Year: 1866

eminent and representative Southern
/ eN-rebeIs, and ask them to take up
their residence at the White House
Tor week, fortnight, 50 long as they
might find necessary, while they by
tree and friendly conference and dis
/ cusslon, should earnestly endeavor to
hnd common ground wbereOn the
North and the South should be not
merely reconciled, but made evermore
iraternal and harmonious | suggested
that the President should occasionally,
as he could find the time, drop in on
these conferences and offer such sug-
gestions as he should deem fit-rather
as moderator or common friend,
than as a party to the discussion.


a suggestion Of fnames being invited,
l proposed those Of Governor Andrew
Of Massachusetts, Gerrit Smith of
New York, and Judge r. 2. Spaulding
Of Ohio, as three who seemed to be
fair representatives, of the anti-slavery
sentiment OF the North, while neither
specially obnoxious to nor disposed
to deal harshly with the South; and l
added that l hoped they would be met
by men like General Robert E. Lee,
Alexander Ii. Stephens, &c, who would
be recognized and needed by the South
as men in whose hands her honor and
true interests would be safe. But
added that | had no special desire that
these or any particular men should be
selected, wishing only that those chO-
son from either section should be such
as to command their peoples conf
dence and support. And | pledged
myself to support, to the extent Of my
power, any adjustment that should thus
be matured and agreed upon.


Some two months later, after the
meeting Of Congress, and when the
political sky had become darker, |
went again to Washington, on the
assurance of a mutual friend that the
President desired TO see me. The
Joint Committee on Reconstruction
had then been appointed. At an in
terview promptly accorded, | urged
the President to invite this committee
to the White House, and discuss with
them, from evening to evening, as
friend with friends, all the phases of
the grave problem of reconstruction,
with fixed resolve to find basis of
agreement, if possible. | urged such
considerations as occurred to me in
favor of the feasibility Of such agree
ment if it were earnestly sought, as |
felt sure it would be on the side of
Congress.


The vast patronage in the Presi-
dents hands-the reluctance Of the
majority Congress to see their friends,
supporters and nominees expelled by
wholesale from office, and their places
supplied by bitter adversaries--the
natural anxiety of every party in pow
er to maintain cordial relations with
the head Of the Government chosen
by its votes-these, and a thousand
kindred considerations rendered NOR
ally certain an agreement between
Congress and the President without u
sacri ce Of principle on either hand, if
the latter should sincerely seek it.


| speak only Of what | said and pro-
posed. because | have no permission
and no right to speak further. That
my suggestions were not followed, nor
anything akin to them, the public
sadly knows. And the conclusion to
which | have been most reluctantly
forced is, that the President did not
want harmony with Congressional
he had already made up bis mind to
break with the party which had elect
ed him, and seek further lease of
power through the favor and support
| of its implacable enemies


HORACE GREELEY.