Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-07-02
Truth and History.
Correspondence Chicago Herald

Correspondence Chicago Herald.
Chauncey Depew in his speech at Ga
lena perverted the truth of history as fol-
lows: ''lt gave us the unfortunate all
miniStration of Andrew johnson, with
its early frenzy for revenge and detcrm-
ination to summarilv try and execute all
the rabid leaders. aud its later efforts to
win their favor by giving them their states
without pledges for the unionist or the
freedmen, and the government without
evidences of repentance or hostages for
loyalty. Grant stood with his honor and
his fame between the raging executive
and the confederate generals and prevent
ed a reOpening of the war" The simple.
unvarnished truth is this: Andrew john
policy of Abraham Lincoln as set forth in
his proclamation of Dec. s, 1868, and as
again reiterated in the last great speech of
Lincoln on the llth of April, 1865, only
three days before his murder. Andrew
johnson never varied from this Lincoln
policy of reconstruction except to require
from the rebels three things beyond what
Lincoln had reguired-frst, that they re-
pudiate their rebel war debt; second, that
they abolish slavery in their state legis-
latureS; third, that they adopt and ratify
constitutional amendments to forever pro-
hibit the re- establishment of \ frican slav-
cry in any state in the union All of
which was done by the legislatures and
people of the southern states. In the face
of these we'll known historical facts, Mr..
Depew is not ashamed to tell men who
will not take time to examine for them
selves that Andrew johnson virtually
turned rebel after the war was oyer. His
other charge that Johnson wanted at first
to hang all the rebel lt aders is without a
single iota of truth. Early in May. 1860,
while Mrs. Lincoln still occupied the
White House. delegation from Pennsyl-
vania visited President johnson. Simon
Cameron was chairman of that delegation
and made a speech to the new President,
in which he said: "President Johnson:
These rebels who confiscated your prop
erty and drove your wife and children to
the mountains. and killed your son, and
who offered reward for your life-these
men are now in your power; their very
lives are il the hollow OF your hand, and
the country expects and this committee
expects that now vengeance will be exec
uted, that treason will be punished and
traitors made Odious." To which john
son reptile =:
"Gentlemcn, it is true. as General Cam
eron has said, that the rebels cOntiscated
my little property. drove my family to the
mountains and killed my son and offered
a reward for my head, and it is perhaps
also true that the lives of these men may
now be in my power; but, gentlemen, l
don't want to deceive you. In the prov
idence of God am now President of the
United States, and ali the private wrongs
of Andrew Johnson are forgotten, are as
if they had never been. [ will do nothing
iCr revenge. l will do whatever in my
judgment will bind up the wounds made
in this war md restore the everlasting
peace and harmony and union of these
states, to the end that our children and
their children will not fight this war over
again when we are dead and gone. | re-
peat. | will do nothing for revenge. -
And this speech was the keystone to his
whole administration, He would do moth
ing for revenge. That was the reason
why he was impeached. 1t is wrong
that such stuff should be palmed off on
the rising generation as truth. [ write
simply TO vindicate"the truth of history
CHARLES Ii. SHRINER.
EX- Lincoln Elector, Fourteenth District, |
Pennsylvania.