New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-01-18
4 POLITICAL PLACEM4N

Mr. johnson is like the proprietor OF W ar
rcn's Backins-"he keeps pOet.' The lau-
rcate of the White House is that ancient con
sumcr of public pap, Mr.. Il. Il. French, who
not only is good enough to superintond the
public buildings, but also to build the lofty
rhyme, and melodiously secure for the Prcsi-
dent a decasylabc Immortality. Ii Achilles
had his Homer. and Kncas his Marc, and the
Devil his Milton, there seems 10 be no reason
why Andy johnson should not have his i. IL.
Frcnch-a bard who ought Ia know a great
man when he sees him, especially when tho
great man has n bowl of cruel in his hand. In the
hot weather of last June, Mr. Fronchs apprecia-
ton of Mr. JohnsOns nobility of nature became
so excessive that he burst into song and was de
livcrcd of about fifty couplcts, all Of them
of that kind which neither gods nor men
are popularity supposed to relish. This produc-
ton Mr.. French has very properly printed; ii
would have been quite waste of good thing
if he had kept il in his drawer, and both the
rhymer and his master might have been dead
before the expiration of the Horaiian period in
which case we do not sec how the verses could
have been of any value 10 ANYBODY except the
picman and the paper-maker. The knob of Mr..
French's heroic lines is parallel between An
drew Jackson and Andrew Johnson, of which We
must say that the latter has Ivy far the neatest
and most elaborate culogiums. This is right
enough. Andrew Jackson is dead, and can give
no pudding for praises Andrew johnson is the
live liOn:=
Where Jackson stood now doth another stand
The favOrd ruler OF our iayor'd land"
We shall make no attempt at jill elaborate
commentary, but we should like to inquire
whether Mr.. johnson is considered ms favored"
because he is able to "standp whether tho
standing is TO be regarded as miracle due TO
the special iptcrposiion of Divine ProvidonceH
or whether the natural thing would be for the
President TO fall DOWN. Mr.. French seems, in
deed, TO think the perpendicularity Of the Pres
ident so wonderful that he Immediately recurs
to it,
Again:
"who firme3 stood among the loyal few"
Once more:
"our second Andrew, who all hearts had won,
Stood n tho helm"
Thus it will be Seen that, in the opinion Of
this fine old minstrel. the President has re-
markabe talent for standing. Circumstances
which have occurred since last June would seem
to indicate that his genius for running is not
equally great; and If, after standing all this
time, he wishes to take back seat we arc
quite sure that nobody will make tho least OBJ
lection.
Poets are sometimes prophets, but not always.
For instance, last June, Mr. French mounted his
tripod, and predicted things with an enthusi-
asm bordering upon recklessness. l.. g.:
"The end apprenticeship sublime event,
The people rallying to their President"
AS the rallyins" has been rather than else the
other way, the Bard of the White House, we are
afraid is now in bad repute rs Il seer; although
we observe no mention made of his having
been ignominiously kicked out rs an impostor.
1t is well for him, perhaps, that his position
saves him from those particular manifestations
of popular feeling which have been 50 Literally