The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-07-08
Johusou aud Grant,

When a man makes public speech
many men hear him, and there will be
corrections OF any misrepresentation of
what he said. But when a single re-
porter gives his account of private
"interview" he bas the ground all to
himself. We do not know how accurate
may be the version which the Herald's
correspondent furnishes of Mr.. JOHN
SONS remarks about GRANT. There is a
good deal of Mr.. JoHNsoN's manner,
and good deal of truth in them, The
style of illustration that marks Western
humor, with which LINCOLN and JOHN
son have made us familiar, appears
very happily in this image of the Presi-
dents soul, at sea in hazel nut
But fear for the country when such
q man is likened to the Father of his
Country. Physically and mentally and
morally he is a nonentity. Why, sir,
his soul is so small that you could put
it within the periphery of q hazel nut
shell, and it might float about for a
thousand years without knocking
against the walls of the shell. That's
| the size of his soul. Just look at the
man sitting at Cabinet council. He
has no idea, no policy, no standard, no
creed, no faith. How can he guide the
people? How can he impress any great
improvements or moral ideas upon the
natiou7 He has no object to look for
ward to-no leading aim to draw the
people towards any particular end.
One member has bought him a house
in Philadelphia, another has given him
SIS, 900, another has given him car
riage, and so OH. Ii is degrading to the
office of President of the United States
to have such man there. They talk
about his generalship. We'll, he was a
mere incident of the war. Men and
arms were supplied in abundance, and
his forces were so massive that they
simply crushed out the rebellion. 1t
would have been done had Grant never
been born. Therefore he was mere in.
cident. But the little fellow has csme
to think he is somebody, really.
Nobody is better entitled than Mr..
JOHNSON to speak his mind Of GRANT.
The latter first assumed the character of
tricky politician in his dealings with
his then official superior. Playing fast
and loose, he came very near alternating
both parties, and only the necessities of
the Radicals compelled them to take
him as their candidate. 1t was
part of their bargain that he
should help to crush Mr.. JOHN
son. SO just before the Chicago nomina-
ton, the whole weight of GRANTS char
acter, military and political, was cast
in the scale to turn the votes of the Sen
atorial judges against the President, in
the impeachment. GRANT, the candi-
date for the Presidency, began to can
vass for votes among his partisans !
The Radical press announced it in fam
ing capitals. The New York Tribune
said:
We have assurances from Washing
ton that General Grant finds it not in
consistent with his duty as soldier, to
Announce it as his opinion that the
only hope for the peace of the country
ia the success of tho impending impeach-
ment trial. When the General
of our army entertains this conviction,
there is no room for doubts as to the
duty of the Senate.-Tribune, -Aprii ),
! 1868.
In the whole impeachment infamy, we
remember nothing more infamous than
this, when we consider the nature of the
case and the tribunal trying it, aud the
official character of the man who thus at
tempted to sway the course of justice.
He failed, however, ignominiously; be
did not crush Mr.. JOHNSON who now
has his turn, and uses it, without re-
spect for persons. He certainly knows
General GRANT we'll; during his whole
military career, Mr.. JOHNSON was
part of TIE government, and his esti-
mate of his successor will take its place
in history, and outweigh, perhaps, the
purchased eulogias of the Court scribes,
s.who flatter the military President.-4ge.