Evening star., 1896-06-20

tributor to the press.
~ At the same time, in
his editorial sanctum here, the author of
the newspaper interview has been writing
his c. mments upon these opinions and per-
kaps at the same time rejecting upon the
development of this great journalistic fea-
ture. of which he may be called the
founder I refer to ]. B. McCullagh, now
editor-in-chief of the Globe-Democrat, but
away back in the sixties the Little Mac
who, as Washington correspondent, was
the chief medium of commu1 ication be-
tween President Andrew Johnson and the
public. Mr.. McCulagh has long been noted
as one of the brightest Of our newspaper
men. Born In Ireland, he began his life
work as printer in st. Louis, rising from
the case to the reporters desk. He was a
mere boy at the outbreak of the war, but
he at once went to the field as a CORE
spondent and before long was stationed at
Washington. sending out news from that
point. 1t was two years after the close Of
the war ehat he did his first great work as
an interviewer. He was at the time CORE
spcndent CT the Cincinnati Commercial.
and as such he made a tour through the
south writing up the condition of the diff
fel ent states. During this tour he surpris-
Ell the press by three-column talk with
AlGkdnucT H. stephens at Ills nome III
Georgia. 1t was the first interview of the
kind ever given to the public, and the
prominence Of Mr.. Stephens as exvice
president Of the confederacy and the strik-
ing ideas which Mr.. McCullagh elected
from him created a decided sensation.
interviewing Alec Stephens.
had a long chat the other day with Mr..
McCullagh about some of mis- early news
paper experiences. During 1t 1 asked him
as to his first great interview. He replied:
Il had. you kEow, good letters of intro
duction and these gave me cordial re-
ception. 1 met Alexander H. Stephens at
his homo in Georgia. He lived near Craw-
louisville in an old-fashioned two-story
frame house, which he called Liberty Hall.
There was a station near the house, and
1 supposed that l should find tavern
there where 1 could be accommodated dur
ing my stay. Wien l got off the train
found nothing but an old shanty kept by G
negro woman. l asked her if she could tell
me where Massa Alec lived. She showed
me the house. and leaving my valse with
her l walked up through the great lawn
filled with forest trees and knocked at the
door A momenr later l met Alexander
Stephens and presented my letters. He in
sisted upon my CT ming once to the house.
l remained with him for three days and
had several long talks with him. He dis
cussed many matters relating to the south
iIlu gave SOlIle views as 10 eman-
cfpation and the negro. He told me that
he would have emancipa ted his own slaves
long ago, but that he did not know how
they could be taken care Of. He said that
his plantation would not raise enough
money to support them, and that they had
long cost him more than he was able to
get out of them. They did not leave him
at the close Of the war and he had many
of them still with him at the time of my
visit"
Our Two Grentest State Papers.
what other things did you talk of. Mr..
McCullagh?' 1 asked
"A great many" vas the reply. Zone Of
my questions. I remember was as to what
he considered the greatest of our state
papers. His reply was:
There are two of our state papers
which I consider the greatest Of ALL One
Is Thomas Jeffersons second inaugural and
the other is the second inaugural of Abra-
ham Lincoln
This statement created great COM
ment throughout the south. and 1t was
questioned by a number of the southern
papers. The southerners could not then see
how Alexander Stephens could mention
Jefferson in the same breath with Lincoln
They looked upon Lincoln as an unedu-
the war were still too hot for them to give
him the credit that they now do. The
comments concerning the statement were
80 many that when l met Mr.. Stephens
later on at Washington I told him that my
report had been disputed and asked him If
had understood him correctly. He re-
Piled that he could not remember just
what he had said to me. burt that had re-
ported him exactly as he thought, and that
as he really did believe that these papers
were the greatest he could not see how
had gotten the idea II not from his CONVEX
sation.'
interviewing a President.
How did you come. Mr.. McCullagh, to
have such close relations with President
Johnson"
ut came from a talk of his which 1 re-
ported. He noted that the article I wrote
expressed his views exactly, and after that
he gave me a number of interviews. The
first conversation was given by President
Johnson without any idea on his part that
it would be published. When he had fin
ished asked him If he had any objections
to my using what he had said in the news
papers. He replied that he had not and
when the matter was published he was Sc
pleased with the result that had easy ac-
cess to the White House. / always pre-
pared myself upon the subject which ]
wished the President to discuss before
went, and to a certain extent had an idea
of the answers which I thought he ought
to make. His talks were entirely infor.
NAL; many OF them were more in the shape
of chats than stilted interviews. We each
had a rocking chair, and President johnson
would rock back and forth as he talked
He spoke very freely, saying whatever
came uppermost in his mind, and at the
close Of each interview would ask him Il
there was anything he had said which he
did not wish reported. He would then tel
me to run over the subjects we had dis
cussed. I would do this, and II there was
anything which he thought should not b.
I{1I, All
however. he allowed me to use my OWL
judgment.
Andrew JOhnsOn's Drinking Habits.
ANDREW johnson was not always dis
Greet as to what he said." continued Mr.
McCullagh. I remember one talk with him
during which I suggested that certain O
his remarks. If published. would probabl,
get him into trouble These remarks re
lated to Grant. Henry Wilson Of Massa
chusetts. afterward Vice President, hat
suggested the name of Gen. Grant for tn.
presidency. and this notwithstanding ther'
was large temperance element In Massa
chusetts Grant was to a certain extent t.
johnson referred to this, and thereupor
compared Grants habits as to drink will
his own. much to the disparagement o,
Grant. He said remember, that Gen
Grant could drink all the whisky he pleased
and still be popular with the temperance
people. whereas II he happened to look a.
a glass he was reported as having been ir
a state Of beastly intoxication.''
"Did johnson drink much pr 7