was acy. lie had no partisan ends to ,
erts tain, no selfish ambition to gratify. !
;, in enemies to punish, no friends to
the ward. The South had complied wi
lth, all his demands and only asked to
iber restored. less slavery, to the Unto
the LincolnDassented, as did the wht
met people, North and South.
LINCOLN AND JOHNSON CO-woRKEI
ttee Lincoln fell, and hell. in the sha
led OF congress of ambitious, selfis
ex- crazed party leaders, seized the rel
the OF absolutism, and then the war W
gust renewed, not by soldiers, but
men VINO never saw an armed rel
ON soldier, or dug a ditch, or bore a mi
en- .ket. Nothing saved the south fro
isla- utter desolation, and nothing preyel
sage ed the universal cODfiscati
hose OF Southern property, and the {
in grandizement of these rayenous. ful
Gus towards and robbers and THEY
I'd but the sturdy heroism of Andr,
ue johnson. He knew LincolI
aud purposes: These two had CONFER
ebel- constantly and We're agreed in evel
aust thing. johnson had the hardiho
are to refuse to convene congress. He "
ork. threatened, but despised those W
sought to drive him TO do Violence
dent his conviction of right and patriotisl
asso. He abhorred men who proposed
ynn. punish and rob and enslave the wbi
AIDED OF the South. He therefore hasten
He 10 render the purposes of political ,
d of venturers and fanatical party leadf
lists, impossible, He gave property own,
ming In the South special pardons. He pro
ting ulgated peace and universal a
on nesty. He exerted his whole otuc
re 10 ana moral power to render the VIC
done by the Union soldiers perf
laid work. PS''
ut LiNCoLN's DEATH IN THE SOUTH.
With But the congress met 1t was /
product OF passions generated bv
I'M assassination of LINCOLN, an eys
Ding more deeply and earnestly deplored
con- me south than IN the North. u
IN south had learned that Lincoln !,
most fearless aud earnest. and tha