Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-04-20
M. Johnsonas Last speech.

Why q the HreS1dents speclai
friends keep him still? Why have not
1sszrs. Cowan and Coyle, Doolittle and
Florenes, Raymond and Vallandigham,
and the other gentlemen who stand spon-
sors 70 M. johnson in his baptism into
Coppsrheadism-why have not these poll
ticians the sense to perceive that every
speech which Mr. johnson makes beside
causing every patriot to blssh for his
country, is most fatal blow at his own
party, and gives additional strength to
those who are making war on the Presi-
dents policy2 For a week or more-in
fact ever since the second veto, and the
avalanche Of indignation with which it
wal overwhelmed-the country has been
spared the infictien Of any furthef speech
Is from Mr.. johnson, and we were begin
ing to hope that if he had not learned re-
tieence, his friends had at least learned
how TO keep him reticent. But a fort
nights silence was more than Johnsonian
nature could endure, and the President
seized upon g serenade which was given
him on Thursday e~veningto make another
speech which the the telegraph has fur
nished us IN full.
There is very little that is new in this
speech. It is nothing but that of the 22d
of February in another shape. II con-
tains the same stale arguments in favor of
"my policy" the same d~enunciatiOn of
"treaehery, treason and traitors, " "North
as well IS South the same avowed deter
mination to restore the South to power,
and the same bitter abuse of of the Union
party for opposing and cOndemning his
recent course. Against this loyal Union
majority Of the North he is even more
bitter than aver. He says that they are
@traducing, villifying and eliminating
him he calls them "slanderers, tradu-
Gers and calumniators " he charges that
they are @barking and swapping at his
hesls"; he terms them "a pack Of trsdu-
cers and slsnderers," "the whole pack,"
STRAY, Blanche and Sweetheart, little
dogs and al" and finally he caps The
S climax Of his Philippe by the announce
ment-trebly terrible because couched in
suca mysterious terms-that "the foul
whelpo Of ain has been turned loose sgainst"
him. Exactly whom President Johnson
means by the q whslp of sin whether
the phrase Is a new geological designation
for Forney, er whether it is intended for
Summarize future historian, when ne
r~eprodnces this speech to future genera
tons Is the sober ~utterances Of the sue
cessor of Washington, must determine
The only thing of real significance in
this speech-the only thing which it con-
tainA aside from arehAsh and repetition
Of old abuse of his opponents-is the de-
~claratica that Mr.. johnson is still deter
mined TO persevere in his opposition to
the party which elected him. he says;
at hsvedone what 1 believed the country
required me to do. So bslieeiHg 2 intend
to stick to my position We had our
selves long since abandoned all hope that
thedogmstie, imperious and passionatem man
who now occupies the Presidential chair
would sver retrace his steps. But there
have been some credulous Republicans
who hoped that the President would yield
to Congress sier the exhibition of its
pOwerin the passage of the Civil Rights
bin. All such hopes the President has
extinguished In the announcement which
We have quoted.