Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-11-26
OUR DISTINGUISHED nrsEsrEE.

Hon. REvERDY JOHNSON, at present
Minister at the Court of st. James, and
who entered upon his duties 81 that
Court amid an eclst such rs hes rarely
attended the departure Of any Minister
from the United States, has placed him.
self in a petition not at all e~nviable, and
occupying which he is q shining mark
for the sneers and ridlcule Of the North
ern press, and the contempt OF the
Southern Democratic press. Neither his
sttsinments as a statesman and 3 law
yer, among the most profound in the
country nor his past services ia the halls
of Congress and the Legislature OF Ma
ryland, are any shield Of defence against
the blows that are falling thick and fast
upon his reputation.
By merely shaking the hard Of LAIRD,
the celebrated builder and owner Of
bIockaders, he has incurred the HOSTILE
ty Of the Radical press, who realize
in this simple act g recognition Of the
Southern Confederacy, the 'IOst cause"
piracy, rebellion and al the other norri-
bic things that disturb the peaceful SUM
bers Of the dwelieTs on Beacon street,
Boston, and Fifth Avenue, New York.
Visions Of the terrible SEsiGEs, as be
was painted by Yankee illustrators,
Wsxed mOustaohe aud ali, arise between
them and their dinners, as they contem-
plate this Misunderstanding between LAIRD
aud His Excellency the American Min
istor. That the representative OF loyalty
should befCul his loyal hRnds-represent-
ing as they do the hands o. the truly
loyal Of the ~nstion-by contact with the
original owner OF the Alsbama, is s crime
only less heinous than that wherewith
Admiral SEMMEs himself is charged and
LAIRD abetted with his money ana his
John Bull pluck and energy.
But worse aud more serious for us to
entertain, Is the announcement by tele-
graph that in giving his experience before
q select circle OF English "dinsTa-out,"
many.O OF them among the leading poliii-
clans Of the British Island, our excellent
Southerner expressed himself CT the opin.
ion that the negro Is as susceptible of Cd
ucstion ne the white msn 10 other words,
that be is fnlly as good, with the white
mans opportunity. Aud thi. he fortified
by telling his staring audience that he
had practiced law for negroes in Mary
laud, and in that way came to know and
understand their brain calibre and to
measure their stock Of original sensi-
bility.
By what sort of hoeus pocus the Brit
ons managed to make an Exeter Hall
declsimer OF His Ezcsiieney the Ameri-
can Minister, 10 so short 8 time, will new
or, probably, be known bayond the linn
its o. those who enjoy the patent for
" that sort Of thing" Certain it is t4at
they accomplished il, and 80 saturated
the old man eloquent " that he laid par
ticular stress upon the fact Of his being
6 S0utherner, whose judgment of the
must be taken cum gTano sails.
But, while thus he is jeopardizing his
credit with the people OF both sections
by his indiscreet speeches, it is only fair
to say that he is, by his attention to The
high duties Of his position, fast healing
the wounds made by tho war, and is
sustaining the national spirit by q ster.
ling pluck combined with an oId-tiEae
Of that with our Eng-
iish cousins forms no iaeonsidsrable nor
lion OF the stock in trade Of ell their
diplomats. Not unlike a genuine Briton
In his personal appearance, he possesses
much Of the manner that distinguishes
hist buriy parsonage, and ss the sequel :
proves, has absorbed 50 much OF the
yo0d-helloW feeling that results from
beef a1d rare old port, !
hat he has, while the ct Of generosity /
on, pledged himself TO every shade {
II opinion from Exeter-Hall black to .
he truly loyal blue. This is his condi- I
iition at and after dinner. In his Office,
where be can catch slook of the " fag,n
becomes JONATHAN again, and "goesu
or the Alabama claims, LAIRD and all. 4
A very old statesman, shrewd and @
PRACTICAL, Mr.. JOHNSON has lived TO !
that it is possible for a man to pass /
lis reputation in the decline of life, and )
o become garrulous or susceptible to COM I
'liments that be should permit to pass :
lnnoticed. He should have been more y
than to permit the Euglish fan d