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“Not for the purpose of making

a speech:” Andrew Johnson's
swing around the circle
a
Gregg Phifer
a
The Florida State University
Published online: 02 Jun 2009.

To cite this article: Gregg Phifer (1954) “Not for the purpose of making a speech:”
Andrew Johnson's swing around the circle, Speech Monographs, 21:4, 285-293, DOI:
10.1080/03637755409375121

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03637755409375121

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 "NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING A SPEECH:"
ANDREW JOHNSON'S SWING AROUND THE CIRCLE
GREGG PHIFER
The Florida State University

ONAround
Andrew Johnson's famous "Swing
the Circle" in the fall of
or President," the self-made, self-edu-
cated man, and it is useless to wish or
1866, he sought to carry to the people picture him otherwise.
his case for speedy restoration of the
former Confederate states. This was the I. LACK OF SPECIFIC PREPARATION
policy of presidential reconstruction in- The President made no written prep-
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augurated by his predecessor and adopt- aration for the talks of his tour. He had
ed after much soul-searching by the no manuscripts or outlines, nothing but
Tennessean. As the 7:30 Baltimore and prolonged study and serious thought
Ohio pulled out of Washington on the concerning the issues. At New York City,
morning of August 28, Johnson may one of his first major stops, he said: "It
have seen in his mind's eye the wildly has never been my habit to prepare
cheering crowds that greeted him in speeches, but rather to take up a sub-
Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana during the ject, having previously thought upon it
1864 presidential campaign.1 Could he of course, and talk about it. The very
not rally them once more in a new idea of making a formal preparation
crusade to defeat northern exclusionists has always disqualified me." Later, on
at the ballot box as they had beaten the same occasion he repeated the idea:
southern secessionists on the field of "I have never made a prepared speech
battle? in my life, and only treat these topics
There is no doubt that Johnson as they occur to me."3
sought to appeal his case over the heads Johnson's words are specific; he relied
of the politicians to the common people completely on general preparation. This
of the northern states. He wanted to had been his habit in Tennessee cam-
explain his cause face-to-face, to make paigns, and it was the only method he
the kind of give-and-take stump felt competent to use. State papers he
speeches to which Tennessee politics had would revise carefully or ask some
accustomed him. He would not believe trusted associate to prepare.4 Oral per-
that the people of the North could be suasion was his art; its techniques he
deaf to his reasons, blind to his sin- had learned through long experience.5
cerity, unable or unwilling to respond He would talk freely and frankly with
to his message of peace and reconcilia- those he trusted best: the people of the
tion. But the President had no train- United States.
ing, taste, or desire to make the formal,
studied addresses Abraham Lincoln had 3 Text of the New York speech from Edward
prepared during his term in the presi- McPherson, The Political History of the United
States of America During the Period of the
dency.2 Andrew Johnson was the "Tail- Reconstruction (Washington, 1871), pp. 129-134.
4 William A. Dunning, "More Light on An-
1 George Fort Milton, The Age of Hate (New drew Johnson," American Historical Review,
York, 1939), pp. 123-124. XI (April, 1906), 574-594.
2 John G. Nicolay and John Hay, Abraham 5 Joseph H. Baccus, "The Oratory of
Lincoln, A History (New York, 1866), III, 319- Andrew Johnson," unpublished Ph.D. disserta-
344. tion, University of Wisconsin, 1941.
 286 SPEECH MONOGRAPHS

Repeatedly the President told his au- in reference to what has been said and
dience along the way that he had no the manifestations that have been made,
intention of making them a speech, to go into any speech, or to make any
meaning, of course, that he had not utterance before you on this occasion,
planned a long or formal address. But but merely to give utterance to the sin-
as he was passing through on his way cere sentiments of my heart."8
to dedicate a monument to Stephen A. Constantly during his appearance in
Douglas in Chicago, he felt compelled New York he was concerned about how
to acknowledge the welcome accorded long he was talking: "I shall not tres-
him by the crowds along the way. And pass upon you a moment," and again, "I
this public demonstration, he frequently will not detain you for a moment." Each
pointed out, was one more evidence time the cheers and cries of "Go on,"
that the people supported him and his "Bravo!" and "Good!" led him from one
policies of conciliation, conservative argument to the next. After he had
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(presidential) reconstruction, and the talked an hour or more, followed by the

