The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-11-24
How the President Dispatches Business.
The Washington S.ar of last eveniDJ

The Washington S.ar of last evening
says:
Were it not for the relief from daily annoyan
ces afforded by the cabinet meetings on Tuesdays
and Fridays, no physical constitution, however
strong could endure the exhaus:ng labor per-
formed by the president of the United States
There is TO officer of the government so burden
ed with responsibility and anxiety, and no man
living required to listen to such an endless reel
tai OF private gricfs as unsophisticated visitors
pour into the presidents ear at every public in
terview. President Johnson has few equals in
industry. He rises at six, and until breakfast,
which is served at half-past seven, looking over
the newspapers. Immediately alter breakfast he
goes to the Executive departments and common
ces the labor of the day.
First there are bundles of letters to be read and
the replies dictated TO the secretaries. APP
plications for appointments, promotions, dischar
gcs from the army and navy, political advice,
petitions for executive clemency, and innumera-
BILE other subjects, are disposed of, but before
half completed the visitors have commenced to
flock into the ante-rooms, and swarm every
hand. Former owners of confscated property
pace UP and down before the door Of the prcSi-
/ dents room, and females with indcsCribable of
| frontery insist upon immediate admittance.
After the most important business of the
morning has been disposed OF, the visitors are
admitted one by one and the president submits
.
about half-past one or two, ard sometimes three
| O'Clock, when the doors of his apartment are
| opened, and the whole crowd admitted
At such times, Colonel johnson, son of the
president, or Colonel Browning, private secre-
tary, stands the president, and takes mem
oranda dictated by him on the cases of the
visitors who succeed one another with subjects
| for executive action, like the dense throng at
| the post Office window. The presidents manner
at such times is always pleasant, and gives conf
| dence to the most timid. His decisions are
| quick, and each individual who lays his case be
fore the president learns in half dozen courte-
Gus words the final decision. When all have
! been listened to, and the halls are once more en-
| PITY, the p: esdent turns again to papers on his
| table, until four o'clock, the hour for dinner
! After dining he returns to his office, and there
generally remains until late hour, seldom re-
| firing before eleven o'clock.
| In addition to all these duties, il must be re-
membered that there are distinguished visitors
constantly presenting themselves. Representa-
! tives of foreign courts, governments, senators,
generals, and hundreds of lesser magnitude must
| be received, each having some important subject
! requiring and elaboration, while above all
towers the great and ever present problem oG re-
| construction. Cabinet days and the sabbath
afford three days of rest from the petty and cI-
| hausting annoyaaces that beset the president
| But at no time is he free from the oppressive
weight of national difficulties, which now, more
! than ever before, obscure the future.