The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-08-09
The Poor Mars Friend.

From me L0utspHte C0urtsr.Jour nat.
Writing Of Andrew Johnson, the most
observant of chroniclers, Charles Dickens,
said in 1862 II was very much surprised
by the presidents face and manner. Il
is, in its way. one of the most remarkable
faces l have ever seen, not imaginative,
but very powerful in its frmness Tor per-
haps obstinacy) strength Of will and stead
mess of purpose. There is a reticence 10
it, too, curiously at variance with that first
unfortunate speech of his A man not to
be turned or trifed with A man, should
say, who must be killed to be got out Of
the way. His manners perfectly COM
posed. There was an air of chronic ankle
~ upon him; but not crease or ruttie 10
his dress. and his papers were as composed
as himself" During the last ten years OF
his life he carried himself like one used to
command, and, though often decisive, was
not wanting in very fine and rare self
possession. Originally it was easier to stir
him up TO anger than to move him to
laughter. He made many efforts to over
come this tendency, and toward the end his
outbursts of passion were neither frequent
nor conspicuous. His mirth, however,
was never violent, expressed for the most
part in grim humor about the lips and in
the eyes. Dickens does not exaggerate
his personnel. 1t was altogether marked,
and but for a certain sullen shadow, which
at times darkened his countenance, it
would haye been nnexceptionable. No
one could meet him without receiving
a distinct impression. He was the
last of men to be slapped on the back or
treated with lcvity. Even when a poor,
up-country politician, he was serupulously
neat in his attire, punctillous in exactlng
courtesy for himself, and meeting no one
halfway. Andrew johnson had no private
life. By nature reticent and secretive,
rarely communicative even to his familiars,
he took the people en- HldSSe into his con-
fidence and talked necessarily to them of
himself, his hopes and schemes, his mo-
tives and purposes, He was the only
politician who has appeared in our time
whose belief in universal suffrage equaled
his professions. No man was so sincere,
because no one was so isolated and so self
contained as he was in his reliance upon
popular sovereignty. When president of
the United States he was still at heart the
poor clod who had risen from the tailor S
bench 1t was next to impossible for him
to credit the good will of his peers. He
looked upon himself as the representative
of prescribed class, and held those whom
he placed on social level above that which
he occupied as his natural enemies.
The story that he was ever genial and
sunny must be taken with allowance.
There has been no time these five and
twenty years that he has not been Cypress.
ed by q certain brooding spirit. This he
did not try to repel. He was often com
placent; seldom cheerful His life was a
constant battle against odds, which he re.
fused to combat with otler than warlike
appliances. But he depended solely on
himself and the people, in whom
collectively, his faith was absolute. He
was unable to see how they coulC
eyer desert him; and he died feeling that
if his name should ever be submitted tt
popular verdict he would be recalled
to the chief magistrate by an overwhelm.
ing majority of his fellow-citizens. He
owed nothing to the politicians, and wa:
almost equally independent of parties. He
had no friends among his peers, between
whom and himself a most cordial dislike
existed. His friends were young men o.
obscure men; but these were admitted t
to few or none of his secrets. His secret
he reserved for the people. Away dowr
in his nature somewhere there was child
like simplicity; a tender, compassionate
and real sympathy for suffering; REBEL
ious spirit of resistance to tyranny an,
wrong, which, had the circumstances of hi
life been gentler, and had his better trait
received early training might have deve
oped more lovable, as we'll as a more he
roic, character. A more upright ma
might not be found rudely direct; III
couthly disingenuous; inaccessible to ven;
approaches: a true friend of his countr!
to the extent that he realized its wants an
understood the duties that should guide
citizen whose whole soul and mind wei
devoted to the public service. The deaf
ofthe ex-president may be said to hay
come to pass at an opportuue moment f,
his fame. 1t was hardly possible for hi
to realize the expectations of the COUNT
in the renewal of his senatorial caree
His triumph last March was measure
poetic justice; but with it there lowered
menace which he was little like to hee
1t may be written upon his tomb, He W
the poor mans friend" Every pulse of b
heart kept time to homely music. tie h;
nothing in common with the rich and gre
and will be lamented chiefly by the hui
bic, over whom he exerted an influence u