The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1865-03-16
A Shameful Exhibition.

Vice President of the United States, was
we'll calculated to create feeling of coz
tempt for people who could so far forg
what is due to themselves, as to elect
drunken, scottish boor to the second Office
in the government. The accounts of the
ceremonies on that occasion generally
agree in the statement that candy" was
so drunk at the time as to be utterly OBJ
livious of all the proprieties of the occasion.
His maudlin speech, thick tongued verdi
age, and frequent illusions to matters
foreign to the proper routine of such an
occasion, all give abundant proof of the
fact that the nition has Inundated itself
in the elevation of johnson to the Vice
Presidency. Old Abe's rigmarole, in the
shape of an inaugural address, was bad
enough in all conscience, but it was cred
liable compared with the rambling, drunk
en-, disjoiLted remarks of johnson
The Washington correspC nd NJ Ct h.
Cincinnati Commercial, an administration
organ, gives the following description of
the Inauguration of Mr. johnson:
"Those who feel inclined, so to do. are
welcome to the task of drawing, graphic
pictures of the scenes attendant upon the
installation of Mr. Lincoln for his second
term. candidly confess that, as for me,
all the poetry was extracted from the oc-
casion by the indecent conduct Of Mr..
johnson, and the low, uudignified dema-
gogical speech made by him, when called
upon to take the oath of Office for the Sec
ond position in the gift of the American
people Instead of a few words, modestly
craving the charity of the senate toward
any error of omission or commission he
might commit in presiding over their
deliberations, he disguised every one with
in-the range OF his voice, by a low. vulgar,
illterate baranguc, for which he would
have been hooted from the stump at any
respectable mass meeting. Drunkenness
play be entered as plea in abatement for
him. for he had been crazed with liquor for
several preceding days, and as he entered
the senate chamber, his frame shook with
the tremor of debauch. He commenced
his speech with a stereotyped laudat on Of
the great power of the people; and then
. ,rning to Mr.. Chase, with his associates
of the Supreme bench, who was seated TT
the right of the chair, piped out, Il say to
vou the Supreme court, that all your pow
er comes from the people, Not content
with this unseeiniJ remark to the chief
| Justice. he wheeled round and, addressing
himself to the members of the cabinet,
said: i say to you, Mr.. Secretary Seward,
and to you, Mr.. Secretary Stanton, and TO
you, Mr.. Secretary Here his
memory failed him, and he had to be
prompted as to he name of the secretary
OF the navy. after which he proceeded, 4
say to YOU all. that you get your power
from the people.
But even this, bad as it was, was not
| the worst, He then addressed the foreign
ministers who were seated in front of him
attired in court costume. L say to you
foreign, ministers. that ] am a plebeian
that ] was tailor's boy This was the
climax of his coarscness and vulgarity, and
its effect was visible in every countenance
1t was easy to see that every one in the
audience. senators, cabinet. ministers, SUI
preme court aud all, felt that they had
been deeply insulted by Mr. Johnson's
effort to play the demagogue when he was
called upon to act the statesman.
''Mr. Forney who was sitting near the
vice president elect tried in vain to induce
him to take his seat, and whispered to him
that the time had come for the dissolution
of the thirty -eigth congress. but he would
hear no advice. lie kept on repeating
himself over and over again on the subject
of the powers of the people, in language
the most unbecoming the occasion and the
most illiterate ever uttered in the senate.
but this subject is really too sickening
to write about. All | have to say about
the inauguration is, may He who controls
/ the lives OF men and the destinies of ma
tions presrye the life of Abraham Lincoln,
and spare the country the humiliation it
would be made to feel in the contingency
of Andrew Johnson's assumption of the
reins Of government.