Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-03-27

BE- Ills aTetief to those who are best aC-
quaintrd with the circumStance afaAn-
drew Johnson's conduct, aud IL will he
n relief to the country, to believe that
AN ekplanati0n ,bf HE eccentricitips
may be found, SHIRT af, the conviction
th'.t he isgnilty ofa deliberate, wilful,
wicked attempt TO overthrow the gov
crfinheft That Explanation isfurhish-
ed byitlie theory that he is. and long
has, been, partihl la insane. Many facts
tend to establish this AS the true inter
pretation or his tortuods course. An
drew johnson IS remarkable man.
Born in aindigent ocifculiistances,, and
never aying cnjoyeil any, advantages
of education, IL is said that he was even
taught t. write by his wife, after their
marriage For Il man setting out thus
I'm life to reach the position, atihliddle
aye, ri n Senator o the United States,
shows him to be possessed of More than
ordinary capacity. The Industry and
perseversnea OF Me-. Johnson, and the
ability which he displayed, cdmnaaued
respect and a,lmiration. When the
civil war, broke out, he took the side of
Ills country, and soon became man OF
mark In tlAe barrier State In " hicif he
resided. siIe Was thrown into a Whifl
Of continual excitement, well caleulat-
cd to disturb the equilibrium OF the
brain. The habits OF Ills section of tile
country inregard to hquor are fee, and
le,was not an exception to them. His
Intense loyalty prevented q very close
scrutiny of his conduct by his friends
while lie was Governor of Tenriessce ;
buthis speeches aud his official ameas.
ares Were characterized BY great yio.
lence. sf.
With the extraordinary spectacle
presented ON the secession or Mr. john
sons sinauguration as vice.president,
tile world 10 familiar. Our own citi,
zens,, as well as the representatives of
foreign governments who were present,
locked upon IL In astonishment. But
there prevails, almost universally, ! out
side Of those who were, eye7witpesses,
% mistaken notion of the circumstances
OF that event. According to tile most
trustworthy evidence, Mr. johnson was
ltol-+as he Is genemily v supposed to have
been--int,xicatedr When he took the
oath of office and made his Inaugural,
tion speech. Ten. Banks and other
distinguished public men, who were
very near To him. and had the best pos
sible opportunity of seeing everything
that passed. have stated that the man
ner of Mr.. Johnson gave no indications
whatever that he had been drinking.
This fact only increased tire surprise aiid
wonder nt his most inappropriate and
incoherent remarks. The late Preston
King said that I've had been with Mr..
johnson thatiday, and that Mr.. John
son had taken. hut "a single glass of
wine; he was sure of this he had been
SC. constantly In his presence that Mr..
Johnson could not have taken more
without his knowing IL. Mr.. King
said that Mf. Johnson's mind was inn,
paired hy the great excitement to which
he had been subjected and that was
the reason that d single glass Of wine
affected him so Much But, asiwe have
stated; others, who were very near him,
saw no effect of the wine upon his man
ncr or delivery at all. His speech or
February I'D, 1856, from the steps OF
the White House, sin wlsich he cnarae-
terixed Mr. Forney asa "dcad duck =,
seemed too low, u piece of buffoonery to
eniafinte from u SANE President But
that afforded much less clear evidence
of insanity than his denunciation of
Chasles Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens
as men, who sought to compass his
death by assassination. This was clear
iy ati Illusion this was unmistak ably
insanity. AbMlt the time that this oc-
CURED, and for some time afterwards,
there was rumor generally prevalent
al Washing ton that Mr. johnson WINS
labOring under AN insane apprehension
that he would Ice poisoned Il and that
for this reason, and to- guard against
such q danger, he caused all his food To
be very carefully examined before par.
taking OF it. THE whole country re.
menlbers his swinging round the cir
Gle. II that wns NOT an exhibition of
an insane man, what was 1t? Would
any President of the United States, im
Isis sober senses. travel through the
breadth of the land, denoancinga u co,
ordinate BRANCH of the Government
In such harsh, vulgar, and abusive lam
guage IA Mr.. johnson constantly APP.
piled to Congress? Would any sane
President, instead OF quietly making q
removal Of such public officers as .lIe
had a right To remove, precede an Or
dinary exercise OF executive authority
by n journey away out To St. Louis, 10
proclaim to ap nsionished crowd, ~
triH Kick them Outjust as .fastus 4 con ?,'
Tf you wish 10 fully realize just how
Presidential n performance that was,
try to iii,agine George Washington do
ing i'll What has caused, Mr.. John.
sons insanity? He has been subjected
10 Intense aid long continued excite
liienf. Wine may have lfad los part;
and the disrepatal,le pardon hrokerage
lsusine~s points t0 other iDdulgences; |;
while those who are acquainted with
the sigiIs of that most seductive of all
agencies of excitement and inadness,
fancy that they see in the peculiar roll,
aadiglare, and frenzy Of his eve, the
expression az opium;I g,,s..u !.
Poor Carlotta's was not the only
brain that has given way under tile
weight of dearly attained place, and
power ~ The familiar history of SOW
ereigns shows how nearly associated
are the palace and the fnsidhotise. -
Preston King, d true patriot, was Press
ident J0llDson 'ssuIost trusted COUNSEL
lor, and, without official position, occu-
pied at Mr.. Johnson q request, for some
time, apartments In the White House
,iently consulted subsequently,, Mr..
the Office OF Collector. 7rhe pressure or
the political excitement and compiler
ti0ns, and Of his-sHew official duti. 9,
proved too much fUFghis intellect. He
was himself the first to realize the
painful, Dreadful truth; he told his
friends that he was insane; THAT al.
though they did not perceive 10, he
knew that he was craxyi aud he veri-
fled his statement by tyinga bag of lead
to his neck and piunging fiito the North
River. from the bottom Of W hicli many
montlis afterwards. his dead body arose.
We suggest, not to Mr. Johnson that
lie should commit suicide, hut TO the
able aud distinguished COUNSEL who we
are glad to hear have been retained 10
defend him, that they take into serious
consideration the expediency OF inter
posing to the articles Of. Impeachment
the plea OF INSANITY. The sentiment
of justice which pervades the pe0plede,
mands that the President should be
fairly tried. We see no probability
that any defense except that Of insanf-
W ear be successfully y made. y Ifacqait-
tad (yAi this urOa ll<l.g fha, pfonlden ,s0uld