The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-17

would have been with Andy as Jeb
Stuart did with the young Virginian,
over whose fate the World gloated-
"Hang him to that treeU Tell us then
whence springs this amazing love for
Andrew Johnson? Has he changed his
principles or his patriotism? He denies
that there has been any change in his
feelings, and insiststh that he is as loyal now
as he ever was to his country, and hates
treason with as strong a hatred as when
he exiled preachers from Nashville. He
says treason is a crime. That it should
be punished. He says General Leo is a
traitor. Well, il he has not changed,
then there must have been change on
the other side. But there is no evidence
of such a fact The people ofthe South
still cling to their principles, ana ho'd
that there was no treason in what they
did. That all they lacked was success
They were alone loyal, and all southern
men who took part against them, and
fought for the North, as did Mr.. Johnson
and his family, were traitors, and de-
served death. This being the case, how
can Mr.. johnson and these southern
editors, like the Day Book man, who
still believe that their cause was the
most just that ever people drew the
sword i'm defence Of-how can they stand
upon the same platform of principles?
st. Paul was most remarkably converted
on the road to Damascus, and from the
chief of prosecutors became the great
apostle of the church, but he failed to
carry any large number of his people
with him. Now, we scarcely know how
to apply this. Either Andrew Johnson,
like st. Paul, has rep0nted of his perse-
cutiOns of his southern brethren, and has
gone over to them, and become the great
apostle, or they have all seen the same
light from Heaven that shone upon ST..
Paul, and become converted to the true
faith. How and which is it? Who are
the converts? These southern editors
do not appear to us to have changed
their faith. They still worship and sing
psalms to their high priests and to Pom
thus PLATE, at Fort Monroe, who derided
their present Messiah, and who would
have crucified him. In our dilemma,
we can only return to our first idea for a
solution of the vexed question. The
President is their Othello, and these edi-
tors are every whit as honest as Iago.
While they can use him for their pur-
poses, they will bend the plant knee,
and fawn upon him, crouch low enough
to lick the dust from his feet, and con-
tinue to interpose his body as shield
between them and the consequences of
their acts; and it matters not, If they can
use i,im, what becomes of him, after
they are through-when they shall no
longer fear the radicals, they will no
longer care for Andy Johnson, but
throw him aside with as lutte ceremony
as they did Peirpoint, Holden, or any
other squeezed lemon. Ask these men
who are praising President Johnson,
with such out-Herodipg vauntings, and
fawnins upon him 50 Iago-like, if they
really admire the President personally,
or think that he pursued proper course
in refusing to cast his lot with the South,
when Joff. Davis lefthis country .andthey
will be surprised that you should have
so poor an opinion of their high-toned
southern intelligence. Now, our whole
object here is 10 convict these southern
editors, who are playing upon this harp
of thousand strings--each string o
which sounds the praises Of Andrew
johnson, from the lowest to the highest
key,--of inconsistency and unfairness,
and above all, of making use of language
for the purpose of concealing their
thoughts. They know full well that
they do not, and never did, like Mr..
johnson, because he was not and is not
one of them. He was born "in their
midst" and therefore they have more
cause to hate him than they have to hate
either Sumner or Stevens, because they
never were Of them at all. Their denun-
Citations of the radicals are all hollow pre-
tensions. They are perfectly Pickwick-
ain and SO understood; bur their praises
of the President are most transparent
and dishonest. And We're he to fall
from a position tomorrow where he can
be useful to them, there would not be
oneof all the pack that have been so as
siduously yelping his praises, that would
be 50 poor as to do him honor. Even
Speaker Baldwin would cut him. These
southern editorial eulogists are disinge-
nuous and dishonest, or they would
change their tone and their sentiments
to suit his views. When st Paul re-
pented and became follower of the Me-
siah he had no mental reservation-but
like every other man who truly repents
of his sins, he freely acknowledged the
error of his ways, denounced his former
and declared that he knew
nothing but Christ and him crucified.
If, then, these lovers of the President
would show that their repentance is not
a mere sham pipe, and most artful
piece of hypocracy, they would come
out from among those who have