The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-21
Laird and johnson.

POsCu VIII NC phbh6us
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Laird and Johnson.
LAIRD AND RoBBUCK are two representative
Englishmen for whom the American people
can afford to entertain certain amount of re-
speot, for they openly avowed hostility
which others felt but did not dare to express.
We have no cause to love either Of them,
however, but our official representative in
England is of a different mind, and he has ap-
parently considered that the most important
part of his mission was to seek out these men
for the purpose of assuring them that all was
forgotten and forgiven, that the building of
the Alabama was only a trifling indiscretion
which was not to be thought of in these
piping times of peace, or to beallowed to inter
fere with the Johnsoniau digestion while dis
cussipg the turtle and clsret of Laird and Roe
bucks friends. People will be unreasonable,
however, and the American people have
given Reverdy serious annoyance by
ungraciously refusing to look at
the thing in the same light that he
does; so his new friend Laird has come to the
rescue, and, by publishing the correspondence
between the American Minister and himself
relieves Reverdy from the discredit of having
made the first advances. 1t seems that Laird,
long before the Liverpool banquet, where he
was folded to Reverdy's bosom, invited John
son to visit his establishment at Birkenhead,
to see the very skids from which the Alabama
was launched, 20 hear his promises never to
do the like again-we presume this-and his
wishes for lasting peace between England
and America. On this last point we have not
the Slightest doubt about Lsird's sincerity.
Both he and Roebuck desired TO strike us
death-blow when they thought that we had
our hands so full at home that we would be
unable to defend ourselves, and neither Of
them probably have other than the most
pacific wishes at this time, when We would be
competent to meet any hostile advances on the
part of England more than halfway.
Minister Reverdy Johnson appears to have
been more than willing to accept the olive
branch which Laird held out, and while re-
GREETING that he would be unable to accept
the invitation to visit Birkenhead, he assured
the builder of the Alabama that "notwith-
standing you sympathized with my Southern
brethren during the late war, shall have
much pleasure in making your acquaintance
and to hear your sincere wishes for peace"
Perhaps we ought not to be too hard on
Reverdy Johnson; the man is getting old, and
his actions in England seem to indicate the
approach of "second childishness and mere
oblivion" He apparently went to Euglaud
under the impression that rupture between
that country and the United States was immi-
nent, and that the only means by which peace
could be preserved vas for him to conciliate our
avowed enemies and to make as many friends
for us as pOssible-a serious mistake, for the
thought of a war with the United States was
never further from the minds of Euglishmen
than 1t is at present. The American people
have been sorely afflicted with the Johnsons.
To come out of a four years civil war with the
tremendous job of reconstruction on hand, and
to have Andy fastened upon us for a Presiden-
tial term, was bad enough; but to have this
supplemented by the appointment of another
Johnson by the name OF Reverdy to the most
important foreign mission Is misery indeed.
There are q great maHy respectable men in
the country belonging to the Johnson family,
but for some years to come we shall hesitate
before We advocate the claims of any of them
to any higher office than postmaster II is
long lane which has no turning, however, so
let us bear up under our trials with the best
grace we can. Andy has but few months
more in which to trouble us, and there is very
little doubt but that his namesake Reverdy
will follow him shortly into retirement from
which we devoutly hope that neither Of them
will ever emerge.