The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-11-03
JOHNSON'S PLOT.
soME EconnoponArlvEr rnsr1MoNY
An E1.cOnfSdsra,o Agent Helping on the
Schsms-Ho TELLS of the CGmIng Dicta.
torship- -HoW Grant Was to be Used
and tho Conspiracy Was ThwArtsd.


versation with representative Of the IN
TELLroENcER Chauncey NJ. Depew's Grant.
Johnsoa. revelation was touched upon.
Knowing that Mr.. Church had been well
acquainted with Andrew johnson in bis
native State OF Tennessee, he was asked
what he thought OF the statement regard.
ing Johnson's ambition to be admitted 10
social equality with tho old ruling class
OF the South. Mr. Church hesitated for
moment and replied: ...
~ came accidentally into possession Of
information concerning the matter about
which General Grant spoke to Mr.. Depew,
and it was information which would
much rather not have received. have
never spoken OF it to anybody, regarding
it rather as forbidden subject"
BEFORE THE WAR IN TENNESSEE.
"At this time, Mr.. Church, when the
country is interested to know the whole
truth OF this matter, don't you think that
any man who can throw light on it, upon
whichever sitIS. buZ1t 10 make his con.
tribution? The ISTELLr0EHcRR would
like very much t. hear what YOU have to
say"
are some details into which am not at
liberty 10 g bat you will not want more
than the substance .0t my Information. l
shall have to ~ hack little to get a start
ing point In 1858 was ons OF the editors
and proprietots OF the Nashville Uat0R, as |
had been before and was afterwards. At
that time became well acquainted with a
Unitarian minster named Ftrsuson-a
man OF intelligence, strong c0nv ction and
very courageous in Asserting his views
His thought ran into lice which was not
endorsed by his congregation and he went
to New Orleans and | lost ght Cf him. l
ought to add that he VAS brilliant
conversstionalist of q most winning
manner, one VI those men VINO exercise
strong influence over other men without
rising to pubic emineucs My views on
slavery and --some other questions
did not accord with those OF my
business associates or, indeed, with the
constituency of our newspaper, and In
1883 I retired from the newspaper and
went to New YORK. During the var re-
ceived the card OF my old acquaint-
ancs Ferguson, and called at his
hotel 10 see him. NJ such m9n was hare.
Looking over 'the register saw Jesse
Bahcock, Nashville aud remembered
that the full mama fthe Unitarian min
lister was Jesse BAbcock Ferguson. He
had gone, and no one 1t the hotel could
tell me anything more.
VISIT TO WASHINGTON.
"At the time about which General
Grant told Mr.. Depew, happened in
Warrington. Imagine my surprise TO meet
the Unitarian minister, whom | had not
met more than ten years. He told me
that during the war he had the closest
confidential relations with the Confeder-
ate leaders, that as asecretdiplopstiC sRent
of the Confederate Government he had
visited France in the interest Of French
occupation OF Mexico to give the COnted.
eracy support on the southern border, and
he had spent some time in London. where
he was in conference with Lord Palmer
ston in the hope OF bringing about rec
oenition OF the Southern Contederacy.
He asked me Il | received card from
him in New YORK, and added that he was
at that time outTar1.bound and knew l
would get the card too late to see him"
"What had Ferguson to do with the
johnson AFFAIR.""
81 come to that now. What doyou sup
pose Ferguson was doing in Washington? ?
This secret agent oil the OoGfedeIacy
startled me by saying that he was now
Secretary TO the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Commf tee, at that time 0sten-
sibly engaged in, the effort to elect Demo-
cratic Congressman in the loyal States.
There WAS something very peculiar about
the mans manner which | could not fail
to notice. At his sinvitation went to the
committees headquarters, where he
seemed 10 be at hoaie and 6lre himself as
one in authority. 1t was hare that he de.
veloped to me what hesaid was thesGheme
OF Andrew Johnson and the Southern
leaders. ! need not go over that whole
ground, it was substantially the project
which Mr.. Depew says General Grant out
lined to him. The Southern States
we're to be invited TO send to Con-
gress such Representatives as suited
them, Just as before the war. In
short, johnson WAS to restore the status
quo ante belium with slavery left out, Of
course. Grant having been Democrat,
Ferguson said that Johnson hopsd lie
could be brought to defend with the army
the Congress go brought together, and
with the same strong arm TO disperse any
other body that might call itself the Con-
Vress OF the United States. Ferguson
seemed to take it for granted-certainly
he proceeded on that assumption-that as
johnson, himself and were all Teunes-
see men, and as l had always been on in.
innate terms with johnson Jour news.
paper had brought him out for Governorl
that would fall in with the prcject and
help to carry it through.
a DICTATORSHIP.
ferguson, who had unbounded faith
in Johnson's destiny, said the President
was determined to 20 through with this
enterprise, though he did not appreciate
how far It would lead him. From his
frequent and close conversations with
johnson he was convinced Of this, but as
! the prospect widened he knew no would
not ialter. In the end, said Ferguson,
johnson will be Dictator the South,
worsted in the resort 10 arms, Will virtual
lly triumph in the establishment Of its
| = H.. .,,J oil Nhat uha fa1Obk fnt nV.