Year: 1866

on I0y0 nqO
a serious mistake. very few thought other-
wise OF these two said to US: " you are mis-
taken. They know what they are about. anuy
Johnson is their tool"


The thought too horrible to be enter
tanned 1t was too dreadful to believe that tue
man who had just received such marks OF conn
dence from the loyal millions was simply skill
full actor playing patriot the better 10 serve .ne
cause of treason. But these shrewd prophets
shook their heads and said;


you will see"


One thing was certain. The morning OF the
Inauguration he was drinking freely with blatant
Copperheads His appearance on that occasion
is matter of history and the deep disgrace OF 1t
was never exaggerated by any published ac-
count His intemperance was excused on the
ground that they had drugged his brandy; and it
is possible they may have done so, but certainly
not with the view of doing him fatal injury for
since the beginning of the second month OF ms
Presidency they have been his visitors and ap-
parently confidential friends. That class OF
Washingtonians who never went to the "hite
House while President Lincoln lived, but always
refused to recognize him President, and spoke
of him with scorn, began at once to visit John
son, and were gracously received. The first the
public knew Of this was given to the ConsttH-
tonGl Union, and was excused on the ground
that Tom Florence, its editor, was the President 5
personal friend. So he was, and is, and Is TO ne
IIe the editor Of a paper that most loyal men
have thought should have been suppressed dur
ing the war for its disoyalty-the blatant,
Drawing. pot-house politician, editor of tral-
torous sheet which aided Johnson election by
linking his name with that OF Lincoln IN tue
abuse heaped upon him, was all the time the
personal friend and confdant of Johnson, and


was thus early and publicly acknowledged as
such


| Can it be possible that it was part Of the as


sassnation plot to get rid of one thus in secret


bonds of friendship with Northern leaders of the
secession ranks? was that stupid, miserable


wretch, Atzeroth, dupcd into the belief that they


wished him to commit crime which they knew
! he had not the courage to perpetratc. and which
/ lie should find no opportunity to commit? That


they intended to get rid of President Lincoln


and Seward there can be no doubt The attempt


on Stantons life was likewise in good faith, but
| the chain links of the evidence were not closely
followed on the trial, and the necessity for his
death was not imminent, as he could be removed
The business to get the President. and
they got him. That it was the South that NOM
mated johnson, through indirect influence; that
Johnson laborcd cunnngy for that nomination
by bosterous professions of loyalty and the
thrusting forward ultra pledges designed to be
broken, there is no longer any doubt. That he
was prepared beforehand TO serve the purpose of


treason there can be no doubt that his Admin
istration and its programme part and par
eel of the assassination plot we have no longer
the shadow of doubt.


This does not make it necessary that he should
have known of the intended assassination. We
do not think either Tyler or Fillmore knew that
the men who used them intended numbering


Harrison and Taylor but in all these cases the
assassns knew their men aud these three Pres
idents made Presidents by assassination are
each with their Administrations, as much incl
dents of the rebellion-emaneti tons from the
brains of the arch-Gends and wholesale mur-
dcrers who plotted that rebellion, the
starvation of our men at Andersonyillc or the
poisoning of our armies. Whatever known or
unknown to Johnson, his veto message is the as
sassination plot.


That assassination was a change of base in the
late for the obstruction of the Union. The
veto is the Sumter guns of this second era of the
war, and it will probably be followed by Bull
Run and Balls Buf-by disaster and perhaps
apparent defeat to the loyal millions whose
weapons are once more turned upon them by
their trusted agents. Andrew Johnson has his
plan matured. He is in full sympathy with the
South, and will follow up his present advantage
to the bitter end. Let the people them
selves to do what they can. They can and will
save the Government; but there is great danger
of n repetition of the mistakes and delays and
dreadful disasters of the first stage Of this
There is great danger of a kd-gloye campaign
under some political Mcclellan


Could the people be made to feel that the
sassins of President Lincoln the honored
guests of the White House-that this veto is part
of the murderous programme-Northern Copper
heads would not insult loyal people by their
insolent rejoicings and the traitors Of the South
would stand aghast before their dgnation.