Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-29
rhe Pre.ideut,s Position.

We invite the especial attention Of
those blind Republicans who refuse to
believe in the possibility of our accidental
President from the South ever deserving
the party, and those Office holding and
Yenal Republicans who are endeavoring
to screen themselves and him from the
consequences of that desertion, to the
speech of c. n. 1ngerson before the New
Haven johnson meeting, which we pub
lish in another column. If any evidence
of his utter apostaey is necessary, this
furnishes it. If any thing were wanting
to render utterly fatuous and ridiculous the
attempts Of Sherman, Cox, ct al, to bridge
the gulf which Mr.. johnson has made
between himself and the Union party, it
is this. Mr.. Cox obtains from Mr.. john
son IN announcement that he still is
friendly to the Union party, and rushes
ecstatically before the world, waving this
pledge before him as a sign of conquest
But Mr.. johnson, having thus sent
Mr.. Cox into jubilant commissions,
turns around with a shrewd
wink to q COpperhead delegation
from Connecticut and says: "0h. yes! I'm
for the Union psrty-but when 1 said the
Union party I meant the men 0hO stand
By me- "The Union party" says Mr..
johnson to Mr.. Ingersoll, ais not the par
ty of the Radicals" Again, with the air
ola despot, he exclaims, "My policy is
necessary TO the preservation of the IN
ion, and those who support that policy are
my friends" The arrogance and insolence
of this attempt on the part Of an acct
dental President to assume to himself the
right and authority to dictate a position
for the party, and a policy for the country
are beyond comment. Mr.. Johnson's
course is q direct blow at Republieanism,
and an assertion of a one-man power
equallyrepugnant to the principles of the
Republican party and to those Of eonsti-
tutional government. In the light Of
these uttsrances, how cheap and worthless
all the Presidents reiterated expressions
of devotion e the Union party appear.
Mr. johnson recognizes no Union party
except the Johnson party. Herejects ninety
nine huRdredths Of the Union men of the
land and proolsims that only those who
blindly follow him are worthy to be called
Unionists. Following this rule, he must
adopt the nomenclature which the New
York World has introduced, and style the
Union majority in Congress d~isunionists,
while he welcomes to his arms as the only
Simon Pure Union men the Copperheads
with whom he has been dallying for six
months, like Sampson with Delilah.
Mr.. Johnson's most prominent charac-
teristic is duplicity. Except when driven
to plain words by passion, he is the most
sdroit and agile and supple of politicians.
Since Martin Van Buren,, we have had no
President so skilled in the art of indefn-
iteness. He takes ell sides of all ques-
tons with an ease astonishing to less pre-
sumptuous tricksters. By this facile
habit he succeeded in sending away de-
lighted everybody that went to see
last summer and fall-whether it was
John Van Buren, or Horace Greeley, Jesse
D. Bright or Major Stearns, Alexander H.
Stephens or Charles Sumner. In his recent
course we have another capital illus
tration Of his7..characteristic failing
he sympathizes with the Copperheads,
but he does not wish TO ALLEVIATE the Re
publicans. And so, while he tells Cox
that he is for the Union party, he tells
Ingersoll that by the Union party he
means the Copperheads. Jam satisi Coz
is glorious, while Ingersoll is, very ma
perfectly satisfied. "The Presi-
dent is triumphant and the country will
be happyI" But this cannot last always.
No circus-rider, strain himself as he may,
can ride two horses going in an opposite
direction. President johnson must get of
one or the other, and his whole policy
shows that he has made up his mind as to
which it shall be.