Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-06
JObnsSR's Speech and the Crowd that
Listened to II.

Washington Correspondence New York Tribune.
I happened to be in the crowd that vel
led fruntically for Andy. Ny curiosity
induced me to join it, as l saw it moving
up from Growers theater. 1t is not more
than five minutes walk from Growers to
the White House, and during that time
the shouting was wild. There were
Mosby's men, and Washington rebels who
had been in Virginia and Maryland regi-
ments during the war, and who had re-
turned from hog and hominy, and long
marches with Lee, to get fine places from
the Departments. Then we had the crusty,
mOuldy, messy, curious race of Washington
ofice-holders, who have been in Office IN
der every Administration since they were
old enough to sign apay-roll. What jolly
rats they are! What noses they have!
How theydivine the precise moment when
any political ship Is about to sink. Go
against the President! Not thev-as they
pushed their Jolly way with the Jolly
crowd that were bent on q speech from
the jolly ANDY. Mixed in with all. were
representatives Of that dreadful crowd of
roughs who used to make Washington q
most ~unenviable place, and made special
policemen necessary on every election
day.
When they passed in front of the State
Department and swarmed into the Presi-
dents carriage paths, and crowded around
the White House, the scene was strang &c
and amusing, though to me very sad.
D." Well, said a friend who strolled with
me. Lee has taken Washington after
all l ventured the suggestion that his
lost r-rET- - tho aTFV- V-a- ~ Qrrgnra Hhn
movement. Then TO hear the comments.
low grey-back, when a man is once for
the South, he's always for the South, and
he can't 60 back on his mother no how.
If johnson is a poor white he is true to
his State Another philosopher, who
pronounced South "SOoth,' and said
Look va for look here, ventured to say
hat Booth knew what he was about, and
had not killed Lincoln for nothing. A
still meaner crowd we're seizing on the
negroes, cuting them, kicking their shins.
and bestowing upon them all manner of
opprobrium. "Say, SsmbO," said one as
he crushed the hat of a poor African over
his Ease, ais your name Sumner? do you
come from Massachusetts, o. The execra-
lions heaped on Congress were frightfUl.
Il wish to Heaven unused n Of the
crowd, who seemed to be Drowned by q
Southern sun, and who had a Carolina pa
tots. Andy johnson was a soldier, and
would call for volunteers l guess he
would get enoughto drive these Congress
men off Capitol Hill Napoleon did it"
said one. GYes, and Cromwell" replied
another. "Andi if johnson" rejoined the
first were to do It, and hang the Senate
on the trees around the Chamber, he would
be immortal "That he would" said
twenty; and the twenty proclaimed their
purpose to volunteer.
Around the President, as he spoke, were
q rare crowd of carrion birds. The fancy
seized me as I stood in the crowd, and
heard the bowling and Distinguishing of
His Excellency, while they grinned and
shrieked, that those men were carrion
birds indeed, lowering over their victim,
and only waiting for his fall that they
might devour him. Oh, Andrew johnson
of 1860, Andrew johnson Of the Senate
Chamber, Andrew johnson of the dark
December days when Southern Unionism
Was chaos, and thou alone thu bright
star that kept alive q nations hope, be
thyself again, be a man once more! Look
on that gang Of devils around you! They
offer you the kingdoms OF the earth if you
will only worship them, if you will but
bow down and call them master.