Daily Republican., 1885-10-23

The recent disclosures of Chauncey
M. Depew, in relation to the shifting
attitudes OF Andrew johnson when he
became President OF the United States
by the assassinatiou OF President Lin
coin, as told 70 him by General Grant,
are startling in their effects upon the
public mind, bat when those who lived
through the rebellion, and are still
living, tax their memories they can
recollect that the position Of johnson
in respect to OK -CoHfederates WAS we'll
known at the TINA he became Presi-
dent, and was rs related to Mr.. Depew
by General Grant.
1t Is o well known fact that johnson
lid, after the assassination Of Lin
coin, begin loudly TO proclaim at all
times and places that: Treason is
odious and mast be punished, and the
chief rebels shall bs hung" 1t will be
we'll remembers o. 20 that tho extreme
loyalty Of the nation, though grieving
and exasperated ut the assassination OF
Lincoln, felt In part compensated with
the though. that Andrew johnson vas
At the helm OF government and would
10 farther than his lameRted predeces.
sor In the punishment Of treason. The
diHic Guilty with johnson was that be
had narrow, vindictive spirit. He
had never been In favor with the aris-
tocracy Of the South on account OF his
plebeian birth, and the reputation OF
the tailor Of Greenville was always
bdious to the slave oligarchy. As o
matter Of fact johnson had no feeling
In common with the ar.stocracy that
ruled the South with an iron hand, and
his support In Tennessee was from
differently constituted class Of people
than dominated other States Of the
South, except, perhaps, Texas, that
sent Sam Houston to the Senate. q man
who, like johnson, was self.made, was
broader In view and moved by nobler
instincts. With a man like johnson
In the p residential chair, 1t was nov
strange that he should have sought to
ase his power in q sum mary punish-
ment Of the leaders Of the Rebellion,
net because they were rebels as much
As because they never were the friends
Of Johnson before the rebellion.
Though it was known that q very
great change came over johnson soor
after he was inaugurated President, Il
was not known 30 generally how ht
had brought the nation to state Of con
fusion and anarchy more dangerous tc
Its perpetuity than the lamentable civil
war which had just closed, until MT
Depew i'm par ted the important infor
nation furnished him by Genera
Grant.
Though limited ut the time Ii was no
generally known that johnson ha6
actually insisted upon the Unitet
Sta bes Courts OF Virginia fading in
dictments against the leading mem berl
OF the Confederacy. He also wantet
the officers In the rebel army, who hat
left the regular army 10 be summary
dealt with by court martial Thu
army OF course was to be used to carr,
out these purposes OF the President
No wonder CONSERVATION relgned
throughout the late Confederacy, anC
rebel leaders appealed to General Gran
to protect them on the parole he hs,
given them, from the reyengeful vile
esaN bbA HLhBOiho vi q lhhhLAS1i lCcl
dent Here is where the grand char
acter Of General Grant towers up abov,
the performances Of his life en- blazone,
-npon the pages Of history. II il true q
Mr.. Depew stated, that General Gran
performed services to his country whicl
were uu@rit'en, quite AS important a
any that wera recorded.
The conquering hero, who had r,
fused to receive the sword Of Generi
Lee at Appomattox and told the p irole
rebels that they could take their hoss
home with tt EN- as they would ne,
them in putting In the spring crop
was righttully alarmed AT the positi,
fhs Pfesidant hat assdnsd and wait
npon him to inform HAN OF the CONF
tions Of the parole hs bad granted t
rebels, but he was superciliously
formed by the President that he Ooh
SOM was Commander in Chief o; q
army, and that he had the power
reject the parole he had granted I
COME deratss. THIS intensely intere
ing part of Mr.. De pew's letter, is bet
told in his own Ian guage.
General Grant urged mat the rebels
surrendered on these conditions dlsoan,
their organic Nttcns, submitted universe
70 the situation and were carrying out
good faith their part of the agreement q
every consideration OF both honor and
pediency demanded equal good faith on
part Of tho Government. The other col
wou Id have led to An endless guerrilla '
conducted in a country admirably adaI
for 1t by desperate and hopeless men. J,
son obstinately adhered to this view
assumed the authority OF commander, v
Grant fatty told him that II there were I
any court martials one must be called Il
General Grant first that he would
every means In his power, protect his ps
and appeal to Congress and the country
Thwarted in his Vaccinations
destroy the rebel leaders By Gen
Grant, johnson changed his COT
The time Of that change is well rem
bered.
From being vindictive hater 0
Southern leaders, he suddenly beca
yindictive hater Of Union leaders,
IL was only because General Grant
n Arm hold of the affections of the
that he was enabled to keep the
tic in check. The rebels saw thei
portunity and the kind OF man
mad to deal with, and they lost no
in making themselves solid with
They admitted that they had tr'
him badly, but now that he was +
dent of the United States, he v
member of the sristocracy of the S
The superficial silly mind OF Jol
was carried away with such fla
He was Southern man and one
noble order. From one extreme O
for Southern leaders he passed t
extreme OF hate to Union lead
General Grant knew the man
watched him. How fortunate TO
country that he WAS still at the HI
the army and could use it to keep
oolitical madman In his place.