Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-10-30
PORTRAIT OF ANDREW sonNsoN.


ing truthful picture OF A. j.:
EVERY close and conscientious observer
OF human affairs has learned to discriminate
between two fundamentally different classes
OF public characters. Here is one of them
n man who possesses strong instructive
| sense of right and wrong-his sympathies
are always on the side of what is just and
right, because it Is just He opposes injus-
tice, because his moral nature compels him
to do so. His theories, his reasoning, his
rules OF action, rest upon broad basis of
moral sympathies and convictions. He may
commit errors of Judgement he may be
tmld and hesitating in enforcing his con-
| Vlcuons he may possess certain degree of
! consclentlousness and ambition, but all his
thoughts and acts will inevitably tend in the
| direction of his honest conception of Justice,
and his ambition will identify itself only
with good cause. He is essentially safe
man, for his course is invariably governed
by what will call moral consistency. To this
class of character belonged Abraham Lin
coin, the President we have lost. Here is a
man belonging to the other class: His ln-
stincts oil right and wrong are obscured by
strong selfish impulses. He is apt to define
justice in accordance with his own immediate
interests = sometimes without being con-
sclous OF his motives Thus he may be acei-
dentally right, and he may be accidentally
wrong, without clearly seeing and feeling
the difference. In either case, his reasoning
his logic, and his rules of conduct will adapt
themselves to the course he happens to have
| adopted. He will be apt to change as his
supposed interests and impulses changes; he
Will be treacherous without compunction,
because he deludes himself easily into the
belief that what he desires must be right,
although he may have considered it wrong
when he desired something else. He may
sometimes serve the highest interests of JUS
tlce when causes OF moral nature compel
led him to do so, but mainly because they
I appear to serve him. He may argue elo-
quently in advocacy of great principles, as
ne can use them as strong points in contro-
versy; he Will unhesitatingly pervert them
! when he wants an argument In an opposite
! direction; tor such a man, OF obtuse moral
perceptions and a deficient sense of right
! and wrong, is combative and reckless in his
temper and disposition. He will not recoil
before crime, and will be apt to become a
dangerous individual. II his mind is narrow
and his intellect weak, he will be apt to act
like great fool; and if his temper is as reck-
less as his intellect is feeble, he will be apt
to shine in both capacities Iu making the
application to the subject in our ANALYSIS, the
Presidents policy in theory as we'll as in
practice will be found to be the result of a
happy combination. Andrew johnson was
born in the humblest spheres of Southern
society. By energy he rose from his low
state. He acquired political power and be-
came the acknowledged representative and
champion of his class. While striving to
rise he found the exclusive preiudices of
southern arlstocracy in his way and his
whole career was a continued struggle with
that class of antagonists; for even when he
had risen far above his origin the aristocracy
never consented to recognize him as an
equal. This struggle he carried on with
great tenacity of will and ferocity of tenn
per, but without any real understanding of
the object to be obtained. While fighting
the slave arisocracy he continued to defend
slavery. Striving to weaken his adversary
with one hand, he strove to strengthen him
with the other He struggled against men,
and did not apprehend the system. His
mind as well as his heart was too narrow for
his purpose. The rebellion came. The aris-
tocracy was identified with the secession
movement, and Andrew johnson naturally
was found on the other side The rebellion
failed, and johnson found himself by a
dispensation, at the head of the victorious
Government. His old enemies, the Southern
aristocracy, all crushed and broken in spirit
and power, at his feet-at the mercy of the
once despised plebeian. The time had come
for him to show the metal of his character.
If he really understood the true tendency of
thV BiSat COuulCti was NOT lnaI tne granQeSt
opportunity to build broad and deep the
foundation of equal rights and impartial
justice; to render aristocracies impossible in
this country for all time? But again he saw
only individuals when he ought to have
comprehended principles and systems. His
first declaration breathed blood and annihila
tion against his defeated enemies. He issued
savage edicts, putting prices on the most pro-
minent heads. He reiterated with terrible
Inns lnNl Loo ill.,. -.s. -.
cape the extreme severity of the law It look
ed not only like justice, itlooked like revenge.
Time elapsed and he took the work of recon
struction into his own hands. He issued an
amnesty proclamation, and even there his
motive did not seem to have changed its di.
rection. Not only the leaders of the rebel
lion were exempted from that act of grace,
but all the wealthy, all those who possessed
over $4,000. The excepted parties should
De subject to prosecution and punishment,
unless receiving special pardons from his
Highness. The defeated aristocrat in order
TO escape the rigor Of the law, had to hu-
initiate himself before the notorious plebeian
in person. The triumph of the plebeian
over the aristocrat seemed complete. Ii
would have been well enough had the head
and heart Of the notorious plebeian been
equal TO the trial, but there was the turning
point in Andrew Johnson's career. You
know the result The late rebels gathered
| around him; his sternness gradually relaxed
Presently he forgot to speak of their treason,
and learned TO speak only OF their rights
their rights in preference to the rights of all
others. How was thisY The fierce plebeian!
The sworn, bitter, and relentless enemy OF
the Southern aristocracyl How strangel
And yet not strange, after all. Only look at
the man. Why is it that Andrew johnson
never gets tired OF telling the American peo-
pie that he was once a tailor, and then by
degrees filled all political offices of every
grade until he became the President of the
United States? Is he so proud of having
been tailorY Not that, but he is proud OF
| being tailor no longer. There are men
who, having risen from a low estate, are al
ways troubled by an instructive conscious
ness OF interiority, which they do not admit
| to themselves and against which they strug-
gle by continuallyand loudly boasting before
| the world of their worth as proved by their
| actions. Above all things they demand re-
| cognition at the hands of those who formerly
were their betters, and perhaps are so still;
they demand it with nervous anxiety, and
whoever denies it incurs their tiercest re-
sentiment History tells us of stern enemies
of roy alty who were turned to courtiers by
the smiles of king The spectacle of re-
\ preventative aristocrat turned into friend OF
an aristocracy is by no means more strange
Nothing more is required than that his ego
| tsm should be stronger than his true self.
respect, aud that he should have about little
enough conscience to forget his principles in
the intoXication of gratified vanity But
was not the recognition Of Andrew johnson
received at the handle of the Republican
party enough for him? Had they not filled
the fullest measure of his ambition? Had
they not taken him from comparative OBJ
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