The Portland daily press., 1866-12-25

EFT tn BRUTEl-One by one Mr.. JOhnson's
friends and supporters are deserving his colors'
Raymond and Beecher and Gustav and others
have fallen away one after another, till the
President has but scanty following The
London Times has been the most ardent OF
his panegyrists, never tired of extOling him for
the "firmness and decision" with which he sus-
tanned the constitutional rights" of the rebels,
and resisted the dangerous and unjustifable
tendencies of a radical Congress-" But the
Times is always swift to desert the failing cause
and this is the way that consistent newspaper
talks about Mr.. Johnson's last message:
The renewed adhesion of President johnson
to his own reconstruction policy, in spite the
recent elections, is better calculated to excite
surprise than admiration 1t is always danger
GUS to interpret the political symptoms of for
egn countries with too much confidence, but,
SO far as anything can be known about public
opinion in America, it is certain that a decisive
verdict against the President, and in favor of
the Constitutional Amendment, has been re-
corded by the American people. The Issue had
been fairly before them for many months and
the result is that the Republicans command a
majority SO overwhelming as to render the
Presidential veto quite nugatory. There is mo
disgrace in botcing to necessity, and If eUer there
vas political necessity it is surely that Which
Mr.. johnson is still iryte1ibly resisting. There
is no parallel between such resistance and the
successful opposition of the King of Prussia to
the rejection by the Chambers of his scheme
for the reorganization of the army. The King
of Prussia assumes to hold his crown by Di-
vine right, and though philosophers may deride
the claim, the mass of his subjects tolerate it.
President johnson, on the contrary, neither is
nor processes to be any more than a public ser
want. In the messages justifying his veto and
in all his subsequent addresses, he has appeal
ed from Congress to the great body of electors,
and to that appeal the November elections are
the response They are accepted by the South
as an irreyocable sentence of Acknowledgement
upon those States which refuse the conditions
dictated by the North, and the only escape
from the dilemma which his friends can sug-
gest is, that the President should coerce Con-
gress by the naval and military force at his
command. Yet we are informed that he actu-
ally urges this body, exasperated by his late
attacks upon it, and flushed with victory upon
victory, to think better of the whole matter
| and take his advice about it. Obstinacy car
ried to this pitch is not acithout an element Of
| subtinaity;; but after all craftsmanship must be
| measured by a practical standard. Popes are
| the only rulers who can summon legions OF
| angels to defend them against the inevitable
| without FORGETTING a character for worldly wis
| dom, and of all rulers elected Presidents are
those who have least right and the least poaoe'
| to defy the popular will.
CoNUNDRUMs. Some of the conundrums
prop bundled at the Universalist festival at
Westbrook the other night, were very good
We give specimen or two:
What did the potter say to the clay?
Beware.
| What answer made the clay? ~
I'll be burnt first ~ 4s
What is the difference between eolored
pocket Handkerchief and the rebel flag?
One is bandanna and the other damn
| banner. 10' tilu4l et
Why is jeff. Davis like man who has dis
posed of all his potatoes? SO iift 5iI .
Because he's seldom out. JOB
What is that which no person wants, which
| if any person has he would not part with for
untold wealth?
A bald head
Why is Westbrook Seminary like frog?
Because it shows signs of vitality when its
head is off
Why is boy throwing stones at some dogs
like the ocean?
Because he is rocking the barks
GARIBALDI AND THE CRErANs-Our foreign
exchanges say that the Garibaldan legiona-
res, finding their occupation gone in Italy, are
| turning their attention toward the assistance
of the Christians of the Levant. A detach-
ment has already reached syria, larger body
has landed on the Piraus, and the General
himself has offered his sword to the Athens
committee The letter in which this offer was
made, says:
/ have written to Dolf to see what arms we
have; whatever they may be they shall be all
placed at your disposal oh, how wish to do
something for those poor Cretansi 1 am in
despair at being reduced to idleness belong
to your cause shall be there, if am called.