Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-17

Andrew and Greeley. L do not say
should have done SO, or that would do
80 had l my career to go over again. for
it would have been hard to have
put out Seward and Welles, who had
served satisfactorily under the greatest
man of all. Morton would have been a
tower of strength, however, and so would
Andrew. No senator would have dared
to vote for my impeachment with those
two men in my cabinet. Grant was un-
true. He meant we'll for the first year,
and much that did that was denounced
was through his advice. He was the
strongest man of all in the support of my
policy for long while, and did the best
he could for more than year In
strengthening my hands against the
adversaries of constitutional government.
But Grant saw the handwriting on the
wall, and needed it. did not see it, or,
if seeing it, did not heed it. Grant did
the proper thing to save Grant, but it
ruined me. 1 might have done the
same thing under the same circum-
stances. At any rate, most men would.
L told Mr.. Blair that l wouldn't
have Greeley on any account.
always considered Greeley a good
enough editor before the war,
although Inever agreed with him, but
in all other matters he seemed to me
like a whale ashore. He nearly both
cred Lincoln's life out of him, and it
was difficult to tell whether he wanted
union or separation, war or peace.
Greeley is all heart and no head. He
is the most vacillating man in the coun-
try, or was during the war. He runs to
goodness of heart 80 much as to produce
- ioir naI mi h
me as friend. But l could not see the
point. | told him Greeley was sub.
lime old child, and would be OF no SER
vice to me. The others 1 thought well
of at the time. Andrew was great, and
Morton was greater, and Grant had
come out of the war the greatest gen.
eral of all. 1t is true that the
rebels were on their last legs,
and that the southern ports we're
pretty effectually blockaded, and that
Grant was furnished with all the men
that were needed or could be spared
after he took command of the army of
the Potomac. But Grant helped more
than any one else to bring about this
condition. Donelson, Vicksburg and
Missionary Ridge all contributed to
Appomattox.
"sHad Mcclellan and Rosecrans
never aspired to the presidency they
would have Jared better. The thought
of such thing never entered Grants
mind, Indeed his only aspiration was
to fight and to fight to the bitter end
the enemies of the government. l
think il i had partly carried out Blair's
advice we could have managed Grant 30
that he could have been president just
the same; my policy would have been
successful and my administration
been friends all round. AS
it is I am pointed at and derided
as a drunkard and traitor. when have
studied and worked hard all my life, and
have attained positions which no intem-
perate man, born as poor and as OBJ
scurely as l was, could have reached;
and was loyal when and where it cost
threats OF blood and ugliness to remain
true; and hostile gang Of politicians
tried to impeach me, me-Andrew
Johnson-who has had no other love or
attachment except that for the preserva-
tion of the union-for high crimes and
misdemeanor! Only think of it. But
future generations, while they will not
fail to see my faults. will thoroughly
vindicate me. They will realize that
malice and disappointment had a
good deal to do with the fight made
against me and with my ill-success.
They will discover that [ was
greatly misrepresented and misunder-
stood. and that my sole desire,
from the day l was elected to small
office in an East Tennessee town until |
became president of the United States,
was for the perpetuity Of republican in
situations and pure democratic princi-
pies. | shall never forget what Mr..
Blair once said to me: II am giving you
sound advice. 1t is with reluctance that
ask you to remove lifelong friends and
men whom Lincoln trusted. [ once
asked Lincoln, for certain reasons, to re-
move his own son, and he did so. Ii you
don't follow the advice give you, you
will be bound and handcuHed by con-
gress and your past usefulness aud in
comparable integrity will be forgotten
or oDlterated by the faults and errors
of your administration, which will be
intensified and exaggerated by those
who bear you illwill" How truly said =
MRS. sURRATT's TRIAL AND DEATH.
lC6, Hl1JOA Aiohah,
know quite good deal concerning the
trial and hanging OF Mrs. Surratt. And
l have heard it claimed at times by
some of Johnton's friends that had
Judge Advocate General Holt brought
to Johnson's attention the recommends
ton of the court martial that tried the
conspirators that Mrs. Surratt be inn
prisoned for life instead of being sent to
The scaffvld, he would have listened to
the appeal for mercy. And you know
when Hancock was running for presi-
dent. bis political friends claimed that
the general, who had charge of the
hanging, had 9, mpathized with the un-
fortunate woman, and hoped until the
last that Johnson would pardon her.
Now | may as we'll tell the whole
truth: Johnson, Holt and Hancock
we're all in favor of hanging Mrs. Sur
ratt, and there were mighty few loyal
people who were not. Holt never de-
MED that it was his opinion that she
should suffer the severe penalty of the
law. There were nine officers on the
court martial-Lew Wallace, Kautz,
Hunter, Howe, Harris, Foster, Ekin,
Tompkins, and Clendenin. Holt was
assisted by Bingham and Burnett Of
Ohio. Four out of the eight arrested
and tried were found guilty and SEN
fenced to death by hanging, Mrs.
Surratt among the latter. In a short
.;,,a oftornord Iudoa Ripohan mrota