The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-10-28
Grant and johnson.

pew to Colonel Fred d. Grant, giving
the details of the relations existing be-
tween President johnson aud General
Grant during critical period. Mr..
Depew, in public address during the
illness of General Grant, alluded to the
subject-matter of the recent-published
letter, and remarked at the time that
Grant was twice the savior of the re-
public"
The remarkable revelations were made
to Mr.. Depew by General Grant himself
some four years ago. Soon after the
inauguration of President johnson it is
well known that sudden change oc-
CURED in his views and policy regard
ing the rebels and reconstruction. Ac-
cording to General Grants statement
to Mr.. Depew, this change was brought
about by prominent ex-confederates,
who tempted Johnson's ruling passion
of ambition by representing to him
that his achievements had ennobled
him, and the South would be glad to
receive him into full social and polit-
ical fellowship if he would at once re-
habilitate them and restore them to
congress, where they could do him eff
fective service and render him solid
support. The president sent for Grant;
and, after declaring that the reconstruc-
ton measures of congress were revolu-
tionary and would destroy the country,
he said he had perfected scheme
which would give the states all the
rights they had before the war. He
would, by proclamation, direct the rebel
states to send to Washington their full
quota of senators and representatives
He had assurances from enough men,
bers from the North, who, united with
them, would make a quorum of one
house at least, if not both. The con-
gress thus formed he would recognize
and install at the capitol. If the other
northern members did not choose to
join they would be a powerless rump
meeting in some hall. To the gener-
ais suggestion that this would start the
civil war afresh, the president replied,
"They who do it will be the rebels,
but if you sustain me, resistance is inn
possible" He appealed to Grant to
stand by him in the crisis and they
would be the saviors of the republic.
General Grant very decidedly refused
to be a party to the conspiracy; and
after endeavoring for long time in
vain to convince the president of the
folly of such course and its certain
failure, no matter who sustained it,
Grant finally told him that he would
drive the congress so constituted out
of the capitol at the point of the bayo-
net, give possession of the building to
the senators and representatives from
the loyal states and protect them. If
necessary, he would appeal to the coun-
try and to the army he had so recently
mustered out of service. johnson
dared do nothing in the face of General
Grants opposition, and the scheme
thus came to naught.
A disposition is manifested in some
quarters to throw discredit upon Mr..
Depew's statements; but the substance
of his remarkable paper is vouched for
by Colonel Grant, General Horace Por-
ter, General Sickles, General Butler
and Colonel Frank A. Burr of the Phil
adelphia Times. On the other hand
General Sherman does not think that
johnson contemplated revolutionary
policy. But the allegations against
johnson are perfectly consistent with
the course pursued by him during his
incumbency of the presidential office
He was, in many respects, weak and
vain man, and there cannot be much
doubt of his surrender to the rebe
leaders, who had flattered his ambition
and persuaded him to change his whole
attitude in regard to the South. Tha
he would have deliberately wrecked the
cause of the Union in the hour of it
triumph, but for the firmness and pat
riotism of Grant, does not admit o
much doubt. The New York Sun at
tempts to explain Johnson's conduct il
the following startling paragraph: CON
of the controlling facts in the histor,
of Andrew johnson is that he was al
opium-eater. To this cause his mos
extraordinary eccentricities SHOULD
doubtless be attributed; and amon
them the scheme he proposed to Gen
eral Grant was, perhaps, the most IRA
tional. His career had several start
ling outbreaks that were inconsisten
with state of perfect sanity AT tn
same time they were presented with
great deal of intellectual shrewdness
and this is one of the characteristics c
an opium-eater."