Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-02-27
VOL. XlX1xTV.g 2

one OF my 'fagfant usurpatfons'-the OBJ
Ject evidently was to divest the National
lSoverAmento of its centralizing power, and
Fess0re that power as nearly and promptly
as circumstances would permit to the peo-
pie of the various ex- rebel States. r,
] The Southis to-day in our hands, a beat
en-, helpless. well nigh hopeless country,
and the power we WELD should be held as
q sacred trust. We should not use it vim
dict1vely. will not argue because we
| I'rofess to be Christians, aud these men are
our brothers; but, if on no higher ground,
then upon the ground OF, ,self-inteTest. fAn
/ the legislation proposed for the South, pro-
/ posesto multiply Offices at thee expense otthe
General Government, while not adding the
productions of Southern industry to the
general stock for. the redemption of our
National debt and the support of our an
I nusf burdens. My object is to reduce the
assumed and really usurpational powers
forced on the General Government during
! the war, powers that were then essential to
meet a desperate. emergency; but which
vitfating the whole fabric and theory Of
our representative and popular SYSTEM
what Congress in its wisdom may see
lit TO do, i cannot say; but my own course
lis clear i shall exercise every function of
my office in defense of the people and their
rights, according to the best Judgment that
Heaven has endOwedme with: IshalI ex4
ecute all laws scrupulOusfy, and perhaps
mostscrupulously those which. have been
passed against my Judgment and over my
VetO.A But for all such legislation, Congress
must bear the undivided responsibility:
and the days cannet be fardistant in which
the terrible logioso of events will force the
people to ask themselves seriously, and not
IN passion, On which side lay the tend
ency to usurpation p"
Thus, but far more fully and forcibly,
fspoke the President to me yesterday-his
topic occasionally into happy illustrations
and brief, quick. striking criticisms on the
names most sprominenG in our national
politics. OF Mr.. Greeley he spoke with
warm respect, eulogizing the sterling in
tegrity of his character and his great
talents, as more than compensation for
tbs, occasional eccentricities Of judgment;
but from inquiries pushed in another
quarter, your correspondent believes there
never has been7any foundation for the res
port that Mr.. Greeley is about entering the
Cabinet as Postmaster General, Indeed, as
to- all rHmors of Cabinet. changes, a. long
fexperience in Washington has made the
writer. wholly fncIednlous :; but that Mr..
Seward may possibly contemplate retiring
shortly after next 4th of March, in which
case he wishes Charles Francis Adams to
be his successor, has, reached me on au-
thority more than commonly entitled to
credit. i.dkz2l
And now, before concluding, let me give
personal picture of President johnson as
he appears Haf1is~ audience echam ber.-I
have seen three previous Presidents
Lincoln, Buchanan and Pierce, having been
in more or less direct relations with each;
and the impression of Mr.. Johnson makes
may be best conveyed by citing remark of
James L. Brady, Immediately after his first
Interview with the present President 1t
was just after Mr.. Lincoln's death and Mr.
Johnso MS augurat ton, and while The pa
pers were most tiercely denouncing the lat=
ter as being zhabitually in an unfit condition
for the discharge Of his Important duties.
'' know not how that may be-: said Mr..
Brady9f ~ but ON quitting the audience
room my impression was that I had seen
the first President who fulfilled my ideal
of what the appearance and manner of a
President should be-calm, courteous, dig-5
nified. ,Iimpertnrbable, attentive, patient,
and innately an honest gentleman. -
L Mr.. johnson stands about five feet six or
seven inches high, with large head of the
| Douglas type, and powerful we'll set figure.
Hisrhair, OF an iron7gray,- growing white
faster thanit should of late, isstillJhick as iul
his youth. His face is without beard of any
kind; his forehead large and high, his ewes
dark, keen and penetrating, with something
in them at times which tells of passions or
irritabii tiles that require control. AT a.
brief distance. his likeness to the late Sem
ator Douglasis absolutely startling; but on
a closer approach we see that his ey es are
smaller and darker than the great blue orbs
Through which the soul of the &c Little Gil
ant, looked out; and that his skin and fea-
tures are wholly free from certain blem-
ishes which at times told the story Of our
great Lost Leaders, Only folly. - r. s-7---,
Mr.. johnson invariably dresses neatly in
deeoroqs black, without ring, watch guard,
studs, or any CLEAN of jewelry. His man
ner,is eminently grave shiseyoice level and
impressive, his gestures chiefly with a pen-
Gil when speaking; and, when he is listen
ing, one cannot but be struck with the pa
tient and polite attention which this over
worked and badly -badg gered gentleman yet
continues to pay to each new ripple (mauy
of them intePminable .bores'') in the un-
ceasing tide OF visitors who are candidates
for his attention daily.--I have seen~Mr.
johnson very many times and st all hours
between midday and IL o'clock at night;
, and have never yet seen in him the slight
est alteration of manner-thA>slighte in
dication that his habits ever were, or ever
could be, any different from those which,
when in. the, Senate. made, him the ac-~
knowledged standard for deeorum and pro-
priety in that body These things [ am
almost ashamed to find necessary to he said
when writing gofthe President of the United
States; but so high has party malice run,
and SO violent and yindictiYe have been the
sfanders Which have assailed this officer,
that in some quarters the effect of an ex-
plicit statement may be good. g L believe
Andrew johnson to be as devOut and self
sacrificing a patriot as ever lived" said
Chief Justice Chase not many months ago
to the writer, "but fatally wrong i'm some
Of his views. and cursed with some of the
worst advisers" That was high testimony
from a prejudiced sources, and with that
testimony this letter must conclude. az@s
+ G. G. H.