The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-07
ProsldrntinI DIrnltv.


From the World.
Some of the Republican papers seem to be
shocked at what they describe as Presidents
Johnson'5 want of dignity in noticing oppro-
brous words flung out by persons in the
crowds he addresses, and particularly by scene
OF this kind at Cleveland, where the Presidents
retorts effectually silenced rude impertinence.
As coming from Republicans, criticism of this
kind hardly deserves reply, since 1t can hardly
be honest. A party which has never com.
planned of Chief Justice Chase for going about
the country making stump speeches, has sud
denly grown fastidIous. The Chief Justices hio
is not political Office and none OF Chiet Justice
Chase's predecessors ever permitted themselves
to make political speech es. TLe Republicans
profess great yeneration Tor President Lincoln,
who. of all the Presidents we have ever had,
stood the lowest In the scale OF personal bear
ing. The ingenious youth of the country will,
no doubt, be imEroyed and ~ edited when such
model OF clerical and official propuety as
Parson Governor BrownlOw excuses himself
from speaking, as he did az Philadelphia, on the
ground that he had too much respect for the
dignity of hIs position Ito go about making
stump speeches like a foolish fellow that is
President"
As against Brownlow and the Republicans, it
would be RIDICULOUS to make any other reply to
such CRITICISMS than to "hOld the mirror up 10
nalure' and let them see their own image. But
es ii is easy to suppose animadversons might oe
made on the Presidents course by pers ms of
more sincerity, it may not be out of place to
observe that the value put upon stiff sense of
official dignity differs with different persons.
We apprehend tnat the mass of citizens like
their Chief Magistrate none the less for his not
choosing to speak to them in state-paper style.
We suppose that President LinColn's broad Jokes
were strong element of his popularity. They
showed, in the estimation of the honest and
hearty working classes, that he was not what
they call stuck up" because he happened TO
hAIh ntli laV.N InlWn .fa
upon dignity are of a different kind, proceeding
from his straightforward drectness OF purpose
and irascible temper. There Is nothing in the
Constitution to prevent the people electing such
man to high office if they please; and in
another Tennessee President that we once had,
such tenn er was compatible with successful
administration and uneXampled personal popu-
larity.
In 1888 President jackson and his Cabinet left
Washington, as President johnson and his Cabl-
net have now done, to lay the cornerstone of
monumenA, While on their way President jack
son was iHsnlted by young man named Ran
dolpb, q lieutenant in the navy. who had been
lately dismissed. Randolph thrust his hand
into the Presidents face while he was seated at
a table on board a steam boat, and tried to pull
his nose. General Jackson expressed regret,
after Randolph had escaped, that he was seated
in such position that he was not quick enough
to inflict personal chastIsement, which he
declared he would have done on the spot If he
had not been taken at disadvantage. IL might
have been more dlgB1fied perhaps, in a Pres dent
of the United States to surrender such mis-
Creant to the law instead of giving him Gaming;
as it might in President johnson to have taken
no notice OF his interrupter instead OF annlhi.
lating him by keen retorts. Such promptitude
or redress may be against high official etiquette;
but il at least shows vigor of character which
is rot likely TO stop at small obstacles or be
scared by small criticisms Cromwell and
Luther, we believe, had the same careless intre-
pidity in such matters that is evinced by PresI-
dent johnson.