Year: 1865




the friend of Curtin, don't like Cameron,
is very smart and given greatly to mix
in political matters He has been to
Washington with Governor Curtin; he
only happened there however, but when
there, was sent for by President johnson
to have his opinion on the way to do it.
Mcclure is not troubled with modesty,
although as


Mild a hammered man


AS ever scuttled ship or cut q throat"
he gave his opinion, and as he tells his own
story, in his own paper, we must confess
he stood up like a sonny" for hanging,
but was beaten by the President, with
something of an emphasis in his manner
Mcclure says:


However reticent he may be on some
issues. he seems to have no reserve as
70 the policy he conceives to be the true
one to bring back the insurgent States
He discussed the position of those States
and their people with great interest and
occasional warmth, and with frankness
thai left no doubt as to his purpose. He
holds that they were never out of the
Union. that secession, however accom-
plished as fact, cannot be accomplished
in law: that the supreme authority Of
tbs Government in those States was not
oyerthrown by rebellion, but simply in
sbeyance, and of course it logically fol-
lows his premises that. since the rebel
lion has ceased, the States resume their
proper places in the Union and restora-
ton is accomplished This, in brief
was the stand point from which
the President discussed the question
of reconstruction for more than An
hour, and answered suggestive object
ions at times with an earnestness that
demonstrated how ardently he is work
ing to give success to his policy. could
not but remind him that his theory strip
ped all traitors of the protection they
might claim as public enemies; that 1T
would stamp as guilty of treason within
the laws every man who aided the re-
bellon, and of necessity demand at his
hands commensurate punishment for
what he must hold as unmitigated crime
as appalling murder and desolation for



You have" added, given us on every
hand the Nations monuments OF Mercy
where will be its monuments of JUS
tice? Davis is a proclaimed assassin, as
we'll as traitor-his agents have died, an
other (Wirz) will follow-how are the
principals to atone to Il people doubly
bereaved in their homes and in their
chief sanctuary of power2" To this the
President answered with much ANNA
tion that the measure of, and the time
for, atonemeat were yet for the future to
determine. | shall not soon forget the
emphasis with which he declared that
the South must come back and be apart
of us, and lit must come, he added,
with all its man hood don't want it to
come evIscerated Of its manhood !" To
this proposition abstractly there could
be no objection made.


After this outburst, Mcclure evidently
gets an idea and says


IF | were going to guess on this sub
iect, | would say that Davis is more
likely to be paroled during the next year
than to be tried, and if he is ever hanged
he must do it himself"


Here is to be another monument TO
mercy.


On cOnfscation, admission Of Southern
members of Congress- the freedmen and
general politics, the President obstinately
differs with A K McC, but as he can
didly prints the whole talk, we prefer
giving il in his words:


The President is clearly averse to con-
fscation. aud that question is practically
settled Whatever might be the views
Of Congress, confiscation is not possible
with all Executive deterIninedly hostile
TO it, and with the pardOning power in
his hands. Infer, however, that on this
point, Congress will harmonize with the
Executive, as lumber of even the radi-
cal leaders, such as Greeley and Sumner,
openly oppose it, If our credit can be
sustained otherwise, 1m content Five
years hence we Shall all be wiser on that
point than now.


Ibelieve that the President will WELD
all his power to effect the admission of
the representatives of the rebellious
States into Congress during the next
session The Senate being organized,
the question cannot come up there until
it brought up in order; but there will
be strong pressure to force the admis-
sion OF the Southern members by placing
their names on the roll when the House
meets. | have seldom seen Congress
struggle against power and hold out to
The end. The history of such conflicts is
always dotted with frail ones who fall by
the way


On the future of the freedmen the
freSldent talks well. He displays more
sense than sentiment on the question,
aud means to solve the problem fairly,
IS demanded by civilization and human
MIy Ot their ability to win a position
taat will enable them to be incorporated
INTO our system of Government, as citi-
tens, ne is not eminently hopeful, but
.ees that it must be fairly tried with
;uoPen held for the negro. That fail
IVY Ne looks upon colonization as the
OlIy alternative.


II would be foolish to, disguise the fact
lat The President, both by word and


Sea, S, dlselaims the position of a partizan


ISutve, and that he is not insensble


sss @s nattering approval of his admin,


nor NOn by the Democratic party. do


tbv %ssa bv this that he is is in sympa-


do m"N aua fellowship with them; but


tbv aa that he is not wholly in sympa-


asanst them; and he will, feel


ieaI eaIsaIed in saying, adhere to the polit'


witbOtunes bnrtunes of the Southern States


Th, Daa regard to political consequences