Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-08-17
GRANT GAINED THEM |
AN INCIDENT OF JoHNSoN'S FAMOUS
SWING AROUND THE CIRCLE.

= Painful Spectacle Which the Gen.
1 eraI Brought q Close by Forcing
the TumuItuoUs Crowd to Listen to
the President.
There is nothing in history that cor
| responds to that wonderful swing OF
President Johnson from Washington to
| Chicago by way of Robin Hoods barn.
Mr. Johnson planned the trip with in
finite cunning. He prided himself on
being commoner, and he believed
that he understood the people and
that if he could meet them face to face
he could convince them that the presi-
dent was right and congress wrong. To
get the love of the people he carried
with him General Grant, Admiral Far
ragut, Secretaries Seward, Welles and
Randall, General Custer and other men
we'll known to the people He reason
ed that, accompanied by the popular
idols of the day, he would be sure of
enthusiastic reception everywhere. That
was all that he asked. Give him n
big crowd, and he was confident that
he could win them over.
The president started from Wash
ington with chip on his shoulder. The
very fist crowd he met knocked it off
without cGSemony. 1t soon became
clear the People were in a resentful
mood, and after two or three clashes
some of Mr.. JohnSon's best friends
recommended a change of programme.
Many believed that the president, see
ing the mood of the people, would
yield, but they didn't know the man.
/ had seen him face all sorts of crowds
while he was military governor of
Tennessee. 1 had heard him scold the
leading citizens of Nashville as he
would a lot OF school children; had
seen him, when a mob threatened his
life, stride out into the street and
march the full length of the city at the
head of n procession, carrying the stars
and stripes, and 1 knew that he would
relish keenly a scrap with those who
defied him.
At one point a crowd of $4,000 people
had gathered, mainly to see Grant,
Farragu and Seward. There was ire
mendous enthusiasm over the party,
and the president was elated. But
when he rose to speak the crowd boot
ed and Kissed and set up n great shout
for Grant. The people had seen through
the presidents scheme and were turn
ing the tables on him by using Grant
and Farragut to humiliate and punish
him. The president saw the strategy
of the move, and he was as furious as
he was helpless. In every interval of
quiet he would attempt to speak, but
every word he uttered would be lost in
the thunder of the shouts for Grant.
1t was n painful spectacle, and every
body was embarrassed. The crowd
would not listen to the chairman or
any other local celebrity.
General Custer, then at the height of
his popularity. stepped forward in his
dramatic, imperious way. believing
that he could quiet the tumult. The
crowd was friendly, but it howled him
down, and the dashing cavalryman
took his seat, with the remark that he
would like to clear the grounds with a
brigade of cavalry,
Johnson, looking down on the tumult,
saw smiling, contemptuous faces, but
no hatred. He turned to Grant, who
had retired TO the rear of the platform,
and said petulantly, General, you will
have to speak to Them
General Grant said decisively, 81 will
not"
Then the president said, more gra-
ciously, Wont you show yourself,
general?
Grant stepped forward, and, after a
round of cheers, the people We're as
quiet as church in prayer time. Wait |
ing an instant, Grant raised his hand. |
made n gesture toward Johnson and |
said clearly, 1.-The president of the |
United States"
The incident was simple one, but it |
spoke volumes. Grants face was full |
OF Indignation and reproach, and the |
crowd, accepting his rebuke. listened |
to the president for an hour. And the |
president did not spare the people. He |
scolded them TO his hearts content, re- |
piled to all their taunts, talked back to |
every man that opened his mouth and |
seemed to enjoy the performance as n |
war horse would a battle. The people |
took the scolding in good part and re-
allied that they had come in contact |
with a new sort of president. They |
heard him in respectful silence, but |
they disapproved of him. as the presi-
dent knew when the votes We're count
ed at the election that fall
Stewards face at such meetings was
a study. The wound in his neck was
only fairly healed. and the people took
a deferential attitude toward him. But
still everybody wanted to see him and
shake hands with him.
Farragut, in crossing the rotunda of /
the capitol, came upon n group of la
dies, one of whom turned toward him
and eagerly inquired, Are you Mr..
Seward?" Farragut answered without
a moments hesitation:
NO; 1 am q handsomer man than
Seward. My name is Farragut"-Chi-
cago Inter Ocean.