Evening star., 1896-01-11
His Confidential Clerk Tells of His
Views, pf$9IReoonstruotion. +
LINCOLN'S ONtY ACTS ON TEE SUBJECT
War Department Orders in Regard
to the + Richmond Clergy.
THE POLICY OF JOHNSON
7ritten Exclusively for The Evening Star.

Written Exclusively Tor The Evening Star.
''The honorablest pat of talk is to give the oe-
change to somewhat else for then a man leads the
dance. Bacon.
1t was not Secretary Stanton's aim to
shine, but whether in war or in peace he
led the dance. In my former chapters In
The Star 1 have shown some of Mr.. STAN
tens Leadership In war. In this chapter
1 propose to show him at the critical mo-
.nent of peace, as leader in the problem
of recoastructing the southern governments
which were shattered by the war.
1t is important to understand that the
matter which challenged the attention and
the wisdom cf the statesmen of the coun-
try when the war was over was the res
toration of the seeded states to the Union
as one sovereign nation. In this work a
great struggle between the executive and
the legislative branches of the govern
ment, for two years, kept the nation In
| convulsed condition. The people of the
north, led by Mr.. Stanton, held that re-
| construction could only be effected by the
consent of the federal legislature, and that
The seeded states were not entitled to rep
resentation in Congress, except under
| amended constitutions, which had received
| the sanction of Congress-
President Johnson's plan was the op-
pcsite; that is, that the rebellion, having
been put down, the states were all equally
entitled to representation IN Congress
OF representation under the new con-
| ditions. On this plan he undertook to
restore the southern states to the Union,
and he advised Congress when 1t met that
secession were null and void; that the
states in rebellion had never been out OF
| the Union and therefore were entitled to
send Representatives to Congress:
IN \. Ioyao n tnrr h0f 10
| dent assemble Congress-; that it was his
| imperative duty to invoke the wisdom Of
Congress In the problem Of bringing back
| the dismembered states irto the Union-the
states the governments of which had been
swept away by the whirlwind CT rebellion
and were in ruins; the states in which the
courts were outlawed, end within which
millions of people were in condition OF
anarchy. The wisest craftsmanship should
have quickly placed the interests OF peace,
| and ali the vital, delicate and difficult ques-
| tions, requiring grave deliberaticn and In
volving the exercise of the highest govern
mental powers, IN the hands of Congress.
But this mighty task President Johnson
boldly undertook single handed, and ne
directed the reorganization of these eleven
states, so that their Representatives could
be in Washington when Congress as
sembled-a periof of six or seven months
| The Conflict Begins.
| All this was done without intending to
| consult the paramount branch of the gov
ernment. When Congress met the bitter
| fight commenced. Seeing the inevitable con-
| Eict, the southern Representatives did not
come to Washington to claim their seats In
| Congress. They saw and felt the storm
| the President had raised
| One of the strangest things Is that the
| result could not have been foreseen from
| the beginning. Congress at once asserted
| its power to determine the form and the
| character Of the governments Oh these
states, and the basis or their representa-
ton in Congress-, and declared that nc
| Senator or Representative should be ad
mftted into either branch of Congress iron
the states in rebellion until Congress should
| have determined in what manner such
| states should be entitled to such represen
tation At this legislation the President be
| came fierce and fiery against Congress, anC
| the conflict grew in intensity.
| What could have controlled president
| Johnson to have turned upon Congress anI
the party that elected him is one of the
mysteries of that turbulent period. The
| Presidents fight turned with vengeance
| upon Secretary Stanton, and soon involved
Gen Grant, Sherman, Sheridan and tht
whole army-all against the President. L
there ever was a time in the history of thi:
country when Congress should have beer
| assembled IN extra session 1t was at tht
close of the war.
Up to certain time President JohnsoI
and all his cabinet were in accord witt
Secretary Stanton, whose plan provided
that the seeded states should have pro
yisional governments to give order, to re
store business interests to the people, ant
to aid in re-estaplishing the constitutions
| relations of the states with the genera
government. In this harmonious relation
it is a fact that all understood that all th
proceedings of the President and of thes'
states were to be subject to the approva
| and final determination OF Congress befor,
any state would be admitted to representa-
tion In little while all this was changed
The President had determined upon plal
of his own. and the sounds or the thnnde
from the north rolled around the White
| House. The President became the leader o
the seeded states, and Mr.. Stanton becam
. the leader of the federal government ant
| it's legislative power. In this bitter fgh
Congress won: 1t reversed and wiped ou
everything that was done by Presiden
| Johnson and the states, but Mr.. Stanton
Was sacrificed.
LincOln's Richmond Experiment..
The very day of the fall of Richmon,
President Lincoln went there and met AM
had a conference with a prominent citizen
which resulted in the following permit an,
order which Mr.. Lincoln gave Gen. Weitzel
!, then in command in that city:
'It has been intimated to me that tn
| gentlemen who have acted as the legis
lature of Virginia in support Of the rebel
, lion may now desire to assemble at Rich
/ mond and take measures to withdraw tn
: Virginia troops and otheI support from re
| .
they attempt it, give them permission an
| protection until, if at all, they attemp
some action hostile to the United States
in which case you will notify them, Civ
them reasonable time to leave, and at tn
end of which time arrest any who remain
Allow Judge Campbell to see this, but d
not make it public
Acting upon this permit and memoran
dunn given him by the President, Judg
, Campt ell called committee of citizens to
, gether for conference on the subject. Gen
eral Weitzel, under what he conceived to b
, the authority Of tho President, published i
: the Ricbmondrpapefs call for the meet
ing of the Virginia legislature. In Judg
Campbelrs conference with the committe
, | he advised them of the Presidents memo
, randum to him and of his suggestions as
the establishment of government for Vii
ginia and of the terms of settlement wit
the United States, stfat they were to deter
mine. In this the governor and the lieu
tenant governor of the state were to tax
part, and all the conditions and Difficult
problems of reconstruction were to be sut
mitted to such legislature.
Two of the conditions of the President
permit were that the legislature should rt
! call ard disband the Virginia armies, an
the authority of the United States shoul
| be restored over the whole state. Judg
to IL