The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-09-22
Specimens of the Art or ssDamnIng
with Faint PraIse.''
OminOus Utteranecs from Friendly
Sources.

with Faint Praise"
OmInOus Utteranccs from Friendly
We desire to submit to the readers of
the INTELL1aENoER to-day, from those
papers known as johnson papers, GER
tain extracts showing how remarkable
are the unity and pressure of public
opinion at this time in regard to the
Presidents conduct during his late
tour. We preface these extracts with
the following remarks from the New
York Commercial AdVertise1:
"Time was when candidates for
prominent positions regarded it as un-
! dignitied and unbecOming to show
themselves at the hustings, or in any
public manner to advocate their claims
to election. Sixty years ago, President
Jefferson replied to an invitation from
! Governor Sullivan to stump the State
/ of Pennsylvania in behalf of his re-
election: i confess l am not recon-
ciled to the idea of Chief Magistrate
parading himself through the several
| States as an object of public gaze, and
in quest of an applause which, to be
valuable, should be purely voluntary.
bad rather acquire silent goodwill by
faithful discharge of my duties, than
| owe expressions of it by putting myself
in the way of receiving them"
We have sadly degenerated, however,
since Jetferson's days, and tits now re-
garded not SO heinous an offense for
even a Presidential candidate to go
about the country soliciting votes.
Scott and Douglas resorted to this
means of furthering their cause by and
with the advice of their friends, though,
as the result proved, with very poor
success.
Neither friends nor foes, however,
having the interests of the country at
heart, can look back upon the late tour
without mingled feelings of shame and
regret; and now that the Presidential
party are once more safely housed at
the Capitol, with time for reflection, we
/ trust that they will see the folly of their
course and learn wisdom from the re-
suits"
The Buffalo Commercial, in speaking
of the tour, says:
"We are forced to the conclusion that
the trip was unwisely conceived, and
still more unwisely carried out. Wedo
not know from what course the idea
emenated, but whoever is responsible
committed great blunder. 1t cannot
be denied that the President is not as
strong with the people as he was two
weeks ago.
The army and Navy Journal says:
'By the fifth article of war it is made
an offence, to be visited with severe
penalties, for "any officer or soldier" to
"use contemptuous or disrespectful
words against the Congress of the
United States." How is the President,
while presenting such an example, to
enforce this provision as Commanders
in -Chief2 And how is he to make use
of the same article to insure that respect
from the army for his own person
which it enjoins, and which discipline
demands that it should maintain? 1t
cannot be disguised that there is gem
eral rejoicing, more among Mr.. john
sons friends than among his enemies,
that the tour of the President is nearly
over. 1t was so foolish an undertaking
and promises to be so damaging to the
personal reputation of Mr.. Johnson
that there arises a suspicion that de-
signing politicians projected it to get rid
in advance of possible Presidential
candidate.
The New York NetOs says:
eve must say that the President, in
bandying bilingsgate with every po-
litical lOafer who chooses to mingIe
with the crowd and indulge in verbal
| licentiousness, detracts from the dig
/ nifty of his character and position as
President of this Republic.
The New York Journal of Commerce
says:
During the tour his style of public
1 speaking has been thoroughly repre-
hensible, and has injured his populari-
ty throughout the country. 1t is not
fair, in the supporters of the President,
| to conceal from him the fact that this
style of oratory is more than unpopu-
lar with the conservative men of all
classes in the country.
The New York Round Table says:
"We have had room during its ses.
sions, for experimenting some new ex-
thibition of the blackgnardism, de.
bauchery and brutal violence, whose
frequent display has made our Con.
gress, in spite of its many illustFious
statesmen, chronic occasion of -.
ltional shame. But it is the first time
that the Presidential chair has been
filled by besotted sans cuLotte, the OBJ
4 ject of universal -derision and source oil
constant modification, man of such
offensive person and speech as should
exclude him from the society of gentle
men and consign him to the low haunts
frequented by his kind.
The New York Times says:
H'The President of the United States
cannot enter upon an exchange of epi.
thets with the brawlers of mob with.
out seriously compromising his Omciul
j charncter and hazarding interests toe
mOmentous to be thus lightly imper-
lied"
The Mobile Gala, Times says:
'sThe brutal interruptions, the replies
thereto from the President himself OIL
his fellows, leave nothing to desire fol
the enemies of free government in the
way of disgraceful exhibitions, anG
whatever this age and generation may
gain by 1t, the result in after years will
be subject of eternal regret.
Having TINS again renewed our pro
test, or, at least, our deep concern al
those undignifed proceedings, we mus
add that, bad as they are In principle,
they have clearly esta blIshed that the
Presidents policy of restoration Il nds {
powerful echo in the large masses o.
the people,"
The Frankfort (I1y.) Commonwealth
says:
1T is humiliating to the people, too
to see their President viliifying anC
abusing every man who differs from
him in his policy, or who objects to Ger
tain of his acts or speeches.
His course has made for him no new
friendsi IL has weaned from him many
old ones, and in many cases has turned
fnendst ip into enmity. 1t will alsC
work badly FOR his policy, causing
4 many to oppose ii merely through dis
tfustof its author. In every speech hC
has made he prcclaims himself the
trienc' 9t the South, yet he has harmed
the Eouth beyond measure. He ha.
n denounced all his opponents as person.
al enemies, but Throughout all his tour
we have seen that AndreW JohnsOni