Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. III.djvu/29

 ANDREW JOHNSON 11 ent Mr. Johnson said: &quot;As to an indication of any policy which may be pursued by me in the adminis tration of the government, I have to say that that must be left for development as the administration progresses. The message or declaration must be made by the acts as they transpire. The only assur ance I can now give of the future is reference to the past.&quot; In his addresses to various delegations that called upon him, he emphasized the fact that he advocated a course of forbearance toward the mass of the southern people, but demanded punish ment for those who had been leaders. &quot;Treason is a crime,&quot; he said to the Illinois delegation, &quot;and must be punished.&quot; At the time it was generally supposed that Johnson, who was known to be per sonally embittered against the dominant classes in the south, would inaugurate a reign of terror and decimate those who had taken up arms against the national authority. His protest against the terms of surrender granted to Gen. Lee by Gen. Grant, and utterances in private conversation, strength ened the fear that he would be too bloody and vin dictive. He was supposed not to have been in accord with the humane policy that Lincoln had foreshadowed, and his silence in reference to Lin coln s policy, which amounted to ignoring it, was accepted as a proof that he did not intend to follow this course. On one occasion he said: &quot;In regard to my future course. I will now make no profes-