The Washington herald., 1909-06-13
Our Tailor President.

! The rehabilitation OF Andrew Johnson 5
memory has been undertaken by a group
Of Tennesseeans who feel that there is
something worth remembering in the ca
reer Of the tailor President. His final
resting place has not been neglected, for
Il Is denoted by handsome monument.
and the adjacent grounds have been
transformed into a national cemetery.
which is in care Of the government. But
his partisans fear that he has not that
place in the hearts Of his countrymen TO
which he Is entitled by reason OF what
one Of them describes as the good that
he accomplished" They naturally desire
that the country shall come TO a better
understanding Of President Johnson's s
character and OF his actual achievement
in the high ofice to which he was unex-
pectedly called by the assassination Of
/ Lincoln.
/ Certainly it were better that the worthier
part OF a Presidential career should be
remembered than that his name should
be wholly covered with obloquy. There
are doubtless many people living who
are firmly convinced that Johnson's occu-
pancy OF the White House was the most
disgraceful episode In our national his
tory The judgment OF history, and
even that Of many Of Johnson's contem-
poraries. has considerably rnodihed this
| estimate Tobnsoo bo5 v,,,,, --,,.,
faults. he committed serious errors of
/ judgment and discretion, and he failed
| altogether 10 carry forward to a conclu-
sion the reconstruction policy upon which
Lincoln had embarked; yet. as time goes
/ by we see that he was nearer right on
the main issues than those who actually
framed the constructive policies Of the
day. His impeachment can hardly be re-
garded by any American OF the present
day as anything but a fearful exhibition
OF partisanship. the consequences OF
which were very unhappy The official
acts for which he was impeaehed would
nowadays pass unQuestioned, save by
bigoted partisans. and we now look upon
those few Republicans who withstood
party pressure and saved the country
from a crowning disgrace as truer paui-
OTIS than those who attempted 10 wreak
vengeance on the Chief Executive.
Whether any other man could have
piloted the nation unerringly through the
stormy period OF reconstruction viii al
ways be one OF our moot historical Ques-
tions Admirers OF Lincoln, North and
/ South. are fain 20 believe he would have
been able to mold the course Of events into
| humaner and wiser forms. by virtue OF
his unusual qualities Of leadership. James
Ford Rhodes, one Of our most judicious
historians. has recorded the opinion that
no man was so well fitted for the work
Of reconstruction. whereas the task Of
leadership fell 10 one who. Of all men
in public life. was least fitted fo- Il.
Edwin N. Stanton thought that II Mr..
Lincoln had lived he would have had a
| hard time with his party, as he would
have been at odds with it on reconstruc-
ton" Yet Lincoln would have kept on
better terms with Congress than Pres
ident Of the Johnsonian temperament, and
might eventually, by persuasion, eonees-
sion, and compromise, have brought
about party unity upon reconstruction
policy that would have been a model OF
statecraft. to quote Mr.. Rhodes again.
/ Sr,ccese houyavar i, .ba ~, s,,-.,,,, =, -. -
/ bination Of circumstances and tempera-
ment was impossible for Johnson. though
his original motives were eommendabIe,
and his outlook in the right direction.
There was too much vindictiveness and
partisanship at both ends OF the Avenue.
Though the main policy OF his admin
istration failed. It was. II we may be-
lieye Hugh MeCulloeh. Johnson's secre-
tary Of the Treasury. "an honest and
clean administration" casting no dis
credit upon the national honor" John
son himself was CT 'unblemished per
sonal integrity" and his patriotism was
strong and unfailing. He rendered i'm
portant services to the Union cause. for
which he suffered In person and prop
erty. Perhaps It viii do no harm occa-
sionally to forget the unhappy swing
around the circle" the quarrels with
Congress. and all the rest of it, TO dwell
upon the better personal side OF this
uncultured Tennessee statesman. There
have been worse men than Andy John
son in seats Of authority.