National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1868-06-05

friends here are of a sort that leav.
ing the President, their next friend
in point of rank il a barkeeper OF
gambler. It is this medley Of men
that is said to turn to the Constitution
like a pilot to his compass. Full Of
smatteTings OF characters, he has
bUDCled his way to eminence sheer
y by the power Of words over igno-
rance, and he believes now that he
Is the closest constitutional LAWYER,
the greatest stump speaker, the au-
thor Of the best policy, and the
most popular public man in the
nited States. lie is displeased
with Mr.. GrOeebeek for aa1ine thoe
! Ie dOnt know much. Johnson, it
/ is said, requested Nelson to meet all
the points made against this policy
by the Managers of the House,
whether the other counsel agreed or
not. It was all the latter could do
to keep Nelson off the floor.
JOHNsOS's FAMILY AND CABINET.
The Presidents mansion has
probably as queer set Of people
now in it as ever constituted the
court of Old Fritz's father, or of
any crowned Bru nswicker. First,
there is Patterson. the sonin-law,
who, it is commonly reported, takes
his meals in the kitchen, having
been sent away fiom the family ta-
hle. He spends nearly the whole
day in rolling from bar room to bar
room. Half a block is long stretch
for Patterson to make without Il
f'rtsheuer. How this man came to
the Senate is a marvel ineXplicable,
except by the greater marvel of
johnson. His wife Is good wo-
man indeed, the ladies of this ad
mini7tratiOn have never committed
any foolish thing.
Jerry Black, who used to smoke
his cigars in the Presidents pres.
ence, goes around the streets with
his grizzlcd curls, and grimly says
johnson is a fool.
Gideon WCllcS goes out on horse
back every afternoon. looking like ii
gray dcryish. He likes the lazy en-
joyment of Office, and would not de
sert johnson though he should turn
Mormon, provided Wclles could
keep his position.
kau@all, the Postmaster, is a gen
uine politician, and he is on the
street much of the time, betting up
johnson stock.
McCulloch attends to his business.
and shares with Stanbery about all
the responsibility Of the adminiatra
ton.
AS to Mr.. Seward, he stays at
home of nights drinking sherry,
kindly furnished by Marshal Muir
ray, his appointee in New York,
and projecting new chapters in his
history OF the State Department.
Fred. Seward, his son, has long
been getting together materials for
the life Of his father. The old gen
tleman has been downcast these six
weeks, but he still entertains the
notion that he will be able to patch
up new party out of malcontent
| Republicanism, with The general
platform Of more empire, much fu-
turc, and everybody happy, Seward,
Of course, being the centre and sun
Of happiness. He has begun to
Tebelieyc in his star, whose transit
across the disc of the White House
viii follow Grants administration.
At least he thinks so. Mr.. Seward
is a more comprehensive man than
Johnson, but much quaintcr and
! Odder. He loves to eat and drink
and talk gcnteelly, and on full
stomach to indite huge briefs about
the State. His highest conception
of political action are occasional
surprises, which of themselves ex-
cite the State, and then Seward,
leaving other people to meet these
new issues, relapses into good DIN
ners and soft authorship. His tricks
of State are all imposing ones--not
mere sleights of hand, but tcats of
astrology. 1t is not impOssibl nat
Alaska attracted him because it was
a nursery of canvas back ducks.