The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-14
President johnson and the Democratic
Party.

From the ". Y. World.
AS soon as the result of the California elec-
ton was known, many congratulations were
rendered or sent to President Johnson.
Whether he has also been felcitated On the
Democratic gains in Maine we are not informed;
but his share of the credit is Just as great in
the one case as in the other; or, to speak more
bluntly, it is nothing in either. We do not
deny that the great reaction ought to give him
considerable satisfaction, although nothing he
has done had any tendency to produce it. AS
patriot honestly desiring the rsadnnission of
the Southern States, he must, of course, be
glad to see his adversaries weakened. Nothing
could well be more churlsh or illiberal than
to question his right to rejoice in the Joy of the
Democratic party. We should be quite willing
to beat the bush and let him catch the bird, if
the county could thereby be benefited. But
inasmuch as President Johnson has no proper
Identification with the Democratic party, and
as false impression of that kind would be a
drag on the reaction, it may not be amiss to
place the subject in its true light. The zeal
with which the Democratic press has defended
the President, so far as it deemed him right,
must mislead nobody to suppose that he is in
any degree responsible for US, or we for him.
He can take no just offense at our repudiating
his modes OF operation, since he has uniformly
discarded and repudiated ours.
Mr.. Johnson is in no sense a Democratic
President. We did not elect him; we have no
claims upon him, nor have we ever set up
any, except the common claim which all citi-
zens have upon every Chief Magistrate, that
he shall honestly support and defend the Con-
stitution. If Mr.. johnson, elected as a Repub-
lican, had ever become a Democratic Presi-
dent, the change would be dated from such
reorganization of the personnel of the admin
istration as placed the Government in Demo
cratic hands. But no such reorganization has
been made. Instead of Cabinet consisting
of men whom the Democratic party respect
and confde in, President Johnson has chosen
to be surrounded by Republican Cabinet,
from the first day of his accession until
now He has had occasion to appoint
several foreign ministers; but in no case
has he appointed a Democrat in good
standing with the party. General Dix, the
most respectable of his appointees, though
calling himself Democrat, long ago dissolved
his connection with the Democratic organiza-
tion. Mr. Bancroft is noted libellant of the
| Democratic party. Mr.. Cowan, Mr.. Raymond,
and Mr.. Greeley, who have been successfully,
| but unsuccessiully, nominated to the vacant
| Austrian mission, are highly respectable gem
| tlemen, but they have never been Democrats.
| General Fitzpatrick, after carrying New Jersey
| against the Democratic party by campaign
| of venomous scurrility and defamation, was
promptly rewarded by the mission to Chill.
| This was more than neglect; it was more than
an ordinary affront; it was an open and wanton
insult New Jersey was the only Northern
| State which the Democratic party had carried
| for Mcclellan, and our pride would have been
touched by its loss even If 1t had been taken
| from us by fair means. But when outrageous
scurrilities prevailed against us in the home OF
our chosen candidate, the immediate promo
ton of the head libeller.to full foreign mis-
| sion was an act which laid the party under no
very deep obligation to the President. We
did not complain even of this insult, for we
| had no claims of any kind on Mr.. Johnson,
| and there was no good reason why Republi-
| can President should not appoint to office men
who had rendered acceptable services to the
| Republican party. We must not be under
| stood to make these illusions, even now, in a
| tone Of complaint. They are intended only as
proofs that Mr.. Johnson has never been, nor
ever sought to be considered, Democratic
President. We happen to agree with him on
| a point on which he differs from his party; but
that must not be taken as an Endorsement OF
! his maladroit, unstatesmanlike, unpopular
administration. .rs