The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-16 00:00:00

111 E COMING MAN.

The coming man appears to be the Hon. BEN.
WADE. The Washington correspondents delight
in giving a prefix to the name of this sturdy old
politician. Some style him " glorious," some
" grand," some " bluff," some " rude," and some
"profane." He was born at Feeding Hills, Spring-
field, Massachusetts, in 1800, and is, therefore,
sixty-eight years old. Like ANDREW JOHNSON, he is
noted for party zeal and intrepidity. Both are
obstinate as mules—neither will back, to use BEN.
WADE'S own expression, " a d--d inch." Ame-
ricans admire " pluck," and unfortunately allow
this admiration too much scope in selecting men for
high office. ANDREW JOIINSON was an admirable
partisan chief in Tennessee, adapted for an emer-
gency, having dash, courage, and vigour. Though
far from deficient in ability, he has no breadth of
conception; he is essentially narrow-minded, and,
like most narrow-minded people, bigoted. The
qualities that raised him to eminence in Tennessee
were those that unfitted him for rule at Washing-
ton. His advent was heralded by shouts of de-
light from the very men now pursuing him with
hisses and curses, and hailing BEN. WADE as glo-
rious, as grand, aye, even as the deliverer of the
United States. There are many who do not forget
BEN. WADE's little speech in Kansas. It is an
awkward little speech for a President to face, for it
contained a great deal, and proposed a very big
change. If BEN. WADI, as President, really intends
to make a fair and equal distribution of all pro-
perty in the United States to those found residing
at the time within its boundaries, he ought to
give us abroad, timely intimation that we may not be
overlooked or be out of the way when the golden
shower falls. The similarity of Mr. WADE's poli-
tical and social training to that of Mr. Joiarsox,
as well as the many points of resemblance in dis-
position, create anxiety in the minds of some
thoughtful men. The example is not encouraging,
and similar causes they know are very apt to pro-
duce similar effects. When ANDREW Joll icsort
was the coming man, and Tennessee rang with his
name, the very reverse of all that has happened was
anticipated. He declared there was no gallows
sufficiently high on which to hang JEFFERSON
DAVIS, yet the tall stick he has been looking for
is one on which to run up the flag of the South. In
a mighty gathering, when the black faces of a
multitude were turned upon him, he solemnly
undertook to be the " MOSES" of the negro race—
the great deliverer who was to lead them from the
bondage of the valley of the Mississippi, as MosEs
led the Israelites from the bondage of the valley of
the Nile. Yet the rock on which he hassplit is his un-
measured and unscrupulous hostility to the emanci-
pating and the elevating measures of Congress for
the very race whose MosEs he had been proclaimed.
On one point this is reassuring, at least to those
who possess property, for if the present coining man
also acts "by the rule of contrary," it will be in direct
opposition to his Kansas programme. Unless there is
something peculiar in the atmosphere of the White
House, and something fascinating and bewitching
in the counsels of Southerners, we may expect that
Mr. WADE will consult such men as COLFAX, FES-
' SENDEN, WILSON, GREELEY, GRANT, and SHERIDAN,
mod Congressional measures be carried out as in-
t ended. We believe that the moment ANDREW
JOHNSON ceases to occupy the Presidential chair the
nation will be relieved from a constant irritation—
me not unlike that which a tropical fly can pro-
duce on an elephant, notwithstanding the monster's

PRICE. 4d.
STAMPED sd.

trunk. Relieved from this, people will settle down
quietly to their work, and leave matters at Wash-
ington to take their course. If BEN. WADE turns
Copperhead when he gets into the White House
the building will have to be pulled down, and a
new residence erected fur the Chief Magistrate, for
even the most incredulous will then be convinced
that there is an evil spirit within the walls.—Anglo-
A merican Times.