Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-09-13
pREsIDrNTIAL PROPRTETY.

incisivc style Of speech which he uses. In
that class of people, such criticism is the
merest cant and hypocrisy. They not only
tolerated the official abandon pracfised by
the late President LINCOLN, but we're wont
TO recount his unreseryed private and public
utterances, without regard 10 their lack Of
polish, not TO say homehneas, nay, even,
ooarseness, as sententiOus expressions Of po-
litical wisdom, and exhibitions Of a rude and
ustintegrity ofcharacter, highly ereditable
and proper The same party have heard,
within the last twelve months, and without
virtuous remonstrance, the Senate and Rep
resentative Chambers ring with fierce, indie
corous and inhammatory speeches against
the Chief Magistrate They have quoted and
appIauded the intempefate and indecent
speeches Of every Radical Of high or low
degree, that saw proper TO denOunce the
President. But when Mr.. JOHNSON ming
ling face to face with the people, as Presi-
dent and as fellow-citizen, as he has signif-
cantly said, sees fit to deal in plain and pun
gent terms-tO treat an occasion as it de-
served when his moral courage enables him
to say that in counselling with and speak
ing to the judgments Of the people, and in
endeavoring to correct errors, and rebuking
the intolerance and resenting the insulting
spirit Of Radicalism he would lay aside the
restraints Of what is called official dignity,
they profess themselves outraged, eenounce
Il as unbecoming conduct, and raise their
voices in railing. Such Pharisaism is
disgusting.
Some Of the moderate and conservative
Of the Republican papers, however, are ex-
pressing their fears that the President, in his
speech at Cleveland, may have overstepped
the bounds of propriety, and sacrificed his
dignity; and while they condemn the vile
attacks Of the Radical crew which provoked
his severe reto-ts, and regret the occasion,
they assume to reprove the President for his
trenchant style of disposing Of his calum-
niators. They are nervously solicitous con-
corning the Presidential dignity, and seem
to fear that bis course will intensity the
luminosity which the Radical leaders have
excited against him among their followers,
and render fiercer the conflict between con-
servatism and radicalism. They betray in
this a sort Of half-confdence in the cause Of
which the President is the great leader,
which, If participated in by him, would soon
wreck it utterly, and leave the Government
and all the great interests it was intended to
conserve, at the mercy of the Radicals.
They are timid, and in the presence of the
audacious front which Radicalism puts on,
are losing sight Of the great question, in
concern for a petty matter of propriety and
etiquette.
The New York Times, one of the ablest
Of this class, objects TO his calling Radicals
traitors; but seems to forget that that epithet
is freely applied to him; and that, for an
ofIense morally no whit worse than they are
daily committing, the highest and the lowest
officials. of the Government, in State papers
and in every other form, stigmatized with
the same epithet nearly the whole people Of
fifteen States. 1t is a hard word, and should
not be used, officially or unoficially, with
out Just cause; but it has become a common
one, and il those who were accustomed.to
apply it 80 freely find it retorted, they need
not be surprised. If they hear it pronoun-
ced by the lips Of the President it should
only serve TO remind them that treason has
many forms, and have the effect TO restrain
them in the reckless course which they are
pursuing President JOHNSON was not bred
in court and his intrepid and heroic ma
ture is one TO pay little regard to the forms
and trammels of official etiquette when they
interfere with his purposes. He has, how
ever, native dignity Of demeanor, bordering
indeed, on the austere, which prevents him
from descending to triviality in anything.
He has deep and sincere convictions.
He is aware of the responsibility which
rests upon him. He is terribly in earnest
about the great immediate duty before him.
When resisted by faction, and assailed by
taunts, he would not be ANDREW JOHNSON,
il he were not caustie and severe-if he did
not attempt TO demolish everything
that lay in his path. In the excitement
Of such a conflict he will not stop
to judge of the polish Of his weapon,
nor study the attitudes in which to WELD
it. He knows as well as his critics the pro-
prieties Of his position as President, but he
recognizes the condition Of affairs in which
he is called 10 act better than they do. He
has iddged for himself and determined to
do his part energetically, and leave the
mere prophecies to take care of themselves.
He knows that ifhe can restore the integrity
Of the nation, and save the liberties Of the
people, by enabling the people to put the
enemies Of both under their feet any
errors Of minor character will be
condoned by the people. If any friend or
enemy of ANDREW JOHNSON supposes that
he has acted inanything, since he left WASH
ington City ON the present tour, without
generalization, or thinks that he has not
weighed an observance Of forms in the scale
with a performance of what he conceives to be
his duty, he is mistaken. lie has examined
the entire ground and decided, and once
upon his course, he feels no retiring ebb,
but keeps due on"
The friends Of the President and the
cause he leads need not be anxious about the
dignities and proprieties. His enemies,
and he identifies them with the enemies Of
the Government have reason TO fear him,
and viii be compelled to respect him as the
lawful head of the Government, under all
circumstances. To the latter he will prove
himself equally formidable in the dignity
which enrobes his great office, as when he
sees iit as a tribune of the people, to lay it
down, and speak the truth as he feels IT,