Year: 1866

When President Johnson was on his late
trip in the West, United States Senator
and two Majo Generals of the army, who
belonged to his party, were approached at
indianapolis by prominent conservative
Republican, who had been Colonel of an
Indiana regiment during the late war, and
who is now a captain in the regular service,
and who made the following startling state
ment: He had been making speeches for
the Republicans in Indiana in August last,
and at the request of Governor Fletcher,
of Missouri, visited that State and made
one or two conservative speeches. He was
told by Governor Fletcher that his speeches
were two tame ; that the most radical of
declarations were wanted in Missouri that
the people must be told that the Republi-
cans had decided that the "rebels should
not vote and that the State was to be car
ried by force of arms if necessary. Cove
nor Fletcher also told him that he had
thirty thousand muskets in the State in
loyal hands, and that they should be used
told Governor Fletcher that he was Re-
publican in principle, but did not approve
of such measures and would not advocate
them. Governor Fletcher thought him
merely weakened, and answered him that
he would come into the harness after awhile.


A few nights subsequently he was present
on invitation at secret meeting of Radi-
cal leaders at the Linden Hotel. About
fifty prominent Radicals were present, in
Guiding Governor Fletcher, of Missouri
Governor Oglesby, of Illinois, and Sena-
ator Yates and John A. Logan, of Illinois
The whole plan of the impeachment of the
President was discussed, even to the ar
rangement of filling Washington with an
armed force of "Boys in Blue" to protect
Congress, and also to decide who should
succeed Johnson in case Vice President
Foster, as his successor, should not prove
equally positive and pGable to the will Of
the Jacobins. Butler, Governor Morton,
of Indiana, and others were discussed
Butler was looked upon as lacking in cour-
age, and Morton was feared as being too
ambitious for the purposes of the conspira-
tors. General Grant was mentioned as too
conservative, and Sherman was secuted as
a copperhead. Finally, Senator Yates was
decided upon as possessing more stamina
and less scruples than any other available
man. If President Johnson offered serious
and Foster did not act vigo-
orously, Yates was to be put in to control
affairs.


When he was about to leave st. Louis
the informant in the case was requested by
Governor Fletcher, to ask Governor Nor
ton, of Indiana, what number of arms he
could spare to Missouri. Governor Nor
ton replied, when the message was deliver
ed, that he could not say that he had any
to spare; that there was about one hundred
thousand stand, with plenty of ammunition
in the arsenal; he would see what could be
spared, and confer with Governor Fletcher.
Out of this correspondence grew the con-
ference of the Governors at Philadelphia,
which it is now well known was for the pur-
pose, among others, of distributing arms
throughout the country. Outside of the
of this officer there is indubita-
BILE evidence in the hands of President
Johnson of the secret distribution of large
quantities of arms throughout the North
west on various pretexts, all of which, how
ever, are legal and plausible enough.


While the startling character of this sto-
ry causes it to be incredulously received by
many, the character of the officer making
the statement, the known desperate char
acters of the leaders implicated in the
scheme, and much corroborative evidence
received, cause it to be generally believed
among the Presidents adherents.