Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-03-03
The Presidents Sneeoh Works.

The Presidents 22nd speech is working
It was not to be expected that so extraordinary
speech would fall Still-born. Like all decided
efforts, Unnecessarily pleased many, and offended
many. As MACAULAY says Of Prussia, during
the seven years war" II was all sting" OF
course those who were Stung by it were
offended byit. They were more than offended
they were exasperated. FoRNEY ID. D. thus
commences one Of his Occasional " letters
Z" Never let the 22nd of February, 1866, be for
gotten" Poor FoRNEY, he has good reason
never to forget" it. II memory survives
life, none Of us will probably ever forget the
day on which we shuttle off this mortal COLL
FoRNEY died on that day-that is, the political
part of him. Is there any part Of him that is
not politicali SUMNER, STEVENS, WENDELL
PHILLIPS, will not, either, be apt to forget that
day. They were Severally branded as traitors,
and held up before the country for cOndemna-
ton. None of us, either those who were
pleased or those who were offended, will ever
forget that day or that speech. The extreme,
incurabe radicals condemn the bad taste, the
indecOrum, The "indecency" Of the speech
for such is their language. They say the Presi-
dent degraded his high office by the use Of
language never before heard from Presidential
lips. They are mistaken. That stern and iron
man whom President JOHNSON is said so much
to resemble, used stronger language with less
provocation. A New York contemporary has
taken the pains to Gull from Patrons life of
JACKSON the following specimens of his pas
Sionate OutburstS
TO a son Of Rufus King who was the spokesman
of a committee Of merchants and bankers from this
CITY General JAG ksOn said Well. sir, Rufus Ming
was always a Federalist, and ] suppose you take
after him. Insolent do you say What do you
come to me for, thenl' To another delegation, he
said Why am leased with committees Here |
am receiving two or three anonymous letters every
day, threatening me with assassination II don L.
store the deposits and recharter the bank-the abom
Unable institutiOn-the monster that has attempted
10 control the government I've got my foot upon
il aud I'll crush it, he was perpetually saying he
had no confidence in Congress, and expressing the
opinion that its members had been bought up with
bank gold. The Id Internal scOundrel! was the
epithet he applied to one member Of Congress. Az
ter reading one Of Mr. ClayS philppicS against him.
he exclaimed. oh, if live to get these robes OF
Office OF me, | will bring the rascal TO dear ac-
count
y
soN's overwhelmingly those who elected
him to the Vice Presidency could not have
been ignorant of them-knOw that ne is a man
Of the people, accustomed to call both men
and things by their right names, and that
throughout his life he has retained ga touch
Of nature" But in what does the alleged in
decency consist In the word traitor That
word has been in universal use for the last i've
years. When Mr.. LINCOLN and Mr.. JOHNSON
applied it to Southerners, the Radicals were
not shocked and disguised by it on the con-
trary they thought it all right. 1t only became
an indecent word when it was applied to three
of their own number. Surely there is nothing
indecent in the words dead duck The
subject was SO indecent in itself that the Won
der is that more unseemly language was not
used.
The great comic Poet Of England, wrote
NO thief Ger felt the halter draw,
With good opinion Of the law"
So no man, conscious Of wicked heart and
evil designs, ever approved the language de-
nouncing his real purposes, and depicting his
true character. We must expect the CALLED
Jade to vince. Only those can admire whose
.witbers are unwrung.' As for President
JOHNSON, he spoke on that memorable twenty
second February, as a man to men. He dis
carded all iummery," as he expressed it
and spoke to the people without reserve. Lei
those complain who were touched on the raw
and those criticise who value themselves IL
proportion as they rise above the people, an'
who affect to think that the President SHOULD
not condescend to speak to them at all-leas
of all to address them in the language of ma
ture. Such men do not understand ANDREv
JOHNSON His power is with the people. Ii,
sprung from the people, and he never feels s.
honored as when on a level with the people,
He has no secrets from them, as the ordinary
politicians have, and these latter may wei
tremble when he calls in the people to tax,
counsel against them.
The French organ, the Courier dss Fiat
Irnis-and the French are prOverbially fastid
ous-in commenting upon the President
sneeeh. saws that he is one OfthOse rare mel
who can descend from his greatPlaee to leye
without sOiling the robes of Office. The COlvie
asks, in the same article--''ls it possible tina
-rrr.I.lH.