The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-09
Andy JOhnson's Farewell Address.
From The ". Y. Herald.

From The ". r. Herald.
Messrs. f. w. Coggill, William H. Appleton,
and half dozen other persons having written
letter to President Johnson asking the privi-
lege of presenting his name ''to the Demo-
cratic Convention as candidate for the office
of President of the United States," he has in
timated that "Barkis is willin'," that is, 'if
deemed desirable for the preservation and
unity of the conservative interests of the
country" But he wants "a call so general
and unequivocal' that it will amount to an
endorsement of his course by the people, and
he thinks "that in the present temper ef par
ties" no such endorsement can be reasonably
expected.
MIR. Johnson then proceeds to philosophi-
cal review of the present political condition Of
things, which gives to his historical letter the
character somewhat Of q farewell address after
the fashion of George Washington aud Andrew
Jackson. pretty good address it is too;
and it GENES to the windward within hailing
distance of the Democratic platform. Among
other things which he has vainly tried to do
against a two-thirds vote of each house of
Congress, he mentions his efforts to check eX-
travagant expenditures and to tighten the bur
dens OF taxation. And all this time he has
been like John Tyler, or like Rome, "when
Caesar had party, and POmpey and
monwealth had none" But while Mr..
Johnson has had to fight a radical Con-
gress since the close of the war, and has
had to bear and suffer many things in silence
for the sake OF the people, he says, "l cannot
complain if the people have not been able to
make my cause thoroughly their own" But
until the people wake up to the extravagant,
reckless, and oppressive partisan schemes of
Congress, "the nation will have to be content
with delusive hopes and promises of better
times" That is as true aS Gospel. Mr.. John
sons views upon this important matter are
seasonable and well put. The people must
wake up, or they ale gone. Like a true phi
losopher, while he is not very sanguine of the
immediate approach of the millennium, Gin
the present temper of parties," and while he
is Gin the hands OF the people (including this
Democratic Convention) and at their disposal" {"
be thinks, in any event, he can look calmly on
the present course of events, and patiently
await the verdict of the future" SO he can,
and SO, we hope, he will. He thinks that Old
Thad. Stevens and Ben. Butler and the radicals
generally, in the late impeachment, "have
done the worst that faction can do for the
present;'' from which it is evident that
honest Andy" is not much frightened by
these new Impeachment resolutions. Finally,
he expresses the hope to the Democracy that
in the selection of their candidate ''the public
good and leading and well-defned principles
will not be sacrificed to the mere purpose OF
party ascendancy." In modest way this is
an appeal against Pendleton and any man OF
that type, and a strong hint in favor of some
such constitutional conservative as Johnson,
Chase, DoOlittle, or Dixon.
In a word, while this letter of Mr.. Johnson s
is dignifed bid for the Democratic nomina-
tion it is at the same time warning to the
Democratic Convention, and in reading it we
are reminded of another philosophers beauti.
full and consoling words-"blessed is he who
don't expect anything, for he shall not be dis
appointed"