The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-08-30
From the Atlantic Monthly for Septemb
THE JOHNSON PARTY.


The President of The United States has
so singular a combination of defects for
the office OF constitutional magistrate,
that he could have obtained the Opportu-
nifty 10 misrule the nation only by vii
tatinu of Providence. In-incere as we'll aS
stubborn, cunning IA we'll as unrea onab.e,
vain az we'll M i'll tempered. greedy of
popularity as we'll rs arbitrary lii dispnsi-
tiOn, veeriLg in his mind as we'll ds fixed
in his will, he mites in his character the
seemingly opposite qualities of Gemaeogue
and au.ncra,, and converts tie Preslden-
tial chair into a stump OF throne, aceor-
ding as the impulse seizes him to cajOle
or to command. Doubtless much of the
evil developed ia him il due to his mis-
fortune in having been lifted by events 10
position which he lacked the elevation
and breadth of intelligence adequately to
fill. lie was cursed with the possession
of a power aud authority which no man
of narrow mind, bitter prejudices, and
inordinate selEestimatiUn can e8eIci>e
without depraving himself as well as nju-
ring the marion. Egotistic to the point
of mrnta. disease, he resented the direct
aud manly opposition of Il statesman to
his opinions and moods as personal
afFro"t, aud descended 10 the last degree
of littlenes> III Il political leader-that of
bc'rayinS his party, in order to crafty
his spite He of course became the prey
OF i"triguers and sycophants of persops
who understand the art of managing
minds which are at once arbitrary and
weak, by allowing them TO retain unity of
vii l,l.
cies of option, so that Inconsistency to
principle shall not weaken force of pur-
pose, nor the emphasis be AT all ahated
with which they may bless to-day what
yesterday they cursed. Thus the abhorrer
of traitors has now become their tool
Thus the denouncer of ropperheads ha,
now sunk int" dependence on their support
Thus the impo-er OF conditions Of recon
struction has now become the foremost
friend of the 2nconditiuned return of tie
rebel States. Thus the furious Union
Repu ublican, whose haranguts against his
political opponents almost scared his
political friends oy ;heir violence, has now
become the shameless betraver of the
people who trusted him. And in all
these changes of base he has appeared
u,
of playing an independent, consistent
and especially Conscientious part.
Indeed. Mr. Juhn-0n'~ character wonli
be imperfectly described if some attention
were not paid to his conscience, the purify
Of which is favorite subject of his own
discourse, and the perverS!ry of which is
thu wonder of the rest of mankind A.
public man, his real position is similar
to that of commander of an army. who
should pass over 20 the ranks OF the
enemy he was commissioned to fight, and
then plead his Individual convictions of
duty as a ju-tihcation of his treachery.
La truth, Mr.. JOhnson's coasc enct is,
like his understanding, mere form Of
expression of his will. The will of CT
binary men is addressed through their
understanding and con>cience Mr.
JnhnSnn's understanding aud conscience
can be addressed Only through his will
lie puts Intellectual principles and the
moral law in the pnS>e>sive case, thinks
he pays them Il compliment and adds t.
their authority when he makes them The
adjuncts of his petted prnnoun ''my :"
aud things 10 him are reasonable and
right, not from any quality Inherent in
themselves, but because they are made so
by his determinations. Indeed, he sees
hardly anything as it il. but almost every
thing as colured by his own dominant
egrtiST. Thus he is never weary of
asserting that the people are on his >ide
yet this method of learning ;he wishes of
the people is to scrutinize his own, and,
when acting out his own passionate i'm
bot -
public sentiment. OF all the wilfu! men
who, by strange chance, nave found them
selves at the head of constitutional
government, he most resembles the last
Stuart KING of England, James H. and
the likeness is increased from the circum-
stance that the American James has, in
his supple and plausible Secretary of
State, one FULLY com 2etent to play the part
of Sunderland.
The party which, under the ironcal
designation of the National Union Party,
now proposes to take the policy aud
character of Mr. johnson under its charge,
is composed chiefly IF Democrats defeated
at the polls, and Democrats defeated on
the field of battle. The few aposta.e
Republicans, who have joined lis ranks
while seeming to lead lrs organization,
are of small account. It's great strength
Is in it's Southern supporters, and, it it
comes into power, it must obey "a rebel
direction. b. the treachery of the Pres
ident, It will have the Executive patronage
on it's side, for Mr.. Johnson's "cunscience"
is of that peculiar kind which finds salts
faction in arraying the interest of others
against their convictions; aud having