Judge Blair gave me
yesterday a carefully prepared paper intended for the Philadelphia Convention.
It had twelve specifications, — declarations and denials, affirmations and
disavowals. Blair is delighted with them and says the President is also. I told
him there would not be unanimity on one or two of the propositions and
suggested emendations or modifications of two or three others. To some of them
he assented; but I saw he was very much in love with the paper, which he
informed me was prepared by William B. Reed. But no one, save the President,
him, the author, and myself, knew the fact of authorship.
I remarked that
there would doubtless be other strong and able papers submitted, that my own
views were for a few points timely expressed. I thought all could unite against
changes of the Constitution with only a broken Congress, and States excluded.
In so large a body as there is likely to assemble at Philadelphia there would
be conflicting opinions on any proposition which might be submitted.
Blair leaves
to-morrow for Philadelphia. Browning says he shall and likely Randall will go
also. I would rather the members of the Cabinet remained away.
The President is
deeply interested, yet retains Stanton, who is not only opposed, but is
covertly in accord with the Radicals.
SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary
of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 2:
April 1, 1864 — December 31, 1866, pp. 574-5
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