Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1865-03-25

killed hiscbest friend In o drunken carousal,
aud died himself IN 81 Of intoxicsiioo Of
the age Of thirty years. is nmilar TO every
reader Of history.
This vice Of great men did not die with
the anciens. William Pitt, who was Prime
Minister at the age Of twenty.four, aud
welded the destinies Of the greatest EN-
pire Of the world for nearly thirty years
with skill snf energy uuequalled, never
rose from bis dinner without. drinking a
quart Of Port wine, and never n'ered the
House Of Commons sober. His rival, FLx.
was both drnnkard and gambler, and
Sheridan, the rival of both 10 eloqueuce,
oulrivaled them in drunkenness And Lord
Brougham, who stands without peer 10
learning, who is statesman, lawyer, Judge,
and author, has probably not goue to bed
sober for fifty years.
We might say word also about Ameri.
can Statesmen. for the attack upon Andrew
johnson will justify PEI sonalites Ii is re
corded that Daniel Webster, ut the ogricul
tural meeting in Rochester. after making
one of the best speeches ever uttered By
him, got sbamefully drunk. Sius Wright,
whe stood next to Webster in eluqueuce
and mental power, was a drunkard by hab
it, aud ftequenily spoke iu the Senate wbeu
he had TO support an upright position by
leaning IN his chair Aud if we were TO
cite the example of Presidents and Vice
Presidents, We need go back no farther
than Tyler, though our early history
would not be sparce of illustrations. This
,xetcrable demagogue and traitor used To
get drunk in the White House, and was
frequently uu6, for bis duties. Aud Frank
lin Pierce was q babitual duukard, as
thousands Of the ciliz.ns Of New Eog 10 nd
eau testify. He fell from bis horse in
Mex CO because he was too duuk 10 81.
upon it, and the wound he received on
that occasion furnished the military capital
on which he rode into the Presidency as
General Pe'ce. 1t is we'll known also
that on The very day he was nominated BIZ
WAS at tie fremont House, Boston, so
drunk that be was un6 to be seen, aud biz
fricnds had TO take care Of him And the
dsgraCelul exposure which he made of him
self 10 Ne. York, at tue opening Of tbs
Cristal Palace, is not forgotten.
Aud coming down little later, VT
lind that he last Democr attic Vice Presl
dent of the United States, the traitor
Breckiuridge, was eouG med and habitual
drunksrd, as will be attes' ed by every
Senator of that time, and Ly every citiz >.
vito was 10 the habit of atteading The
,ittlngs of the Senate over which he presi
d. d. Andrew Joi nson is moi the first man
VINO ever occupied The chuir of the Senate
drunk And If We losk back to the
Presidential campaigns of 1860, we fud
heading the American ticket the name OF
John Bell then common drunkard, and
now u driveling st, while one wing of the
Democracy presented Stephen A.. Douglas
and the other John c b eckeurijge, both
drura ards.
We write these facts with inexpresssible
pain, Tor they are disgracefn alike 10 the
nation and the men against whom they are
recorded-Neitber do We seek by them ic
justify the drunkenness of Andrew johnson
But it is well TO remind those who have
lived all their lives in gl"ss houses that i
i, both an unfair and dishonofable polio,
TO be throwing stones at their neighbors
Aud especially those who clamor for his
resignation may do well to remember tba
many men who have been useful in Their
day, and have won impershable fame, were
much more deeply addicted to this habit
lnan is our new Vice President
Ii we were toutter a word in the ear of
Andrew johnson, we should tell him not
10 resign, but TO put on anew his old vir.
tue, fathfulness and courage, and to stand
by the nation that has found his services
Of such incalculable value in the hour Of
trial. There are now TOO few in the ranks
Of heroes. to permit one } be dropped from
the poll of honor, because in an unguarded
moment he forgot himself, even to the in
sal,ing of the nations fame. The people
have now a right TO demand that their
servants shall be pure men in morals as
they are in fidelity 10 the government =
The nation is redeeming herself. washing
out the stains OF her guilt 10 the best blood
that ever flowed for any cause. and il is
right that her statesmen should purify
even as she is pure. Aud we
are glad to know that the work Of purii
cstolf has already begun. Two drunken
Senators, Salisbury aud Richardson, have
been removed from the Committees on
which they had been placed. and the drink
ing saloon connected with the Senate
Chamber has been closed. We hope the
day will arrive, before the close of this ad
when we shall cease 10 hear
IL.