Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-04-15

but he was never in any sense a Repub.
lican except that he was loyal to the
Union.
His career after his election Is familiar
to everybody. 1t began in the Senate
upon the 4th of March, 1865, with All ex-
hibition at which every Republican hung
his head and every Democrat sneered
Called to the head of the Government by
the death of the President he showed
himself at once an ignorant, obstinate
garrulous, prcjudiced man and was soon
engaged in violent effort to defeat the
policy Of the party that had elected him
His coarse vituperation Of Senator Sum.
ner from the steps of the White House
on Washington's birthday was another
shock to the public sense of decency and
another proof of the various misfortune
which his election had caused. The
most serious result of his Administration
however, was its effect upon rcconstruc.
ton. His words and conduct, after a
very short time, held out to the defeated
party the hope Of regaining at the polls
what 1t had lost in the field. This was
one OF the chief causes of the trouble and
confusion that have embarrassed recon.
struction. His direct endeavor to divide
the Republican party as bid for South
ern support eliminated and failed in
the Philadelphia "Arm-in. arm" Conven-
ton, which had, however, the sympathy
and support of some very honorable and
patriotic men.
The prolonged and repulsive spectacle
Of Swinging round the circle" in a
fran Wa oil, IN rtA 20 ha Mast
only confirmed the general opinion Of
his fragrant untitness for the position he
held. Impeachment followed, and, as
we think, upon inadequate grounds and
a wrong constitutional theory, and he
was acquitted. Notwithstanding his
shameful prostitution of the appointing
power to his personal purposes-a pros
titution assisted by Postmaster-Gen.
Randall, who exhorted the vast multi
tude OF his subordinates to remem-
Der to whom they owed their bread and
butter-Mr. johnson was never thought
of by any party or any person for a re-
nomination; and when he retired it was
with the fervent gratitude Of every pa
triotic man that he had not been able to
accomplish more mischief, and with the
devout resolution upon the part of Re
publicans that they would never again,
under any pretense, borrow candidate
from the Democratic party
A choleric and commonplace man, of
a loose and shambling speech, who had
shown no political ability of any kind, it
was not easy to see why, when the Dem
ocrats lately returned him to the Senate
there should have been an expectation
that he would say or do any wise thing
He has made speech full OF the old
vanity, inconsequence and solemn folly.
Like Mr.. Eaton's, it is, in itself, of no
Importance, except that he is a Demo-
crat, and that the party feeling and
tendency may he seen in what he says.
When he reached Washington he was
interviewed, and told the reporter that
the negro must be put In his place
which was to be expected of the signer
Of the Civil-Rights veto, but hardly of
the Moses" of the colored race. In his
speech he warns the country that the
President is driving rough-shod to des.
potism over the ruins of liberty and the
Government, and that he would have
made no mistakes in Louisiana if he had
only done as certain acting President,
who shall be nameless, did in Tennessee
in 1865.
Mr. Andrew johnson in the Senate is
another Of the boons that we owe to the
Democratic party. And those who have
sustained the Republican party for
years, but who have been troubled and
alienated by many later tendencies and
measures, yet who must now support the
Republican or the Democratic organiza-
ton, may well ask themselves whether
it is the part of wisdom and patriotism to
join the Democrats and march with Mr..
johnson and Mr.. Eaton, or to act with
men like Mr.. Christiancy within the Re-
publican lines. Is there nothing to do
but to insist that nothing can be done,
that the Democrats cannot be trusted,
and that the Republicans are unworthy
of trust?--Harper's Weekly.