The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-07-11

Sickles was shown the dispatch from Chi.
cago, stating that he had been sent by
President Lincoln upon a mission to Ten
nessee. The General said he did not feel at
liberty to tell ali the story of his visit to
Tennessee, which he made just prior TO the
Baltimore convention. 81 cannot go into
this matter, he said. because my relations
with President Lincoln were of q confiden-
tial nature. and even now l do not feel that
/ may speak of them. 1t is true that / was
in Tennessee for several weeks in the spring
prior to the Baltimore convention. ! went
there on q special mission from President
Lincoln. but this mission was not OF the
nature suggested by the gentleman in Chi
cago-to ascertain the sentiment of the
people, or to secure information which
might affect Mr.. Johnson's standing before
the convention. My mission was not q po-
litical one. 1t was more of q diplomatic
mission.
"Mr. johnson was then Military Gov
ernor of Tennessee, and in his admiDistra-
ton was very severe. His administration
was of o character which seemed to Mr..
Lincoln not calculated to meet the policy
which he believed the proper one. l had
known Governor johnson in Congress and
we were on the most pleasant relations 90.
cially. was given such credentials that I
was placed on the best of terms with him
officially. / spent about four weeks In Ten.
nessee, and during that lime was with him
very much.
without going into details, / will cay
that my object vas to see if the general
character of his administration as Gov
ernor could not be modified to come more
noarlv tn Mr. Iln1ntn'G l6paa- did the
work that l was sent to do to the best of
my ability and reported direct to President
Lincoln, going TO the White House immedi-
ately on my return. to Washington. and
telling him the situation as / had found it.
In all this heard nothing of any bearing
which this might have on the possible se-
lection of Mr.. Johnson to be q candidate for
the vlce-presidency."
mission may have influenced the President
in his feeling toward Mr.. Johnson, or had
any effect on the nominating convention"
General Sickles was asked.
Il cannot say that they may not have had
some effect" he replied. but if they did it
was an indirect one, and one which was not
thought of. SO far asI knew. when l was
sent South by the President"
rs 1t your opinion that Lincoln favored
the selection of Mr.. Johnson over Mr.. Ham,
linz"
c. V EXPRESSED HIMSELF.
81 never heard the President express him.
self on that question:" General Sickles
said. "At the time ! undertook the mission
to Tennessee the President had not even
avowed that he would be a candidate him.
self. He shrank from such an avowal on
high grounds. He used to tell me that he
hesitated to say that he would be q candi-
date. He once said. 'Sickles, I must not do
1t. To wow oneself q candidate for the
nrnatdonnu M this tnra 20 Sfon rxrn
and avow oneself ready to assume the
heavy burdens which must come to the
President for four years-is something that
no man should do. And the people might
rightly look with disfavOr and suspicion
upon one who openly declared that he was
ready for the next four years to assume
these burdens With such feelings on the
subject of his own candidacy. Mr.. Lincoln.
shouids say. would be still more disinclined
to announce his preferences for the second
place on the ticket"
General Sickles said tina he advised Mr..
Lincoln emDhatlcally that he must be a
candidate. He told him that the announce
ment of his nomination would have greater
and better effects on the Union cause than
the announcement of three victorious bat.
ties. 1t would mean four years more of
men. and money, and fighting, ii necessary
to end the war. 81 told him that his noun
said General Sickles. 81 further told him
that he was not doing right in allowing
Mr.. Chase, his principal rival, TO make the
appointments of special treasury agents as
he was then doing. / told him that each
appointment was good for one delegate to
the convention and that Chase would get
the benefit of the distribution of the plums.
He replied with a funny story.
Il went South on my mission. and, after
several weeks. returned to Washing tOn and
went at once to the White House. as 1 have
already said. 1t was evening, and q recep-
ton was in progress. i made a brief stop.
and was Just coming way when the Presi
dent beckOned me to come inside the lines,
i did so. and. after the crowd had begun to
thin ont. the President drew a telegram
from the pocket of his dress-cOat and
handed it TO me. 1t was from Columbus.
o., telling him that the State convention
had that day elected delegates to Baltimore
President. sou knew more about those
treasury appointments than / did. When
Ohio goes for you against Chase. l have
nothing further to say. You are the better
politician"
General Sickles said that he did not
know who the Chicago man that had
mentioned the visit to Tennessee could
be. for" said he. II do not think / ever
spoke of nv trip, except to the President"
Favored Andrew johnson.
CINCINNATI. July 10.-Dr. Cyrus W. Fal.
coner. of Hamilton. o.. writes to the
Commercial Gazette, spropos of the
Mcclure : Nicolay controversy con-
corning Lincoln's choice for Vice
president. that the Union men OF
Hamilton early in 1862 agreed to hoist the
name of Andrew johnson for the next
vice presidency. He says that the name
was tioated at the masthead of the Butler
4 crat. and was kent there for two years. un-