clamation that seemed to be objectionable. He
said that "the measure was tentative" only, and that until the
experiment had been tried no other proclamation would be issued. Upon
that I said in substance that the Republican Party might accept the
proclamation as an experiment, but that it was contrary to the ideas
of the party, and that a continuance of the policy would work a
disruption of the party. He assured us that nothing further would be
done until the experiment had been tested. With that assurance we left
the Executive Mansion.

On the 13th day of June, 1865, a similar proclamation was issued in
reference to the State of Mississippi, and on the 17th of June,
corresponding proclamations were issued in reference to the States of
Georgia, Texas, Alabama, South Carolina, and Florida. In each State a
person was named as Provisional Governor. This action led to a
division of the party and to its subsequent reorganization against the
President's policy.

In his letter of acceptance of the nomination made by the Union
Convention, Mr. Johnson endorsed, without reserve, the platform that
had been adopted. The declarations of the platform did not contain a
reference to the reorganization of the Government in the event of the
success of the Union arms. The declarations were enumerated in this
order: the Union was to be maintained; the war was to be prosecuted
upon the basis of an unconditional surrender of the rebels; and
slavery, as the cause of the war, was to be abolished. The added
resolutions related to the services of the soldiers and sailors, and to
the policy of Abraham Lincoln as President. It was further declared
that the public credit should be maintained, that there should be a
vigorous and just system of taxes, and that the people would view with
"extreme jealousy," and as enemies to the peace and independence of
the country, the efforts of any power to obtain new footholds for
monarchical government on this continent. Such being the character of
the platform, it cannot be said that Mr. Johnson challenged its
declarations in the policy on which he entered for the reorganization
of the Government. In Mr. Johnson's letter of acceptance he preserved
his relations to the Democrats by the use of this phrase: "I cannot
forego the opportunity of saying to my old friends of the Democratic
Party proper, with whom I have so long and pleasantly been associated,
that the hour has come when that great party