26 DECEMBER 1868, Page 1

Mr. Johnson has closed his career in a manner worthy

of him- self. In a savage message to Congress he repeats all his old arguments against reconstruction, declares that the military expense of keeping down the South is ruining the nation, affirms that the debt is yearly increasing, argues that the grand cause of revenue frauds is the unconstitutional limitation of his own powers, and, finally, proposes that interest on the national debt shall cease, and the money raised for it shall be applied to pay off the principal in about seventeen years. We have discussed this part of the Mes- sage at length elsewhere, giving the ipsissima verba, and have only to add here that the Stanthrd, which has consistently supported this " rough on a throne " because he was hated by American Liberals, moans gently over this " lapse," says Andrew Johnson is " an honest man," and ascribes his fall to the gradual demoraliza- tion produced by his position. We believe his proposal was more the result of malice and stupidity than of any wish to rob ; but only imagine if he had been an American Liberal, how the Standard would have improved the occasion to denounce him, his party, his country, and the Republican form of government !