The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-25
And a Wall-Street Man Talks of a Revolu-
tionary Proclamation Which President
Johnson Prepared but Never Issued.
Gen. Sherman Thinks the Papers Are
Getting Confused Over the Matter,
And Expresses the Opinion that johnson Did
Not Intend Violence-Hendricks Knows
Nothing, but Doesn't Believe Depew.
MORE
Fred Grant Claims to Have cum Show
ing Collateral Proof of the Charges.

Fred Grant Claims to Have Documents Show
ing Collateral Proof of the Charges.
New YORK. Oct. 24.-The Herald, this morn
ing, has another long installment Of interview
with persons on the Depew letter ~relativ: &c rTres-
idcnt johnson. Frank Thompson, of the Penn
syivania railway, and Fred Grant ~reiterate their
former statements. The latter said: II have
heard my father say, again and again, the same
things in very much the same language. l have
documentary evidence in my possession that
would be collateral proof of the facts referred to
In the conversation my father had with Mr.. De-
pew, and intend to collate them and my recol-
l~ections upon that subject"
Frederick w. Seward, secretary to his father,
said he never heard anything of the story in
question, and, like Hugh McCulloch, the story,
being new to MIN. he doubted its correctness.
Fitz John Porter confessed that such charges
were made at the time, but he was in Colorado,
and his Information was too fragmentary to be of
any value.
General McClelland said he knew nothing of
the charges, as he was in Europe.
General Sickles reiterated his story, saying:
There was no doubt of General Grants fear of
Johnson's loyalty to the government. Such fears
were known to the leading generals enjoying
General Grants confidence In 1860. l we'll re-
member how worried he was when he visited me
at Charleston. He seemed to have very little
confidence in Johnsons policy or intentions. On
several occasions Grant talked over the stu
alton at Washington with me until
3 or 4 o'clock in the morning.
1t is true that Grant did not reveal his worst
suspicious. but he told enough-how he was
alarmed for the safety of the government and
the success of reconstruction"
State Senator Arkell said he was intimate
with Grant at Nit. McGregor. Once Grant said
to him: Il have been called, as commander of
the army, to conclude the suppression Of one
rebellion, and have been personally the means
of preventing a subsequent civil war, menacing
and dangerous. yet of which little is known"
A veteran Wall-street fnancier said: II re-
member the time well. A rumor struck the
street that some portentous disturbance was
brewing in Washington. Government securi-
ties dropped terribly from some unknown
cause. The cause of the depression was
found to have originated in Baltimore. Subse-
quently, when the immediate trouble was over,
it was asceruained to have been based upon in
formation procured by Bob johnson, the private
secretary of the President, who had surrepti-
tiously copied and sold portions of the draft of
an intended proclamation, in which President
Johnson proposed to declare Congress adjourned
and demand a full representation from the Sc
coded States as the only constitutional body he
would recognize. This corroborates Mr.. De-
pew's recent statement. It shows how much larger
than we know is the debt we owe the silent hero
who stood between the wild and infatuated am
bition of a weak but stubborn man and a great
national calamity"