Year: 1866

WASHINGTON, Feb 2G.-The following in
portant letter was read tonight by Gov. Cox
Of Ohio, to the Representatives in Congress
from that State.


WASHINGTON. Monday, Feb. 2s.


Gen Geo. b. Wright, Chairman Union Cen.


trail Committee, Columbus. Ohio:


My DEAR SIR On Saturday last had an
interview with the President, which | reear-
ded as OF sufficient Importance 10 reduce TO
writing my remembrance of his statements
whilst fresh in my memory. | waited upon
him this morning to make known what had
done, to ask his verihcation of the truth of
my report and his consent and assented to
the accuracy of my report The Presideu.
said he had no thoughts he was not willing
to ayoy; that las policy had simply aimed at
the earliest possible restorntion of peace on
the basis OF loyalty. No Congressional poll
cy had ever been adopted, and therefore
when he entered upon the duties of his office
he was Obliged to adopt one of his own He
had in some sense initiated that of Mr. Lin
coin, with which be thought he agreed and
that was the one which lie had carried out
Congress had no just ground of complaint
that he had done so, for they had not seen
tit to declare their views or adopt any mea.
sures embodying what coudbe called policy
OF restoration. He was satisfied that no long
continuance OF military government could be
tolerated that while the country would pro.
perry demand the restoration of truly civil
government not to give II to lately rebelhous
States would be an admission of the failure
of the administration and of the party which
had carried through the war to prove them
selves equal to the exigeney now The work
OF destruction was over and rebuilding had
begun. Military government alone would
not paclfy the South. At the end of long
period OF such a government we would be no
nearer, and probably not so near the end as
now, and would have the same work to do;
hence there is real necessity of adopting a
policy which should re~ssre civil government
just as soon as the rebellion should be tho
roughly ended and those conditions accented
by the South which were to be regarded as
absolutely to the peace of the country


The proper system of paciicaton should be
one which tended everywhere to stimulate the
loyalty Of the South rather than to impose
upon them laws and conditions by direct ex
terna force. Thus in the case Of the Freed.
men Bureau. he was not against the idea OF
the Bureau in toto, for he had used it and was
still using it. y might continue for pc.
Rod OF more than O year vet He had CON
templated that either by proclamation of his
own, or by some action OF Congress, the con
dition of peace and the technical end of the
rebellion would probably be declared at some
period not very remote, and as he understood
the present law, the Bureau might continue q
year from that time Meanwhile he could
say to the South, at depends upon yourselves
to say whether the Bureau shall be discontin.
ued at an earlier day, for | will put an end to
IL just as soon as you make il necessary. y
Thus the hope of getting rid Of the institution
stimulates them to do right, while they are
not discouraged by the idea that there is nc
hope OF getting rid of what they regard as q
sort of military government. II. on the other
hand, the Bureau were made permanent by
! legislation, all the objections he had urged IN
his message applied in fall force to it. and in
stead of encouraging the South to LOYALTY, i,
I would tend to make their hatred of the Gov
4 ernment inyeterate.


This same principle of stimulating Ioyalt,
was shown IN the manner in which martha
law had been held over them. Wheneyel
they should show that martial law was moi
needed, 1t should be removed. Their owr
! conduct wonld thus determine the matter
and the desire and interest of all tho hos
people would be increased to obey the laws
because by so doing they would hasten the
withdrawal OF the interference of the militar,
| arm in their affairs ;


In precisely the same way he had acted r
regard 70 civil affairs generally in that section
regarding it as necessary to impose condition,
upon rsbellious States which would euarante,
the safety of the country, and regarding tn,
then existing officers of local governments a,
having disqualified themselves by their trea
1 son for continuance in power, he deposet
them and established provisional govern
ments- Then he asked himself what condi