Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-05-14
from Blackwood's Magazine Tor April ]
THE ENGLISH VIEW OF PRESIDENT
Johnson.

we ar not, therefore, to b9 surprised
that Andrew JJln3jO sllreS tho comm pn
lot OF his p Q | cs5sors, an ! tha, he has gone
out Off 80 with even fewsr friends than
usually falls to tbs share of men who have
once been emneat and powerful 10 demo-
cratic republic. For At least two years
before the expiry of his term, Mr.. John ton
was, next to General liter, the mjst u1-
popular IN IN in Ansrc1--nI: alone in the
North, ag inst the principles of which he
set himself 10 violent an,Ayon.sn, but in the
South which in his tArdy AMI biund sring
though honest way, hj eId5avored to be-
friend. Bat we oa oar side of the Allan
tic, looking without passion, but with great
interest, at the course OF eventS-pldcing
olrselyes as it We're, il tn position OF that
Impartial pos.edty which in A n5ricL itself
shall yet julgs the deeds of Aldrew John
son, aud free from all tho heats aud bitter
n.ss ei gendered ont Of the Civil War and
the clash Of opin on on the question Of negrO
slavery-are better able 10 take an unbias-
ed Wow of Mr.. JOhnsOn's Presidency, and
to prOnouce upon hit1 verdict not likely
to be very diif-rsnt ftom that which ths
Americans themselves will pass quarter
o. century hence.
NJ President, not even excPp ing Mr..
l. nco II had gran der OPP ttnnities. When
power then ulimpaired by ihs action of a
10 .lous and Ii slile Lsgisla ure the Union
was DE- jure restored. Gs, sl Lee hal laid
down hIs arms, K chmond was in posse S on
o. General Gran, and there was not South
era soldier in arms to d spu the victory of
the n nth, CT to ass, 1T tn It IL WAS her
than final. Had Mr.. Lincola b,sn spar
ed, there is every -oDability, cons dering
/ tn generosity of his CHARACTER and the kind
" humanity of his nature, that he would
b We accept d the ac'. Mr.. ] hnstn was
MT ca Ial to the occasion, aud the au 'aciiy,
or il may be said the 'uius, to b1 50 SPLEEN
dolly p, litic. Tae cruel murder of Mr..
l. nc In ex .ited 50 violent a rage against
the defeated iuth, whoss chiefs and lead
ers were stupdly accused By the War S &c
retary, Mr.. Stanton, OF having abetted aud
instigated it, that be who, in his high place
OF vantage, aud with his superior knowledg''
OF the Southern character-beiug himself a
SOutl erner-should have endeavOred TO
/ uusll end to resist II, 70 nentea the fame OF
unreas s0ning wrath, aud without the 81 glt-
est warrant accused seven high-minded gen
tlemen, AS iunlce of murder as himself,
o. completely in the f0ulrst crime Of the age.
He puL the price Of blood upon their hea Is
and in stead Of building bridge of gold to
aid the fight Of the Southern President, in
volved him in the charge of assassination as
we'll ss in shat of treason, aud did his best
to capture a man whom IL was better 10 ev-
ery ssnss tO allow to escape, lest the Gov
ernment Of the United States should be
stultid cd. and the doctrine OF the right OF
secessioa be affirmed by the highest legal
authority. 10 the trial also of the unhlppy
Mrs. SGrratt, whose ou'y crime was the
knnwledgs that her son intended to do sime
thing wrong, she knew not WhAt-and o.
moor Doctor Muid-whlse only crime was
the setting Of the broken log Of a man whom
he knew to bs flying for his life, but whom
he did not know at the time to have commit
ted murder-Mr. JOhnsol's conduct was no
that of an umimpassioned chief magistr tte
but of a partisan and time-seryer. InS
evidence az zlinst Mrs. Surratt was su9orneo
and she and her luckless associates were
convicted on the testimony OF peuurer'
viler and more blood d-thirsty than Wilkes
Booth himself, for be WAS mad, AMI the
, were cool aud sane. NJ. JOlp'Ol, we
might, ia the exercise Of his p'erogatiVr
have cOmmuted the sentence OF MIS- Snrfa'
10 IMPRISONMENT for life, MT only allowed
tbe law 10 take its course, and stained th'
his orieal page Of the great Civil war
! Otherwise SO pure, with the blood Of guilt
less woman, but he refused even to hear tn
uiteous appeals for mercy of her heart
broken daughter, who threw herself on IN
J door steps Of the White House, demente
D by her sorrow, to get speech OF him. IN
; fact l.. he oyerdid tho task Of severity whic
= Inc had set himself 10 do, Ia the hope Q
0 making himself tho hero OF the yind .ctlY
D Norlh' Bat the North was not so vindic ~
o "a he thought, aud dislrusted the z ztal whic
0 was so little tempered with discretion.
0 or A like character with this mistake
o estim lte of Northern opinion was his refer
} tion ia office OF the Revolutionary CAoint
appointed by his predecessor. Ol assnmin
,, tbs Presidency he had a clear right, and
was his bounden duty, to associate.with hin
1t self. in the conduct Of the goyernmen
II advisers Of his own way Of thinking, wh
would have aided, and not III yArted, th
N nolicy which no WAS determined TO pursue
If within a week or month afler he beeau
President. he had dismissed the very al
popular Mr.. Secretary Stanton, and thTie
unnonnlar. hut by no means greatly admit
aA ar implicitly trusted, Nc. Seeretal
seward. AMI some Of the dangerous inesp
hIs WHO composed the majority Of the "a
% incl. ana gathered around him men ot !
oEn choice and party, the olntry woul
N asa matter Of course, have lotSp N ~
accepted the charge. and would ~ al -, -
ability have applAuded him iot his ,o,s ','' =
e aud Independence. Bat he ali9s 10 =" onsr,i
nortanity 10 pass. lie retained his onSu,'
Ct pnI iutewarm friends in their plac'
Ia Ia though one OF them, M stanton. -, was . !
OF tlt,, oSnoxions 10 himself ard the u
he ,bn ain believed 10 the doculHs o. ~, ~,
IA r,ghts az the CONVERSIONS OF tho OVnss''
,ioa@fearful, to all appearance SneS Si,SSi
-, 49, 10 have boen afraid. al 'n'hul
,bs Coagressioaal m'jlri'y lis error