Year: 1869

Andrew Jehnson's ideas OF General Gran


and His Administration.


The despatch from Washington, which W


published yesterday, giving the maturcd idea


and judgment of ex-President johnson on th,


character Of General Grant and the prospects


OF his administration, is making great sensa


ton. II has been apparent for long time


past that MIR. johnson had something on hi.
mind concerning General Grant which would
some day come out and now that II is oui
we are comforted by the thought that, while
General Grant will survive, Mr.. Johnson expe-
riences great relief He has certainly spoken
his mind very freely, aud whatever may be
said of his bad temper and bad taste, there are
thousands of men throughout the country who
will chuckle over his denunciatiOns of the
President as the very exposition that was
wanted to wake up the administration and
arouse the people, and to revive the dropping
democracy, and declare that this pointed and
pungent conversation, in short, is crown of
glory to- Andy Johnson.


He says he knows Grant thoroughly, has
studied him, and is satisfied that he is the
greatest farce that was ever thrust upon
people; that the little fellow has nothing in
him-not single idea--no policy and no con-
ception Of the political situation; that he don't
understand the philosophy Of single question
and is completely lost in trying to understand
his position; that he Is llendacious, cunning
and treacherous; that this little fellow Grant
is mere upstart and accident OF the war;
that he is subject more for pity than con-
tempt; that physically, mentally and morally
he is n0nentity; that his soul could revolve
a thousand years in hazelnut shell without
knocking against its walls that he has no
policy, no standard, no creed, no faith; that
he receives presents and appoints the givers to
his Cabinet; that such a man degrades the
Presidential office; that he is mere incident
of the war; that his fittest place is that of
assistant at crossroads horse race; that he
Is a liar and a coward (Heayen save the mark y,
and that under his administration we are tend
ing to despotism or anarchy, and to repudia-
ton or a moneyed aristocracy Of bondholders;
and so on to the end of the chapter


Now what is the cause of this ferocious phi
lippic from Mr.. Johnson? His provocation
has been great. First, he appointed General
Grant, under the Tenure OF Office law, Secre-
tary OF War, al Interim, in the place Of
Stanton. The object was to head off Stanton
and Congress in Southern reconstruction, and
to use Grant for the purpose. But when
brought to the pinch, with the refusal of the
Senate to concur in the suspension of Stanton,
Grant, law abiding man, delivered his Office
back to Stanton. The correspondence between
Grant and Johnson on this subject reveals two
things very clearlyfirst, that Johnson ex-
pected Grant to back him up. and to head off
Congress; and, secondly, that Grant all the
time was operating to support Congress and to
head off Johnson. The quiet acquiescence of
Grant in the action of the Senate rcinstating
Stanton made case of hostility between
Johnson aud Grant as decisive and remorse-
less as that between Hannibal and Rome.
From that day, under JohnsOn's charges of
treachery and falsehood, Grant, as far as pos
sible, suspended all relations with johnson,
and more than once the General absented him
self on a journey to avoid some occasion sug-
gesting an official social necessity for coming
into contact with the President. This state of
war was continued down to General Grants
Inauguration, in which Mr.. johnson took no
part; and notwithstanding General Grants
motto, Let us have peace" there is no peace
yet between him and Johnson. And has not
Johnson cause enough for the wrath of Hanni-
bal? For is il not probable that had Grant
played into the hands of Johnson in that
Stanton affair something might have turned up
that would have made Johnson the democratic
candidate in 1868, with Grant nowhere?


Hence all these outpourings of the vials of
wrath Of Johnson against Grant go for nothing
They are but the iinpotent rawlings Of a shallow
political schemer, defeated by the very instru-
ment he had chosen to draw his chestnuts from
the fire. Let them laugh who win. General
Grant can afford to laugh at the folly of
Andrew johnson, and yet he cannot afford to
rest upon his iarrels. His great achievements
in the war have made him President; but upon
his achievements as a practical statesman will
depend the public judgment upon his admins
Iration; and he must do something positive,
practical aud popular as President, or his adj
miuistration will be a failure.





GRANT, says Andy, is good man for a
crossroads. He always was good man at
the Confederate crossroads.


Nh Aarn III