"_Private._
"ROCHESTER, _March 8, '67_.
"HON. SAML. J. TILDEN.
"MY DEAR SIR,--Would it not be a good idea to publish a quantity of
the veto message of the military bill for general circulation? There
might be other things put with it and make a document and circulate
it through the committees. I think it would do far more good now than
during a campaign.
"This measure seems to me so momentous in every aspect of it that I
cannot keep quiet. If we cannot do anything else, let us howl. Our
papers do not make as much noise as they ought to about it. The _World_
is the most outspoken, and it should keep it up; but the most effective
work would be the circulation of the veto message, with a brief history
of reconstruction since the war closed.
"Johnson talks and writes well, but he lacks executive pluck. He shd.
have forced Congress to let the South in at the start, but he failed,
and it is now too late.
"He now trembles for fear of impeachment, and will in the end give
the radicals all the offices in hopes thereby to propitiate them
and prevent impeachment. But they will impeach him and despise him,
besides, for yielding, and before another year rolls around Ben Wade
will occupy his place. They know that he is cowardly and will not
fight, and they will for that reason go to the extreme.
"I know that you are averse to a row. So we all are, but I tell you
there is no other way. It must come sooner or later; these devils are
bent on destruction, and the sooner the crisis comes the better for us,
because they are strengthening themselves every day.
"There is only one chance left, and that is when the impeachment comes
for the President to refuse to yield the office in the first place, and
in the second place to refuse to be tried by part of a court. He ought
to refuse to carry out the military bill, and let the fight commence
now.
"Please write me.
"Yours truly,
"S. E. CHURCH."
"P. S.--The dist. atty. matter is not yet disposed of. It would be a
disgrace to reappoint Dart, and I hope they won't do it."