The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-10-29
Unwritten History.
GRANT AND ANDY JOHNSON


GRANT AND ANDY JOHNSON.
Hon. Chauncey NJ. Depew has furnishe,
| the press the following open letter to Col
f. d. Grant:
New Y DIRK, Oct, II, 1885.
My Dear Colonel: In answer to your re
quest for the particulars of a conversation
| had with your father, and to which 1 al
luded in a speech before the Chamber o.
Commerce, the following is my best reeol
/ lection
About four years ago l sat beside Gen
eral Grant at dinner. There were many
courses. slowly served, and the entertain
ment lasted several hours. We discussed
many matters suggested by his travels
around the world, and, among other things
he said to me that when in China, Prince
Kung, who was the regent and real ruler
during the minority of the Emperor, told
him OF their controversy with Japan War
was about to be declared, and the Prince
thought it would be long and bloody one,
and asked General Grant if he would act
as arbitrator. The General declined for
want of time, but principally because he
was private person, and had no power to
enforce his decision, He suggested, how
ever, terms of compromise. When in
Japan, shortly after, the Mikado's Minis
tiers told their side of the trouble, and re-
yealed the fact that several European
Governments were actively stirring up the
strife on both sides, hoping to benefit by
the war, the same request was made to
him on the part of the Japanese Govern
ment tie act as arbitrator, and in again de-
Ginning he stated The substance of the com.
promise he had advised for China. The
two nations adopted substantially the
terms proposed by General Grant, and
disastrous conflict was averted. The con-
versation drifted into the consideration of
his relations with President Andrew John
son. The narrative of this period was one
OF the most graphic descriptions to which
ever listened, and it is unfortunate for
history and posterity that it cannot be pre-
served as it was told. 1t had the local
coloring of conversations with and state
ments by the chief actors and of situations,
parties, and persons as events occurred,
Invaluable as a portraiture and estimate of
the times. l said in my address that Gen.
Grant performed services to his country
which were unwritten quite as important
as any that were recorded, and l think
this narrative will bear me out. This is
the substance of the story
Mr.. johnson began the day after the as
sassination of Lincoln to loudly proclaim.
at all times and places. with constant re-
iteration, the shibboleth Treason is
odious and must be punished, and the
chief rebels shall be hung.n
To give effect to this sentiment, as soon
as he was inaugurated he insisted upon the
United States Courts in Virginia finding
indictments against all leading members of
the Confederacy. He also wanted officers
in the rebel army who had left the regular
army to join the rebellion to be summary
dealt with by court-martial. These move
ments of the President produced the
greatest CONSERVATION throughout the
South. The Confederate leaders appealed
to Grant to protect them on the parole he
had given. He saw President johnson on
the subject, only to be informed that the
President was by the Constitution COM
mander-in-chief of the army, and that any
thing done by commanding general on
the field was done subject to his approval
or rejection, and he rejected the terms.
General Grant urged that the rebels had
on these conditions, disbauded
their organizations, submitted universally
to the situation. were carrying out in good
faith their part of the agreement, and
every consideration of both honor and ex-
pediency demanded equal good faith on the
part of the Government. The other
course would have led to an endless guerilla
warfare, conducted in a country admir-
ably adapted for it by desperate and hope
less men. President johnson obstinately,
adhered to his view and assumed the au-
thority of commander, when Grant fatty
told him that if there were to be any court
martial one must be called for General
Grant first that he would by every means
in his power protect his parole, and appeal
to Congress and the country.
In the halt called by this attitude of
General Grant a very remarkable change
occurred In the views and policy of Presi-
dent johnson. Gen. Grant discovered that
the most frequent and favored visitors to
the White House were men whom the
President had prescribed. In the Gen
erals opinion Johnson's loyalty was sub
ordinate to, if not entirely dependent up
on, his intense hatred of the slave holding
oligarchy, He was apoor white; had been
a journeyman tailor, and notwithstanding
the distinguished public positions he had
held, he could not break through the class
barrier, and was treated socially with con-
tempt by this proud aristocracy. When
they plunged into rebellion he saw his OPP
;he believed in the power of the
Government, and thought the time had
come when he could defeat his enemies,
confiscate their property, humiIiate their
pride, and possibly destroy them. The alb
sorbing ambition and passion of his life
had been to be received and treated as one
of them by the oligarchy. Having saailed
in that and suffered insult and indignity
in the effort, he became one of the most
of men. He saw them foiled in
their rebellion, defeated and impoverished,
and now he wanted to kill them. While
he was devising means to overcome Gen.
Grant s resistance to this last purpose, the
leaders Of old feudalism called on him.
They admitted their former treatment of
him and justified it. They said that in all