The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-03-13
PRESIDENTIAL DUTIES.

PRESIDENTIAL DUTIES
The Washington Star gives the following III
teresting sketch of the daily life and work of
the President of the United States:
"There is no officer of the Government SO
burdened with responsibilities and anxiety, and
10 man living required to listen to such an end
less recital of private griefs as unsophistcated
| visitors pour into the Presidents at every
public interview President johnson has few
equals in industry. He rises at tx aud until
| breakfast, at half past seven, looks over the
newspapers.
"Imnediately after breakfast he goes to the
executive departments and commences the la
bors of the day. First there bundles of let
tiers to be read aud the replies dictated to the
secretaries Applications for appointments,
promotions, discharges FROM the army and navy,
political advice, petitions for the executive
clemency, AID innumerablc other subjects 20 be
disposed Of but before half completed the visit
OTIS have commenced 10 flock into the ante
rooms and thrust their cards upon him Par
don seekers swarm on every hand. Former
owners of coufscated property pace up and down
before the door of the Presidents room, and
females, with indescribable effrontry, insist up
o n immediate admittance
CATER the most important business in the
| morning has been disposed Of the visitors are
admitted one by one, and the President submits
| himself to the artesian process. This lasts till
| about halfpast one or two, sometimes three
| o'clock, when the doors of his apartment
opened and the whole crowd admitted At
such times Colonel johnson, son of the Presi-
dent, the Private Secretary, stands near the
| President and takes memoranda dictated by
him, on the cases of visitors who succeed one
another with subjects for executive action like
the dense throng at the Office window.
"The Presidents manner at such times is al
ways pleasant and gives confidence to the most
tmd His decisions are quick, and each indi-
vidual who lays his case before the President
learns in half dozen courteous words the final
decisions When all have been listened to and
the halls are once more empty, the President
turns again to papers on his table, until 4
o'clock, the hour for dinner. After dining he
returns to his office, and there generally remains
until late hour, seldom retiring before
o'clock
"In addition to all these duties it must be re-
membered that there are distinguished visitors
constantly presenting themselves. Representa-
tives Of foreign Courts, Governors, Senators,
| Generals, aud hundreds of lesser magnitude
must be received, each having some important
subject requiring care and deliberaton, while
above all-towers the great and ever present pro-
|
Sabbath afford three days of rest from the petty
and exhaustiDg annoyances that beset the Presi-
dent; but at no time is he free from the oppres-
sive weight Of national difficulties, which now,
more than ever before, obscure the future"
THROUGH TIcKETs.-We learn that the Ra-
leigh and CASTOR Railroad Company have COM
! pleted arrangements with lines of travel North
and Northwest, by which through tickets are
| sold for all the Northern cities. either by way
! of Petersburg and Richmond or by the Seaboard
and Roanoke Railroad and Old Bay line, and
way of Washington City to all the principal
| points in the Northwestern States This is an
important arrangement to all persons going to
Petersburg, Richmond, Baltimore, Washington
City, Philadelphia, New York, or to Cincinnati
Louisville, Indianapolis, st. Louis, and other
places in that direction, aud the officers of the
Road deserve much credit for effecting this
great convenience. We believe that no man
was ever more interchangeable and successful in
providing for the comfort and convenience of
travellers, than the worthy President of the r.
u. Railroad, K. w. Lassiter, ESQ and few
men in a like position more fortunate in poss-
essins the aid of sober and intelligent subordi-
mates in carrying out his plans In carrying
into effect the arrangement ofgetting UP through
tickets, as alluded to above, the President has
had the assistance OF Mr. Algernon S. Barbee,
whose efforts have been fer some time employed
in bringing about the result. Tickets from
Raleigh to New York can be purchased at Raj
elgh for s24 50-Ra|efyh Standard.
Gov. SwAIN.-Tbis distinguished person is
now in the city, on his way to Washington CITY.
He still takes a deep interest in the history Of
the State, and is engaged in researches for i,p-
portant incidents aud facts. He hopes to be
able to recover Gov. Tryon's letter book, which
was lost from the Executive Office during the
last few days of the war.-Raleiyh Standard,
The latest official advices from England re-. !
present the Cattle Plague still on the increase.
The report for the week ending February 10. |
shows l 500 new cases. According to official
returns, the number of cattle attacked since the
breaking out of the disease is 1923, Of which |