Litchfield enquirer., 1866-08-30
The Presidsnt,s speeoh.


 fresident Johnson's speech on the 18th inst to the committee of the Philadelphia Conven- tion, seems to us in worse taste than anything which ever came from the mouth or chief magistrate of this nation. except the speech of Feb. 22d last.
 As an American, we feel humiliated at the spectacle of a weeping President making poli- tleal capital out of his tears Nor can we find any excuse for the arrogance with which he speaks of Congress as "hansing upon the verge of the Government" (which Govern ment we are to infer, he isl .or for the wonder tui assurance with which he calls upon the audience around him, to point to vote ever gave, to a speech ever made, to c single act cfmy '0hols public life, thath has not been agasnst tyranny and despotism''-sn audience headed by Reverdy Johnson and largely oom- posed of men who, in 1864, made the country ring with their charges oftyranny and despot- ism against the then military Governor of Tennesseel Protesting unbounded respect for the Constitution of the United States he yet thinks the proceedings of the Convention which framed it. of inferior importance to the proceedings of his Convention, Referring again to Congress he terms them ~the oollee- tion of gentlemen who are trying to ruin the country" Then after boosting of his dislike of arbitrary power, he goes on with inimitable gravity to declare himself " spposes te ths i'- dalgence cf egotism - that "he has passed from every position. alderman of village to Presi- dent of the United States" and must therefore be above ambition, and that his own native modesty, and dislike of arbitrary DO Rer, chiefly saved hlm from becoming Radical Dictator.
 How littls he knows of his own character appears from a single instance: "As to myself, the elements of my nature, the pursuits of my life have not made me- either in my feelings or in my practice. aggressius. My nature, on the contrary, is rather defensive in it's ] character" How little he knows of the char acter of the men who elected him, appears throughout the whole of speech almost as full of outrageous abuse of them, as it is of outrageous laudation of himself. 94 !
 The N Evening Post, though sustaining the Convention, feels obliged to give the fol lowing "Hint to MT Johnson." 4sa .n,s...
 i, '"In his speech to the Philadelphia Con,en- tion the President. who is not very particular in the choice of words, spoke of the opposi tion to his policy of''a subsidized press s.''"s.' l This charge of corruption against his polit. ical opponents does not raise the President in the esteem. of the public, or in any way strengthen his position. It isG not an argu. ment-and it is no excuse for the President that such ill-mannered journals as the Fri bune have used similar phrases towards him and his supporters. p. -.,..s e,.. ..,e.. .., his bad language now because we notice that one of his followers, with moro zeal than sense but with quite natural desir in young man to initiate at all points his political chief also writes about a "subsidized press" We sup. pose General Custer, who is still a young man of uniformed judgment, would never have thought to use such phrase had he not heard it from the President. This shows the importance of Mir Johnson, while he occupies his present exalted position, exercising great care in the use of language-lest he should turn all political discussion from sober argu- ment to mere senseless and irritating vituper- ation. We hope he will bear this in mind. It is proper that the President of the United States should be not only 8 statesman but a gentleman, and that hs should set the exam pie, in speeches as well as state papers, ot moderate language and strict adherence to ar- gument. As for General Custer, his sufficient excuse is his youth and ill training. .... !
 B9 We glean much information from tho Sentinel regarding the tricks of our new craft. The artful dodge of disguising editorials under the head of Correspondence, never occurred to us till suggested, last week, by that veteran In all the iniauitous ways of edi ting. Can it