The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-12 00:00:00

President Johnson.

The following is a translation from a Leipsic (German)
illustrated paper :
" From October 1 to April 1 President Johnson rises
regularly at seven o'clock, and from April till October 1 at
six, no matter at what hour he may have retired to rest-
His chamber is furnished with the greatest simplicity. A
large silver watch—vulgo "turnip "—which he possessed
as a tailor's apprentice, still serves him as a time-piece.
This (before retiring) he always hangs up with his own
hands at the head of his bed. In the morning Mr. Johnson
first goes to a small bathing room adjoining his bed-
chamber—for he is a great believer in cold baths, and en-
joys them to the fullest extent. He then bestows much
attention upon his teeth, which are still very handsome,
and next upon his finger nails. His toilet is always com-
pleted in half an hour. Hereupon ho proceeds to his study,
where he remains from eight to ten o'clock, reading the
papers or writing those remarkable messages' which have
so often created a sensation. These he sometimes shows
to his friends--the Radicals—before making them public.
Before the President enters his study, a servant places a
very large coffee-pot upon the writing table. Mr. Johnson
has a great love for coffee, and while at work consumes
with great gusto an immense quantity of it, but, always
without sugar or milk.

"No living creature is permitted to enter his study while
he remains there, with the single exception of a great black
cat, the declared favourite of the President, which, purring,
takes its accustomed place on the table to the left of his
writing materials. From ten to eleven o'clock the Presi-
dent receives visitors, petitioners, deputations, &c. At
eleven, together with his family, he takes lunch, generally
of the simplest description. At table he is quite lively,
and generally leads the conversation. At twelve he pre-
sides at Cabinet meetings, or receives Foreign Ambassadors
or distinguished persons who have sought an audience.
At three he takes a walk either in the beautiful gardens
which surround the White House or in the city of Wash-
ington.

"He usually steps off very quickly—one might fairly
call it a sort of trot. Unfortunately he has upon one of
his left toes a corn which causes him much pain, for this
reason his left boot is always made larger than the right,
presenting a curious appearance while walking. M.r. John-
son smokes constantly, but he has not chewed tobacco
(a habit to which he was formerly addicted) since he be-
came President. His cigars, of the finest quality, of course,
are sent directly from Havanna to him by the well-known
house of Susini.

"At four the President goes to dinner, having first taken
an appetiser in the shape of a stiff glass of whisky. During
the meal his nearest and most intimate friends post him up
in all the most interesting and important items of daily
news. Ho is fond of laughing, and a great lover of witty
anecdotes. His frugality has almost become proverbial ;
he eats very little meat, and never touches pork, especially
since trichina have been talked of. He is fond of salt water
crabs and fried oysters, and has a passionate liking for
rice. At five o'clock dinner is generally over. Various
fine Ns ines are then brought in, of which the President
takes but very little, closing the meal uniformly with
another ration of coffee.

.!‘ Mr. Johnson then proceeds immediately to his study,
reads the evening papers, Congressional documents, tc.,
then devoting some time to favourite literary authors,
among which Plutarch occupies the first place—this in
trans!ation, of course. At eight o'clock the President
takes tea with his family, and returns at nine to his study
again, where the traditional coffee pot and privileged cat
are to receive him in the morning. As from this hour
(9 p.m.) none can be admitted to his presence, he takes his
ease, and. w orks either in his shirt sleeves or in a great
flowered dressing-gown. At midnight he retires to rest,
having first paid another visit to his bathing-room. His
sleep is quiet as his conscience. No one has ever heard
him snore, and he himself declares that ho never dreams.
After six hours' sleep he feels perfectly refreshed, and
ready to begin his active life again. He is hardly ever sick,
but when he feels unwell he cures himself after his own
fashion, and never lets a doctor come near him. TowardS
the ladies the Presfdent is very amiable and polite, and in
his youth is said to have been a great ladies' man. Mr.
Johnson is an excellent husband and father, always equal
and pleasant in his.disposition, with an open, compassionate
heart for all his friends."

An American Opinion on, Electoral Reform.

Yesterday the Times reviewed, in a leader, some
remarkable letters from the London correspondent
of the New York Times, describing the late Reform
riots in Hyde-park, and the impression made upon
himself by the movement in this country. Our con-
temporary boldly asserts, " that the results of open-
" ing the door to all comers is a constantly de-
" ter iorating Legislature, the degradation of
" public life, and a degree of corruption in
" the management of elections, in England,
" the candidate being the victim ; in America,
" the Public Administration, intelligent Americans
"are astonished to find us desirous of increasing the
" suffrage in England. While you are seeking to
" give increased power to numbersi' they say, we,
" ' who have tried that system, are anxious to lessen
" it.' It has been said that nothing has so
"powerful a tendency to moderate extreme Demo-
" cratic opinions as a visit to America, but the same
" effect is evidently produced upon the mind of an
" intelligent and observant American by sojourn
" and travel in England." The Reform meetings
had a highly unfavourable effect on the London
correspondent of the New York journal, and he
very boldly describes what he saw and felt, and re-
cants former opinions. He condemns the part taken
by a portion of the London Press in strong terms
as unjust and untruthful, and describes the
movement in a light totally different from that
received by the body of American citizens. We are
inclined to think the correspondent right to a
great extent. A stranger in this country would be
impressed by the predominating show of "roughs"
at these meetings, but the real heart and strength of
the movement is not so visible at first sight. The mass
of respectable mechanics and skilled workmen have
no wish to see the suffrage go below themselves,
and in America the same object is aimed at, viz., to
base representation on all classes of the people who
have a fixed residence ; who can read and write;
have a defined stake in the country ; and a character
to maintain. So it is in our colonies, and the ten-
dency of the Anglo-Saxon race is towards this point.
England must lower her restrictive electoral limits,
while some of our colonies and America must raise
theirs. The history of England shows how corrupt
legislation may become when power rests in few
hands ; and the history of America shows that a
nation may go too far in the opposite extreme. If
we could return at once to the days when majors
were crying for their porridge; when the best places
in this country were given to men who served those
in power in the most shameful capacities ; and a
drunken fox-hunting squire gave to an equally
drunken fox-hunting parson the best living in the
country, we would be able 'truly to appreciate to
what " rotten boroughs" tend. Like many other
great questions, the truth lies between the extremes,
the difficulty being to fix the precise spot. We are
glad to see observant men write wholesome truths ;
and we believe great good can be accomplished in
both nations if the keen intellects employed by the
Press in each !are devoted to elucidate truth ; im-
partially to state facts and opinions, untrammelled
by party; writing freely their unbiassed judgment
on what they see and condemn, and candidly ap-
prove what they consider commendable in the
working of the institutions of the countries to which
the Press commissions them. Anglo- American
Times,