The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-02-24


President johnson and the South Led Astray
by the Northern Democracy.
The reader, especially if lover of the fine
arts, has noticed in some shop window the
picture of "The Monks Fatal Temptation"
A well-fed, jolly, but hungry monk, is fascinated
| by the glowing apparition Of buxom girl
only few steps before him floating in the air
and bearing in her hands dish containing
splendid roasted turkey. He has had q hard
chase for the prize through bush and briar !;
but the syren, now lowering over the water,
still invites him on with her smiles and the
offer of the savory fowl, and still he follows,
reckless of consequences His fate is sealed
his wind il gone, he is too heavy to swim, the
water is Deep and with another step, which he
is about to take, down he will 60 to the bot
tom. President Johnson and the South, through
eighteen changes of the moon. have been led
astray by just such Jack-o-lantern through
the Dismal Swamp Of "my policy" The name
Of this Jcck-o Lantern is the Northern demo-
cracy, and the splendid roasted turkey used as
its decoy has been the next Presidency.
This splendid turkey was cooked by the
lamented John Van Buren, at the New York
Democratic State Convention of 1865, and
shortly thereafter held up by him before the
admiring eyes of a democratic mass meeting,
Jacksonian democrat, as their anointed
Presidential candidate for 1868. AT that time
Mr.. johnson, though looking over the fence,
was still on the republican side but with
that nomination from our late popular demo-
cratic leader he got on the fence, awaiting only
a good opportunity TO jump down on the demo-
cratic side. He put one leg down at the last
April Connecticut election, and was 80 far
satisfied with the result that at the Philadelphia
August Convention he went completely over,
taking his trunk, his papers, oil his traps
and fishing tackle, and all his camp followers
along with him. These camp followers were
mercenaries, but they had their uses. To them
was assigned the pleasing duty of bringing
over the democracy to John Van Buren's plat
form. Literally rewarded, however, as were
these agents, they failed in their task. Perhaps
even poor John himself in his nomination Of
Mr.. johnson was thinking only of what good
Joke it would be if it should result in a Cabinet
appointment or foreign mission; for he doubt
less remembered how such things were done
under the happy reign Of John Tyler.
But while deluding their victim with visions
Of the succession, the great game of the North
ern democratic leaders was so transparent that
anybody but blind or bewildered man might
have seen through itfrom the beginning. Their
game was first to break up the republican party
through Andrew Johnson, as they broke up
the whig party with John Tyler. Next,
by fattering the South with false hopes
and false promises these Northern demo
cratic leaders calculated upon the rejec-
ton Of the scheme Of restoration cmanating
from the Thirty-ninth Congress, and upon such
democratic gains in the elections for the
Fortieth Congress as would enable them to
bring in the outside Southern States upon Mr..
Johnson's policy, and thus secure the Southern
balance Of power in the next Presidential cleo
ton. Under this plan Of operations, with the
republican party broken up, 1t was supposed
that the democracy would be strong enough to
| dispense with Johnson in 1868, as they dis
pensed with Tyler, when he had done their
work, in 1874. And this is the will-o'-the-wisp
which Mr.. johnson has been following since
the summer of 1865.
The sachems Of Tammany and the Manhattan
Club having at last played through their game
OF keno with Mr.. Johnson and the South
against Congress, and having lost, now propose
that the South foot the bill. II is apparent
that without the Southern States the democracy
has not the ghost Of chance for the next
Presidency. II is manifest that Mr. johnson
can do nothing for them-that he and they are
at the mercy Of Congress, and that unless they
accept and act upon the terms Of Congress they
will have no voice in the next Presiden.
tial election. Accordingly, intent only upon
the assistance they need from the South, the
organ of the Tammany rump drops the Presi-
dent and his policy, the Supreme Court the
constitution and State rights, and begins to
plead the plea of submission TO Congress on
the part Of the outside States-martial law,
negro suffrage, rebel exclusions, reconstruc'
ton and constitutional amendment combined.
Take anything, gentlemen, the odds are all
against you-do anything that is demanded,
and do II OF once, for We, the Northern democ.