The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1866-10-03
The President,s Journey.

The Presidents Journey.
One of the Radical journals of our city,
in discussing the Presidents late journey,
calls it a disgraceful tour - and the i'm
maculate Ben. Butler, whose dignity and
decency equal his honesty, disposes of the
subject in this short speech to the Boston
Radicals "What would you think OF
George Washington making such jour-
ney p That the word "disgracefur' used
by our cotemporary has very proper APP
plication we do not deny. disgrace y
indeed should attach to every individual,
high or humble, who failed to pay the due
measure of respect to the Office and person
of the President of the United States. But
if the conduct, possibly thoughtless, of a
few ignorant, ill-bred people in the crowd
reflected disgrace on some of the Western
towns, let it be remembered that they only
took their cue, and copied their manners
from the Mayor and city fathers of the en-
lightened city of Philadelphia. Here is q
disgrace, darker because more deliberate
and done with factious, partisan purpose
which quite eclipses any Of the acts of vul-
gar rowdyism which it prompted and en-.
couragcd elsewhere. This was the first
city, we regret to say, in which decorum
was violated and an evil example set-and
this was done, not by those commonly rec.
ognized as rowdies and blackguards, but
by our foremost pretcnders to gcntility
and dccency. We regret that this dis.
grace has fallen on our city through the
delinquency of its officials.
A word now of General Buffers speech,
which suggests comparison with what he
thinks would have been the course, Of Gen.
Washington. Let us revert for moment
to that great example. Without running
any parallel between the two Presidents,
we will note some pertinent points of re-
semblance. Washington was the object
of the bitterest hatred, the most mali gnant
ISLANDERS of a Congressional cabal. Its
vile intrigues almost succeeded in driving
from the service Of our country the noblesl
and purest soldier and statesman that the
world has ever seen. The cabal had, too
among its leaders a military pretendel
named Conway-thc Butler of that day.
But these wretches, whose ISLANDERS seemed
at one time about to cloud even the pure
fame of Washington, did ut last signally
fail. The truth triumphed, and We look
confidently, trusting in the intelligence Of
the people, to like result now. But
says Butler, "what would you think Of
Washington making journey like Presi
dent johnson p The General does moi
know, or it suits him to pretend ignorance
that Washington made many such jour
ncys. lie did so from deliberate convic
ton Of their usefulness and propriety. Re-
turning from Presidential tour through
the Southern States in 1871, he said, at
has enabled me to see with my own eyes
the situation of the country, and to learn
more accurately the disposition of the PEG.
pie than | could have done from any yer.
bal information He made many SINH
lar journeys, and then were fixed the pre-
cedents of those ceremonials of respect to
the President of the United States which
Mr.. McMichael and the present Councils
have the evil distinction Of being the frs,
to omit. When General Washington Wis.
tied Philadelphia in 1889, Irving records
that he was met at the State line by Gov.
ernor Mifflin and the municipal authori-
ties.
The ceremonial was more nicely settled
on Washington's subsequent tour through
the Eastern States. After almost su oper
quarrel on the subject between Hancock
the Governor Of massachusetts, and the
municipal authorities of Boston, it was de-
termined that the former should receive
the President on the State line, the latter Al
the city limits. When Rhode Island rati
fed the Constitution in 1890, Washington
made an official journey to that State
These are presidents of the time of Wash.
ington, confirmed by like instances in tn,
term of nearly every other President, tina
may satisfy all carping critics. that the on
ly deviation from custom, in the late jour
ncy, was the disgraceful conduct of tn,
Radicals, individually, and in corporate
capacities.
One word more. Mr.. Beecher. in full,
endorsing the policy and good intention:
of the President, drops some regrets at q
want of dignity in his impromptu address
es to public assemblies. This is assuredly
very small matter-admitting the Prcsi.
dent to be all right in great ones. 1t is
mere matter of taste, about which there is
a proverbial latitude of opinion. We have
even heard Mr.. Beecher censured for levi
ty and indecorum in place SO sacred as
pulpit. No such charge can be truthfully
brought against Mr.. Johnson-it is only
alleged that he stoops too readily to en-.
counter his assailants. Some of them have
been much hurt by his condescending to
notice them. Now, Mr.. johnson is the
President of a Republic; he is not Queer
like Victoria. Even in England, as in ev
cry popular government, the real Exccu
tiye-the Prime minister-neyer shrinks
from answering his opponents in Parlia
ment or at the hustings. In this lay The
peculiar strength of Lord Palmerstor
throughout his career. Our saueamisl
critics are, therefore, more delicate thar
the English aristocracy. But we have nc
time to waste on these trivialities. They
come now, with an i'll grace, from the mel
who two years ago were shouting vote
for our railsplitter, vote for our tailor
they never went to school in their lives ;
We find that the state papers and forma
speeches of Mr.. johnson are marked b,
every characteristic of true dignity. A,
for his popular addresses, they are, we fan
cy, only too forcible for those who writhe
under them. Hence these tears. ''-Ihl
ddelphia Aye.
Hon. +. h. Bissell addressed the radicals
at the Athenaum last evening. But little
enthusiasm was manifested, and it seemed
as though wet blanket was thrown oyel
both the speaker and the audience. The
speech was merely reproduction of the
slang which has been teemine fot months
past in the columns of the radical'newspa-
pers, and was lamentably deficient in ar
gument. Even 2. Z. Bissell, ESQ.,, with