The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-11-14

and the pack OF hungry spOlls-seekers,
that yelp continually around the en-
frances to the White House, and whine
and growl through its halls and ante.
chambers. For the amount of salary re-
ceived he is forced to perform more labor
than any other gentleman in the coun-
try-ten times as much, both manual
and mental las any ten-hOur-a-day clerk,
mechanic or laborer in the land-and
twice as much as those gentlemen
of princely fortune and elegant
leisure, whose incomes are reckoned by
the million. But of coarse we do not
speak of salary as being any recompense,
nor should it be named in connection
with the honor of so dignified a posi-
ton as that of President of the United
States, nor will any amount of money,
be it millions, repay for the wear OF
constitution by the incessant demands
of such herculean labors as are imposed
upon it. No Emperor, or King, or
Queen, or Prime Minister in Europe,
has one-tenth part of the pressure
upon his time, or demand upon his pa
thence, for the simple reason that the
divinity which hedges majesty in and
keeps back the common thrOng, saves
him from the constant, the never
ceasing opportunities of the heteroge-
neous crowd, which the republican SIM
plicity of our Government allows to
approach our symbol and embodiment
of government, and to cling literally to
the hem of its garments. 1f6t
Inthe early days of the Republic-and
we are not yet very old as a govern
ment-and perhaps up TO within the
last year, the labors of the Executive
were not necessarily very heavy nor
very many, and the principal cause of
anxiety on the Presidential mind was
the disposal of the spoils of Office and
the exercise of proper discrimination
in rewarding partizan friends and pun
ishing political enemies, and in the at
tempt to perform even these light
duties, we find that two good-souled old
military gentlemen, unaccustomed to
political life, succumbed and fell victims
within month to the cares and trials
of the position. But it is different now
under Mr.. Johnson's administration.
The labors and duties of the office have
multiplied ten-fold, and require his
constant, undivided personal attention.
1t is one moment q host of pardon seek
ers pressing their claims, the next @
delegation of preachers, with a long and
prosy political sermon then political
club from some country town in Mime.
sofa, with a sophomore speech asking a
definition of governmental policy now
comes the Hon. Mrs. Somebody from
Mobile, to implore the pardon of some
particular favorite, followed by similar
petitions from fifty other places in the
South. Next comes.a woman in the
weeds of woe, and tears streaming from
her eyes, to beg a respite for her son
who is to be hanged on Friday-she is
followed by the attorney in the case
with a brief, long as the moral law
which he insists the President must
read in order that he may arrive at the
facts and reverse the decision of the
Court. The next is the Judge AdvO.
cate with six hundred pages of the
record and findings of some mill
tary commission, which he hands to
Mr.. johnson, who is expected to
read and digest the whole before he di-
gests his dinner, in order to discover
whether his servants have rightly per-
formed their duties or not Then comes
in grand rush ofmembers of Congress,
Senators and Cabinet officers, to have
an audience with the President; these
each occupy half an hour of his and the
country's time, and are followed in turn
by the representatives of foreign govern
ments, who must be received with becom.
ing etiquette, in order to smooth the oily
ways of diplomacy. Then when night
comes-he is supposed to read and
consider and inwardly digest, the work
that has accumulated upon his desk
during the day; to put his signature to
a thousand papers, and write and think,
and talk in the service of this great re-
public till his eyes grow dim and his
head fairly cracks with aching.
What time he has for eating, sleeping,
or enjoying life as other mortals are per-
mitted to do, we fail to discover. And
yet the above, which we have enumerat-
ed, are scarcely half the arduous duties
demanded of the President. We think
they can be lightened, and must be
lightened. The honOrs of the office are
not comparable with the labors neces-
sary to be performed. As at present
situated, he is not only the engineer but
the engine-he is not only the "crook''
but the journeyman,-he not only cuts
out the work, but is required to
make it up, and perform what should
be and could be as we'll done by many
ready hands. He should have more depu.
ties; and his assistants be made person
ally responsible to the country and
Congress, and all the responsibility
ought not to be placed upon the should
ers of one man-unless you give to him
all the power. AS we. spoke in the out
set of the heavy labors of Moses, we