The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-17
Mr. johnson Removes His mask.

Mr. johnson Removes His Mask.
MR. JOHNSON is certainly not skilful whist
player. He has so miserably misplayed his
political cards, that IL is impossible for him 70
know the simplest laws Of the game He mas
revoked and been detected; he has cheated anu
been exposed and his last playis SO wretoneoly
poor, that It exposes all his cards TO ms auVer-
saries. The message despatched by him to
the Senate. and made public yesterday, is the
weakest document which has yet issued from
the White House. We referred yesterday to
its lack of foundation. We stated that the
necessity, either in law or honor, which would
have us to pay the debts contracted by the
bogus State Governments, was not founded in
common sense; that if we did so it would be
a voluntary expenditure of s1O0,OOO,OOO
utterly uncalled for; and that the North
never dreamt of doing so. But while the
terrors evoked by Mr.. johnson are all illusory,
yet the desire on his part to see the country
embroiled on their account is no less real.
The fact that his efforts prove fruitless does
not detract from the heinous character of
his intentions. The reoklessness of Mr.. John
sons mind and the regardless manner
in which he seeks to engraft on the coun-
try his peculiar views, even at the ex-
pense of the national credit, is evident,
and shows the public that they have Chief
Executive who is not only stupidity obsti-
nate, but exceedingly unpatriotic Mr..
Johnson, in his high capacity of Chief
Executive, informed the National Legislature
that if it persisted in its course in opposition
to his own, it would have to choose between
repudiation or the assumption of an enormous
debt which would shake the national credit,
knowing, as he did, at the same time, that no
such alternative was necessary. There can be
but one motive imputed to such a declaration
as the President makes, and that is that he
does not care how much the credit of the
United States is injured, provided he secures
his point. He has in the present case, as in
so many before, overstepped his mark, and
exposed his own want of principle in his desire
to achieve partisan victory. Day by day he
is appearing more and more in his true char
acter, so that in the course of his term the
parties will have to be divided not into
Democrats and Republicans, but into the
and the honest men of the country
the former supporting the President, the latter
opposing his reckless schemes. The New
York Tribune this morning concludes an able
article on the presidents opposition" with
correct estimate of his teachings, and the
desperate Indifference he has evinced to the
safety of the country. 1t says:-
1--WE are disposed to believe that there is no
weapon, however petty it may be, that Andrew
johnson will not use, now that we have read
his last message to Congress- W eakneSs of In-
Iellect and strength of obstinacy could go no
further than in this argument that the United
States in recODStructiDg the u nion becomes re-
States. This is mere petLitogging. The inGelli-
gent Democrats who ironically commented on
1t in the Senate indicated the severe treatment
Mr.. Johnson will certainly receive from that
party when his term of office expires Did he
actually suppose that the country could be fright
ened by the debt of 500 0O0 900 he Invented orGhat
such seltevident stroke of ofdemagogism would
affect single vote in Congress-, or the result
of one township election? We are afraid that
Mr. Johnson did entertain hopes of frightening
other people, though we cannot do him the tn-
Justice to suppose that he was In the least
scared by his own imaginary monster. Those
who manufacture bugaboOs are not terrified
by their horns or tail. 1t would be better for
the President were he to abandon this dubious
and trivial policy at once. The best part of his
administration is over, and In the twenty
months that remain there is no danger that his
plans Will triumph. He Will remain in WASH
ington in defeat, he will leave office in defeat
and had better recognize his defeat But II he
will not surrender TO Congress, we beg h1m to
oppose 1t squarely, and to give no more double
constructions of the laws he don't like, and no
more broomsticks dressed up like spectres of
national ruin"