The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-26
GILES f. FILLEY.
An Improbable Story About Scheme for
Declaring johnson Insane.

DtCiafinS OonHSOn lnSduSs
ST. Louis Special.
Mr.. Filley and Montgomery Blair, Attorney
general under Mr.. Lincoln, were the most init
mate friends. and it was by Mr. Blair that Mr..
Filley was placed in possession of the details of
this most interesting scrap of secret and unwrit-
ten history of tine Nation. Andrew johnson and
Montgomery Blair were close friends. After
johnson was inaugurated President he made
Mr. Blair's house in Washington his home, and
Mr. Blair was to certain extent his confidential
adviser Before Lincoln was assassinated
the Republican party was split, Ben Wade Sal
mon P. Chase and William H. Seward leading
that portion of the party desirous of enforcing
the most radical measures. When Lincoln was
killed and johnson became President, these men
sought to control Johnson, but they soon dis
covered that Lincolns policy was to be followed
out by his successor. Then they determined to
get rid of him. An elaborate scheme was
planned, the details of which were all known to
Mr.. johnson. The plot was to prove that Mr.. John
son was unfit through excessive use of liquor
and opiates to exercise the functions of his
office. They collected and manufactured mass
of evidence, beginning with sworn testimony to
prove that johnson drunk when he was in
augurated and that he had no idea what the
oath of office was or what was transpiring. Then
they prepared lot of evidence setting forth the
day and date of a vast number of acts of the
freSlOenC, puDnc ana private, to show that his
mind was impaired, all of which was to serve as
the basis of the arrest of Mr.. johnson. Mr..
Blair and the President were perfecly well
aware of what was going on, and discussed the
progress of the plot. When, however, the
schemers had far perfected their plans
that it only remained to decide on the date
for the arrest Mr.. johnson decided to send
for General Sherman. The President was afraid
of Grant, the general of the army. He thought
Grant aspired to dictatorship and in conversa-
ton with Mr. Blair pointed to the fact that Sher-
man had been sent as far from the capital as
possible. 1t was then decided to send for old
Tecumseh, which was done, and when General
Sherman arrived the surprise of Grant was
great The President proceeded very cautiously.
He did not tell Sherman all the facts. He never
spoke to him of the conspiracy, but simply said
he going to send Grant to Mexico, and
desired to have Sherman at Washington The
rest is told in recent publications. Sherman told
volunteered himself. johnson let each of the
plotters know in a quiet but unmistakable way
that he was fully posted as to their schemes, and
they abandoned the idea of arrestng the Presi-
dent, aud their plans took shape later in i'm
peachment proceedings. This sending for Sher-
man by the President apprised Grant that he
was suspected and distrusted by the President,
and it was not long before even the pretense of
friendship was abandoned by the President and
the head of the army, and then followed the
correspondence between them, portions of which
are now finding their way into print
This, said Mr. Flley is the story as told
fifteen ye ars ago by Montgomery Blair