Year: 1866

Important Letter of Gov Cox, of Ohio.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-1he following
| important letter was read to-night by Gov


ernor Cox, of Ohio, to the Union represen-


tatlves IN Congress from that State:


WASHINGTON, Monday, Feb. 26, 1866.


General George b. Wright, Chairman oftae
Onaon Central Committee, Columbus, o.:


My DEAR SIR.-On Saturday last had


the honor of an interview with the President,


which L regardeda as of sufficient interest and


Importance to make it proper that | should
reduce to writing my remembrance of his
statements while they were fresh In my mem


ory, since he seemed to me, in perfectly
free and unprecedented conversation, to ex-


hibit, with peculiar clearness, the processes


OF his own mind in reaching some of his O.
plnlons and to express them with such man


ifest candor and entire freedom from person


al feeling, that [ could not but think that if


he would consent to it good might be done


by making his statements public Accor-
dinghy | again waited upon him this morn
ing, to make known what [ had done, to ask
his verification of the truth of my report, and


his consent to make the same known to the
country. Although he was perfectly una
ware of my purpose TO reduce his remarks
to writing, and l myself had no such inten-
ton when [ first called upon him, he most
frankly gave his consent, and assented to the
accuracy of my report, which is as follows:


He said he had no thoughts which he was
not willing to avow; that his policy had SIM
ply aimed at the earliest possible restoration
OF peace on the basis of loyalty. No Con
gressional policy 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 senses, inherited
that of Mr. Lincoln, with which he thought
he agreed, and that it was substantially the
one which he had carried out Congress had
nojust grounds of complaint that he had done
so, for they had not seen fit to declare their
views or adopt any measures embodying
what could be called policy of restoration.


He was satisfied that no long continuance
OF military government could be tolerated;
that the whole country would properly de-
mand the restoration of a truly civil govern
inert; and not to give it to the lately Rebel
llous States, would be an admission of the
failure of the Administration, and of the
party which had carried though the war, to
prove themselves equal TO the exigency, VINO
that the work of destruction was over, and
that of rebuilding had begun. Military Gov
ernment alone would not pacify the South.
At the end of long period of such govern.
ment we. should be no nearer, and probably
not so near, the end than now, and would
have the same work to do. Henc there is
a real necessity of adopting policy which
shall restore the civil Government fully just
as soon as the rebellion shall be thoroughly
ended, and conditions accepted by the South
which were to be regarded as absolutely ne
cessarY to the peace of the country. One
central idea had controlled him in the whole
matter, and this was that the proper system
of paci6eation should be one which tended
everywhere to stimulate the loyalty of the
people of the South themselves, and make
it the spring of loyal conduct by proper leg
islation rather than to impose upon them
laws and conditions by direct external force.


Thus in the case of the Freedmens Bu-
reau, he was not against the idea of the Bu-
reau in toto, for he had used it, and was still
psing it, 1t might continue for a period OF
saore than year yet. He had contempla
ted that either by proclamation of his own,
or by some action of Congress, as condi-
ton of peace, the technical end of the re-
bellion would be declared at some period,
perhaps not very remote, and as he under
stood the present law, the Bureau might con-
tinue a year from that time. Meanwhile, he
could say to the South, st depends upon
yourselves TO say whether the Bureau shall be
QlScOntlnueQ at an earlier udy, lOT VIII put
an end to it just as soon as you by proper
action for the protection of the freedmen
make it necessary" Thus, said he, the
hope of getting rid of the institution stimu
lates them to do what is right, whilst they
are not discouraged by the idea that there is
no hope of an end to what they regard as a
sort of military Government. 1t, on the
other hand, the Bureau we're to be made a
permanent thing by legislation. which, on its
face appears to be part of the fixed law of
the land, all the objections he had urged in
his message. appeared in full force to it, and
instead Of encouraging the South to loyalty
you tend to drive them to desperation, and
make their hatred to the Government invet-
crate. The same principal of stimulating
loyalty was shown in the manner in which he
held martial law over them. Whenever
they should show so peaceful aud law-abl-
ding condition of their community, that
martial law was not needed, it should De re-
moved. Their own conduct would thus de-
termine the matter, and the debt and inter-
est of all the best people be increased to put
down the disturbances and outbreaks, to pro-
tect Union men and obey the laws, because