Year: 1867

WASHINGTON, December22, 1866.


Representative Eggleston, of Ohio,
had long interview with the Presi-
dent to-day. He spent more than an
hour IN conversation with him on gen.
eral matters, reconstruction among the
rest. After talking of the results of
the late elections, Mr.. Eggleston asked
the President if he did not think it
would have been better for him to have
surrendered his views and opinions in
favor of the popular Verdicts in Octo-
ber and November, and not have
pressed his policy in his last message.


The President replied to this that he
did not think he had shown a further
opposition to the popular verdict than
merely to express his opinions to Con-
gress on what he thought would but
conduee to the welfare of the country.
He thought the Radical party had
made great mistake in spending so
much time as they did last session be-
fore announcing upon what terms they
would agree to re-admit the Southern
States, and that damage to the public
welfare had been the result of this de-
lay, and now that Congress had passed
the Amendment and it was about to
become part of the Constitution, he
could see no guaranty that the South
ern States would be admitted, even af-
ter the ratification had been fully ac-
complished.


Mr. Eggleston replied to this that
there was an implied guaranty in the
speedy admission of Tennessee after
the Legislature had ratified the amend
ment, and that he thought the party
with which he acted would be nearly
a unit on the admission of others of
the late rebel States, as soon as they
had complied with the conditions ex-
acted from Tennessee.


The President said he hoped this
would prove to be true, but he feared
there would be strong opposition to
such policy from the extreme rad
icals.


Mr.. Eggleston said ne felt little doubt
on the subject. There might be some
opposition from Sumner and Stevens,
but it would be a good characteristic
of Stevens that if he couldn't get what
he wanted, he would take the best he
could get.


YES" said the President, "that's
true of Stevens, and 1 always liked
him for it. A practical man, but he
seems to me to be working in the
wrong direction" The President re-
peated the hope that the South would
be admitted to representation on the
adoption of the Amendment. 1t was
useless now, he said, to discuss the
propriety or impropriety of the condi-
tions of that measure. 1t had been
agreed upon and all he could now ask
was the guaranty that reconstruction
upon that basis should De faithfully
kept by the party that had offered it.
He expressed regret and surprise that
so few members of Congress had called
upon him since the opening of the ses-
siou.


Mr.. Eggleston replied that he did
not think members of Congress should
carry their antagonism so far as that
He believed in fighting out all politi-
cal battles before the people, and tho't
that opposition to the views of the
President ought not to deter members
lTOm cOulcIIlnR Win Tue G4cCutlHo VI
him on business matters.


The President concurred in this
view exactly. He would like to have
men of all political complexion call on
him and tell HIM what they wanted
No harm could possibly come of such
an interchange of views, and a great
IaaI Of good might cnnno of it, and now
that the qaurrel had been settled, as
most people thought, there was no
reason why Senators and Representa-
lives should so sedulously avoid him.


The conversation was concluded by
Mr.. Eggleston inquiring what about
the Mexican question. The President
replied that it didn't look as faVorably
As he had hoped to have it, but still he
thought all would be well.