Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-03-22
THE PRESIDENT AND STEVENS.


We print the following extract from {
Washington letter in the New Yorl
Post;
A pleasant story was told me yesterday
which shows the. President stands by his
party, even by those members who some
times attack him; and that if he is i'm
patient of attack, and ready enough to
retort in words, he does not bear malice.
1t is said that gentleman from Penn
sylvania, an old friend of Mr.. Thaddeus
Stevens, made application for postmas-
tership, and asked Mr.. Stevens TO help
him with The President Mr.. Stevens re
piled: You know | am not supposed
to stand we'll with the President; per-
haps my good word for you won't help
YOU. However. I'll do what | can. He
wrote on the back of the application a
brief note to the President, saying, Mr.,
- desires to be appointed TO the post
mastership at -. | have known MN
many years, and know that he will make
faithful and capable officer
The bearer of this missive went to Mr..
johnson with il, who read it, and imme-
diately wrote under it, "Let the appoint
ment be made.
The Democrats who come here from
Connecticut and Pennsylvania, to beg
few crumbs of comfort from the Presi-
dent. 20 back with long faces. They do
not get much encouragement at the White
House.
Similar statements we have observed
from time TO time in the Radical press.
They do not seem inclined to turn the
President over to the Democrats. They
oppose his policy, throw all possible OBJ
stacIes in the way of its success, but
claim all the offices at his disposal The
Democrats. while they support that pol
icy and praise its author, do not appear
TO expect any reward in the way of pat
ronage. YALLASDIGHAN, who sustains
the President, could not have one of his
friends appointed to Office, while STE
VEINS, the bitterest enemy he has to en-
counter. can. II is also said that Mr..
JOHNSON employs The term Copper
head in speaking Of the Democracy
who have rallied to him. If the Radical
press is to be believed, he expresses
freely his distrust of the sincerity of the
motives which influence them to support
him. And whas is not little remarka-
BILE, the Democratic papers neither deny
the fact, nor attempt TO account for 1t
Under the circumstances, if the Democ-
racy still shall persist in their support of
him, will they not prove the disinterest-
ednesss of their conduct? 1t is proba-
bic that the President regards himself as
the head of the Republican party, and in
the distribution of offices, selects the
least ultra material
We have no idea that the JOHNSON
Club of Memphis intends to be under
stood to be in the interest of the Re-
publican party. Confined in its action
TO the bare matter of endorsing and sup
porting the reconstruction policy of the
President, il need not be SO considered.
III WOulu TdlHtI ldht thc VHaiaC'Si VI
Democracy, sustaining the efforts of the
Conservative Republicans to re-adjust the
Union, and when the proper time arrives,
Eight on the side of the great party to be
organized in opposition to the Radicals.
A Democrat, as such, who would 20 up
to the White House and ask Mr.. JoHS-
SON to give him an Office, ought to come
away with long face A recognition
by him of the Democratic party, as his
supporters, would have the effect Of turn
ing against him the whole Republican
party. Left TO such support as a disor-
gained, dispirited Democracy might
offer him, he would fail of success in
pacifying the country. Never did any
man. in any position, select his measures
with more judgment As Radical, he
could never have restored peace and the
Union, though he carried with him al
political power There are elements a
unconquerable as BANoUos ghost, anC
could not have been kept down. HI
could only succeed by throwing off th'
mantle of party, and presenting himsel
to the country in the higher role Of pa
triot and statesman.