that aside from his speeches, in
conversation. I cannot say just when."

The North Carolina proclamation was read at an informal meeting at
which only Grant and Stanton were with the President. General Grant
did not criticise the paper. He said of it: "It was a civil matter
and although I was anxious to have something done I did not intend to
dictate any plan. I looked upon it simply as a temporary measure to
establish a sort of government until Congress should meet and settle
the whole question and that it did not make much difference how it was
done so there was a form of government there. . . . I don't suppose
that there were any persons engaged in that consultation who thought
of what was being done at that time as being lasting--any longer than
Congress would meet and either ratify that or establish some other
form of government."

General Grant understood that the North Carolina proclamation was in
substance the paper which had been considered by Mr. Lincoln, but
General Grant said also, that Mr. Lincoln's plan was "temporary, to be
either confirmed, or a new government set up by Congress."

General Grant's testimony upon one point is supported by the testimony
of Mr. Seward and the testimony of Mr. Stanton. They agree that Mr.
Johnson's plan of reconstruction was in substance the plan that Mr.
Lincoln had had under consideration. Mr. Stanton regarded the plan as
temporary.

If President Johnson intended to enforce the plan upon the country he
concealed his purpose when the North Carolina proclamation was under
consideration.

In the month of October, 1866, the police commissioners of the city of
Baltimore were engaged in the work of registering voters for the
November elections, and the authorities were engaged in the work of
registering the voters in all parts of the State of Maryland. It was
claimed that many thousands who had been engaged in the rebellion and
who were excluded under a provision of the Constitution had been
registered by the connivance of the authorities and especially by the
police commissioners of Baltimore. There were rumors of secret,
hostile organizations, there were threats of disturbance, and Governor
Swann became alarmed.

President Johnson became alarmed also and under date of October 25 he
wrote a letter to General Grant in which these paragraphs may be found:

"From recent development serious troubles are apprehended from a
conflict of authority between the executi