Year: 1866

Interview with Gov. Cox of Ohio.
The Governor Of this State had an
interview with President johnson, on
the Oath ult., the substance Of which


wegiyein the following letter, and which
is made public with the President S
consent:


WASHINGTON, Monday, Feb. 26.


Gen. Geo. B. Wright; Chairman Union
Central Committee, Columbus, o.:


DEAR SIR :-On Saturday last [ had
an interview with the President. / re-
sarded it as Of sufficient importance to


write my remembrance of his state
ments whilst fresh in my memory. /
waited upon him this morning to make
known what had done to ask his veri-
fication of the truth of my report, and


his consent to make the same known
to the country. He frankly gave his
consent, and assented to the accuracy
of my report. The President said he
had no thoughts he was not willing to
avow; that his policy had simply aim
ed at the earliest possiblerestoration of
peace on the basis of loyalty. No Con-
gressional policy had ever been adopt
ed, and therefore when he entered up
on the duties of his office, he was
obliged to adopt one of his own. He
had in some sense inherited that of Mr.


Lincoln, with which he thought he
agreed, and that was substantially the
one which he had carried out. Con-
gress had no just ground of complaint
for what he had done so far. They
had not seen fit to declare their views,
or adopt any measures embodying
what could be called a policy of restor-
alton. He was satisfied that no long
continuance Of a military government
could be tolerated; that the whole coun-
try would properly demand the restor-
alton of truly civil government, and
not to give it to the lately rebellious
States would be an admission of the
failure Of the party which had. carried
through the war to prove themselves
equal to the exigency. Now that the
work of destruction was over, and the
rebuilding had begun, military govern
ment alone would not pacify the South


At the end of long period of such gov
ernment, we would be no nearer, u prob
ably not so near the end as now, and
we should have the same, work to do.
Hence there is a real necessity for the
same adoption of policy which should
restore the civil government just as
soon as the rebellion should be
ended, and those conditions
accepted by the South, which were to
be regarded as absolutely necessary to
the peace OF the country. The proper
system of pacifcation should be one
which tended everywhere to stimulate
the loyalty Of the South, rather than to
impose upon them laws a,ad conditions,
by direct external force. Thus in the
case of the Freedmens Bureau he was
not against the idea of the Bureau in
toto, for he had used it and was still
using it. It might continue for a.peri-
cd of more than year, yet he had con-
tcmplated that either by approximation
Of his own, or by some action OF Con
gress, the condition of peace, the
technical end of rebellion, wonld pro ba-
bly, be declared at some period not very
remote, and as he understood the pres
ent law, the Bureau might continue a
year from that time Meanwhile, he
could say to the South, it depends up
on yourselves to say whether the Brl-
rean shall be discontinued at. an earlier
day, for will put an end to it just as
soon as you make it unnecessary for
the protection of the freedmen. Thus,
the hope Of getting, rid of the institu-
ton stimulates them to do right, whilst
they are not discouraged by the idea
that there is no hope of an end to what
they regard as 4 sort of military gov
ernment. If, on the other band, the
Bureau were made permanent by legis-
lation, all the objections he had urged
i'll his message applied in full force to


it, and instead Of feiIcouraging the South
to loyalty, it would tend to make their
hatred Of the government inyeterate.-
The same principle of stimulating 10y
atty was shown in the manner he had


held martial law over them Whenever
they should show thatr1nartial law was
not needed. it should be removed


Their own conduct would thus tteterm-


inc the matter, and the desire and in


terest of all the Best people be increas-


ed to obey the laws, because, by so do


ing, they would hasten the withdraw


and Interference Of the military arm in
their affairs t,.e.s .s .....t.. st


In precisely the same way he had


acted in regard to civil affairs gener7


ally in that section; regarding it as


necessary to impose conditions upon
the rebellious States which would guar