son was not then prepared to treat the new state
organizations as final and binding upon Congress and the country.

Under date of July 8, 1865, Secretary Seward said, in an official
letter to Governor Holden of North Carolina: "It is understood here
that besides cotton which has been taken by the Secretary of the
Treasury under Act of Congress there were quantities of resin, and
other articles, as well as funds, lying about in different places in
the State and not reduced into possession by United States officers as
insurgent property. The President is of the opinion that you can
appropriate these for the inevitable and indispensable expenses of the
civil government of the State during the continuance of the provisional
government."

On the 14th day of November, 1865, Mr. McCulloch authorized Mr. Worth,
acting as treasurer in North Carolina, to use the fragments of rebel
property that might be gathered to defray the expenses of the
provisional government of the State.

In answer to a question put to Secretary Seward, he said: "I do not
remember that any provisional governor held a military office, except
Mr. Johnson."

In the further examination of Mr. Seward, May 16, 1867, he indicated
his concurrence with President Johnson in this remark: "The object was
to proceed with the work of the restoration of the Union as speedily
and effectively and wisely as possible, having no reference as to
whether Congress would be in session or not."

This question was put to Mr. Seward:

"Did not he (the President) urge these parties to be prepared to be at
the doors of Congress by the time of its next meeting?"

The answer was: "Very likely he did. I do not know of the fact. I
know that I was very anxious that these States should be represented
in Congress, and that he was equally so, that they should be provided
with representatives who could be admitted."

The policy of the administration, July 24, 1865, is set forth in a
despatch from Secretary Seward to Governor Sharkey, of Mississippi (he
is addressed as Provisional Governor): "The President sees no occasion
to interfere with General Slocum's proceedings. The government of the
State will be provisional only until the civil authorities shall be
restored with the approval of Congress."

Upon the united testimony of General Grant, Secretary Stanton and
Secretary Seward, it may be claimed fairly that the governments that
were set up under proclamations of the Pres