The Washington herald., 1909-02-07
President JohnSon'S Acts Justified
By Historian COnyerSant with Facts

as an earnest Of his future policy. He
said. IF there shall be found in any
rebel State even 200 men good and true.
they viii be deemed sufficient for tue
purposes OF reconstruction" He reiter-
ated the Monroe doctrine in reference to
the occupation OF Mexico BY the Federal
forces under Macmillan. and plainly In
timated that now that the civil war was
closed the attention OF the administra-
ton would be directed among other mat
ters to that Objectionable invasion There
are. reasons for believing that it was this
coupled with the hostility Of
the British financiers, who had invested
$50. .000, 900 in Confederate bonds. and other
large sums IN Confederate war ships
blockade runners, and Con
federate cotton. which was the founea-
ti0n OF the subsequent and wholly IN
American attack upon Mr. Johnson. and
the later intrigue which grew out or II
and had for its object the overthrow OF
the government and the installation OF
Ben Wade as a revolutionary president
The intrigue and the impeachment were
American, bat the initial attack, as VIII
presently be shown, was essentially Brit
ish: not British Of the British people, but
British as 10 the residence and influence
Of the i1stigators-
Troubles Begin Early
Mr.. johnson repeatedly echoed the
Of his lamented predecessor
that the government Of the United States
vas erected as a perpetuity; that the Con
stitution provided for the administration
OF states. bat not Cor their secession or
destruction. said he: a rebellious State
when Il comes out Of rebellion IS still a
State" I hold It higher duty 20 pro-
tect and 10 secure 10 those states re-
publican form Of government but such
a state must be restored by its friends,
not smOthered by its enemies was
opposed to dissolution, and am equally oQ-
posed 10 consolidation
He agreed with Abraham Lincoln and
disagreed with the radicals under Charles
Summer: he refused to recognize Vance
as governor OF North Carolina and would
not consent 70 withdraw the Federal
troops until the loyal citizens OF that
State had organized their own govern
ment. In reply 10 a delegation Of negro
clergy. he said. THE negroes had the
same right as the whites 10 be free; but
as 10 citizenship, they needed 10 be
trained. and they must not expect 70 live
in fdleness or TO be>~supported by the
government At a Cabinet meeting he
pushed aside a suggestion 70 declare the
negroes OF the South entitled 10 suffrage.
saying that IL was a question for each in
dividual State This is precisely the same
doctrine that has recently been enun-
ciated by our President-elect, William
H. Taft All Of these sentiments and
views Of Mr.. Johnson were repeated by
the press throughout the country with
almost unanimous approval Said the
New York Herald. faithful mirror Of
popular opinion CAfay 3. 1867 Mr.
Johnson's policy Of reconstruction has
given universal satisfaction throughout
the Union"
issues TIVE ProcIamatiOnH.
On May 3. 1855. the President issued
two important proclamatiOns- The first
extended amnesty to the entire South.
excepting fourteen classes OF persons.
chiefly the leaders Of the rebellion the
second related 20 the reconstruction Of
the State government OF North Carolina
upon a loyal footing. THIS document was
the result OF careful and protracted
consideration OF the subject by the Cahi-
net chosen by Mr.. Lincoln and presided
over BY Mr.. LlncOlns CoadjUtor and sue
cessOr. and Il must. Therefore. be re
garded as in every sense rejecting Mr-
LIncoIn-s policy OF reconstruction No
other view Of II Is admissible. for even II
Mr.. johnson had the desire. which N
view OF his past career and recent PUBIC
assurances Is fnconceivable. Mr. Johnson
could not have induced his Cabinet 70
agree upon any measure on this subject
in opposition 10 Mr.. Llncoln's views and
their own Judgment. Both the President
and every member Of the Cabinet had
their ears TO the ground, and il was not
only lmprudent Il was perilOus 10 re-
move them The reconstruction policy
embodied in the North Carolina procla-
nation was In perfect accord with the
wishes Of the people Of the United States
Yet so unsettled was the general condi-
ton OF affairs. so sensitive was the met
ropolitan press TO foreign criticism, OF
else so amenable TO foreign persuasion,
that all Of a sudden, over night as Il
we're. the press. which the day before IN
reservedIy approved. now wholly con
demned the policy Of reconstruction sane
toned by the Sainted memory Of Lincoln
and indOrSed by his colleague and his
Cabinet. As stated before. the attack
came from England The London Daily
News called Mr. johnson "a drunken
mechanic" the Times said Il was evil
dent that Mr.. Johnson cannot execute
the task" and advised him 20 resign'
while the small fry OF the London press
followed their leaders
Foreign Influence shown
So soon as these trades reached New
York they Immediately converted the 10
cal press. The New York World, News,
Express. Tribune. Journal Of Commerce,
Commercial Advertiser, and other pa
pers all turned upon the President and
commenced to rend him. The Herald
Gndependeut) charged that this revulsion
was engineered by August Belmont
whose plan It was TO govern the Presi-
dent through the Blair family. But the
last part Of this could only have been a
conjecture The attack came from Lon
don. il was instigated by French i'm
perial policy under Napoleon III, and
heavily REINFORCED by British commercial
and financial interests, which at that
AllaaE Aldl asAE-AE lev Na laO 4AAN Al
the bonds Of the United States. What
induced the New York press TO adopt Il
has anever been satisfactorily explained
II was, and, so far as the public is con-
cernded, It Is still a mystery. Neverthe-
less, il was q serious reality. and II mark
ed the beginning Of that long and acri-
mOniOus contest which eliminated IN the
impeachment OF the President and his
untimely death
Under the act Of March 3, 1855. a rev
enue commission was appointed in June
consisting Of David A Wells, Stephen
Colweu, and Samuel SnOwden Hayes
with z. II. Elliott as secretary. These
were all good men. but without the least
idea CT how 10 go work on the task be
fore them. 7 forget how # was that
became installed as a sort Of walking
encyclopedia for the lot
The Treasury papers were in the great
est confusion, the books OF account were
marred by repeated corrections, both in