The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-09

All accounts from Washington agree in
declaring that at the opening of tho now
Senate Andrew johnson was the central
figure. And not only was he the
most marked man on the occasion
but he was the most popular one
Such a strange fact furnishes some food
for thought. The lesson which it teaches,
however, is an old one. Perhaps there
never was a public man who excited. such
partisan hatred as Andrew Johnson. He
was absolutely overwhelmed with a storm
of popular indignation and swept away like
a wreck. He came into Office IS
vice president, with the enmity of
the rebels and the distrust
his republican supporters by unfortunate
- incoherency" on the day OF his inaugura-
ton. For short time after the assassina-
ton of Lincoln an effort was made by bis
political associates of that period TO act in alli
ance with him, but he broke through every
show OF false peace and took his stand alone
in defense of his convictions. He was with
out party and the political organization
which regarded him as a traitor to it was
then omnipotent. 1t deprived him of COM
maud over the army. It maintained
cabinet. It turned out his friends
from Office and established his foes.
1t walked over his veto messages and trod
his policy into the dust, and finally it put
him on trial for bis political life. He had
narrow escape. Every epithet in the Ian
.guage, every Islander that wit or malice could
invent, was hurled at him. It seemed to be
the determination to bury him with ObiOduv.
Yet he remained firm, mistaken. he was
determined to abide by his opinions, no
matter how the heather might rage. He
had an abiding faith that his policy of recon-
struction was the only just and noble policy,
and he would not forgo that conviction for
the sake of party power or personal
popularity. His course may have
been a piece Of political folly. but
it was the finest exhibition of
self-sustained and independent manhood
that this generation has seen. In an age
when politicians bend like reeds before
every breeze of popular anger, such an un-
shaken fidelity to principle was something
TO look back on with admiration. And
now, after seven years of retirement,
Andrew Johnson steps forward before the
nation again. His return to public service is
welcomed from one end OF the Union to
the other. A glad, genial greeting goes out
to the old man from former friend and foe.
Why is this? Ii is partly because the
people recognize that they were wonder
fully unjust in their passion of half
a dozen years ago. 1t is partly
because they see that the reconstruc-
lion policy which was then esteemed the
perfection OF philanthropy and statecrsft
has proved q miserable iailure-the nurse
of fraud, sedition and murder-and there
has come upon the public mind doubt as
to whether Andrew Johnson's stubborn
ness was net after all founded upon wise
forethought, and not upon native obstinacy.
And, last of all, it is because, in an era OF
dishonesty, cowardice and lawlessness, we
are glad to bail again the honest
man, the faithful servant OF the
people, the slave of conscience, the
champion of the cons tuition. He may
be obstinate and hot healed, but he is not
ard a knave, and we are sick for a
ge. few years ago the present
or from Tennessee undertook, as presi-
ajourney through the chief cities OF
orth with the design of winning back