The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-06-10
A Graphic Pen Picture.
ANDREW JOHNSON PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY AND POLL

|
of his mental makeup and character, by the accom-
plished Washington correspondent OF the New York
World, will be interesting to our readers generally
While his integrity of aim is unquestioned by all
persons who have impartialy studied his career, his
sagacitv and have sometimes been questioned by
those who estimate his worth most highly. Frank by
nature mpulsise aso he is nevertheless slow oil
| thought and deliberate in action do not mean by
this suggest that he ever hesitates IN deciding up
on a constitutional question or political principle up
these points bis decisions given with such read
iness that they seem to spring from intuitios. His
hesitataon is rather in respect TO the inen and mea
surcs necessary carry principle Into effect; and
though there may be fair difference OF opinion to
whether his public have been usually the
wisest that could be adopted it is certain that lie has
occasionally erred in his judgment ofmen.
Such errors OF judgment sometimes result partially
from peculiar fact The President is unfortunate il"
mpressing many people who have occasion to converse
with him with distrust tina: might easily lead some
men who had at first approached him with mahIfesta-
tons of real sympathy, to change their opinions OF him
afterwards and thus lead him be deceived in regard
to them The experience OF career full of Conflicts
the recollection OF having been betrayed again and
again by false friends and counseorS; aud, more than
ALL the terrible anxeties of his present office, have
gradually led him to use into what was an undemon-
strave drmeanor before certain repellng severity
His rsage in rrpoSe is mask His manner is quiet,
| unassuning, unpropitious 1t conveys to stranger
the bold intimaon, " l listen proceed with what
YOU have to say" Yet accdrnt-the slightest turn
Of a conversation-may enable person of quick per-
ceptions TO break through this crust Of reserve and
obtain some indication of the man beneath it. The
manifestation may, as remarked before, excite
easy feeling Of half disirus; for gall is Bit
ter than the subtle, singing significance that Mr.
johnson, when i'll sort of passive rage has the knac
OF giving to single word. The lmmutabties of life
are uncertain than his response to an Office
seeker or any person, high low whom be; has not
learned TO trust His impetuosity struggling out
sudden from behind its veil startles and bewders his
auditor. The onesided glimpse of the mans nature
thus revealed, is different from the of the
that it easy decide which is real and which
is false. Aud this, too, when his words, more
strongly contrasting with the expectation derived from
previous glance at his morose features kind and
rea|surlng
1t has Geen said of Mr. johnson that he has chronic
look of being bored He is bored. With patience
that few other Presidents have possessed he allows
| himself to be bored every day and every evening by
Of people who have not the shadow of reason
| able excuse for Fostering him. Hundreds of little
matters that the President knows nothing about and
has nothing directly do WITH are submitted for his
consideration. Hundreds of grievances that he cannot
alleviate, appeals tor humble positions in one OF
the executive departments that he cannot grant empty
compliments assurances which visitors offer as an
exchange for the time they occupy, are listened to
with groan 81 glr from the victim 1t is marvellous
that in the midst OF the confusion and care of the
last two weeks, Nr johnson has found leisure to listen
these applications with the imp tssve counte.
nance and manner which it is his habit to preserve
One strong trait of his character is exhibited in this
The people, great little but particularly the masses
of the people, perennally Interesting to him. He
has not only not forgotten but is freshly conscious all
the while, OF his having risen from an humble rank
His faith in the body polite is founded upon sympa
thetlc knowledge of the impulses which control them
and which he believes is not in the power of any set OF
politicians to permanently turn aside. He loves to
preserve this knowledge by constant communion with
them; and to many obscure persons who present
themselves before him and impress him favorably with
their deserts lie demeans himself more wuningy than
he does Others except his immediate personal and po-
ltica friends, In loer and snuous walks of life.
When the President receive visitor he ap-
pears to be about five feet ten inches high His frame
is massive and strong His head is broad shout
ders, that look as if they fit to bear, and had
borne, heavy loads He is dressed in black and his
black velvet vest renders noticeable the spoess shirt
trout and collar that he His aautation is per-
fectly courteous, and has further significance.
In those hours when the voice of the politician is
sent in the halls of the w he House. and there is an
interval of peace and rest he who happens to sit alone
with the President can discern something of his I'M
masked, natural self. Then he d<closes what boil
ing cauldron of EMOTION heated by steady patriotic
fame, his heart is. Then his attachment to principle
is revealed in the discussion of whatever grave sub
ject may arise. Absorbed in interesting theme
he often quits his seat and walks rapidly To aud fro
across the He talks quickly aud systematically
1t is curious TO remark that while the main idea in his
mind is as clear to it daylight, the process of rea
sonlng from the idea is slow aud ftul. He seems 10
fud it difficult first, define his thought and it's rel
hves based radiatng FROM the idea perfectly to
himself, and next, to condense Ills thought into CON
crete sentences He perseveres until be succeeded
at last i'll making it plain to his nearer. This napt
tude for condenSing into few words the instant the
thought that he desires express is probably the hie
reason why many Of Mr. John>ons txtemporaneous
speeches so open TO criticism. Give him time and
his brain, which tolls by itself systematically like
powerful machine, will evolve an argument pointed
condensed and admirable, Witness his State papers
which are CONCEDED by several of his prejudced enc
mics to be specimens of logic and dction worthy to
be compared with those OF Madison and J ferson
Mr. johnson, who is called demagogue and politi-
cal rckser by the disappointed Radicals who elected
him. is very little of partisan in theory aud alto
gether too little Of partisan in practice be mere
political leader. His trust in the people themselves
irrespective Of parties, has always been firm enough to
inspire him to disregard many of the cions which
parties impose upon members possessing less indie
pendent will and less noted individual CONVICTIONS
That NAH is demagogne truly who seeks influence
the people for his own ends Buff be for the peo-
pie, for the peoples sake and their sympathy
III behalf of policy which honestly believes 10
be the best is denagogueisin, the has sig
nihcance. Mr. Johnson, menaced and denounced un-
til recent period by almost the entire Republican and
Democratic press OF the country, found good while
ago. that the masses were the only jury he could ap
peal to; yet every sentence he has written and every
word he has spoken win from them Just recogni.
ton of the patriotic purposes of his administration
has been misinterprrted
HE PEABODY MEDAL.-The medal ordered BY the |
39th Congress for George Peabody, in consideration
OF his late munifcent gift the South for