speedy restoration of the Union. This playing of "The Star Spangled Banner,"
led him naturally into a discussion of he rose to propose a toast: "Gentlemen,
the issue between himself and Congress, in conclusion, after having consumed
a subject pent up inside Johnson for more of your time than I intended, I
more than six months and just waiting fear unprofitably, let me propose, in sin-
a good opportunity for public discus- cerity, 'The Union, the perpetual Union
sion.6 of these States.' "
Take, for example, his appearance at The Chicago Republican for August
Philadelphia on the first day out of 31 made an astute observation after
Washington: "In visiting Philadelphia Johnson's evening address at Albany:
. . . it was not for the purpose of making "The President made a somewhat longer
a speech, but I am on my way . . . to . . . speech than he intended, but there, as
Chicago . . . and in being here today . . . elsewhere, it was difficult for him to stop
I must be permitted to tender to the when he had once begun." At Schenec-
citizens of Philadelphia . . . my heartfelt tady he repeated his pledge "Not . . . to
and my sincere thanks for this demon- make a speech."9 At Auburn after prom-
stration. . . ."7 Toward the end of his ising "half a dozen words—which shall
twenty-minute talk he apologized for be- conclude what I am going to say on this
ing so long-winded: "Well, fellow-citi- occasion," he proceeded to talk at least
zens, I did not intend to say as much as many minutes.10 Twice almost in a
as I have said. [Voices—'Go on, go on.'] single breath he told his Detroit audi-
There are other gentlemen who will be ence that he had said two times, three
forced and compelled to make some re- times, as much as he intended.11 Audi-
marks, and I said more than I intended ences at Springfield, Alton, Indianapolis,
to say. [Voices—'Say more.'] I will and Louisville heard similar state-
conclude. . . . " ments.12
The same thing happened the follow-
ing day at Delmonico's Restaurant in 8 McPherson, pp. 129-134.
9 Associated Press dispatch to the Dubuque
New York City: "I shall not attempt, (Iowa) Times, Sept. 4.
10 The National Republican (Washington,
6 Johnson had kept silent since his Wash- D. C.), Sept. 3.
ington's Birthday Speech (Feb. 22, 1866) from 11 Chicago Republican, Sept. 6.
the Capitol steps. 12 Chicago Republican, Sept. 10; Cincinnati
7 New York Daily Tribune, Aug. 29. All Daily Gazette, Sept. 10, 12; Louisville Daily
newspaper sources are from 1866. Journal, Sept. 12.
 ANDREW JOHNSON'S SWING AROUND THE CIRCLE 287

This "I do not intend to make a not want to hear him. They laughed and
speech" and "I have already talked long- talked, cheered for Grant and Farragut,
er than I intended" approach continued and plainly showed that they wanted
to the end of his "Swing Around the nothing."
Circle." At Baltimore, his last stop be- Before Johnson and his party visited
fore returning to the nation's capital, he Cleveland, Secretary of the Navy Gideon
spoke so long that his special train was Welles and Ohio's Governor Tod
delayed and Washington crowds had a warned against "impolitic and injudi-
long and unexpected wait at the sta- cious" impromptu addresses.18 The
tion.13 Even at Washington, like a President should not make any speech
gramophone that never ran down, John- under unfavorable circumstances. Was
son was still playing his same record: this too much to ask? Could Johnson
"I have no speech to make to you to- content himself with polite nothings,
night . . ."l4 He wanted to talk to the greetings and platitudes and gratitude
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people, not to make a formal address for the fine reception? Or with a smile
to be printed in the newspapers, read and a wave of his hat?
by the people, studied and criticized by
Cleveland furnished just the occasion
opposition senators and editors. He
Welles and Tod feared. Probably with
wanted to be brief, but, warmed to his
their warnings fresh in his ears, Johnson
subject, found it difficult to stop.
began by declaring to the huge crowd
gathered Monday evening below the bal-
II. THE CLEVELAND WARNING cony of the Kennard House: "It is not
Early on his tour Johnson's audiences for the purpose of making a speech that
responded favorably.15 But Greeley's I now appear before you. . . . I repeat
Tribune and other Radical papers that I am not before you to make a
picked up Johnson's impromptu re- speech, but simply to make your ac-
marks, twisted them, lifted them from quaintance—to say how are you and to
context, or simply seized upon the nat- bid you good-bye."19
ural slips any speaker makes when car- The President's intentions seemed
ried away by the warmth of the occa- good. He saw the danger of which Tod
sion. They mocked his favorite phrases, and Welles warned, but found it difficult
including "not for the purpose of mak- to stop short when a critical audience
ing a speech."16 questioned his ideas. The spell of the
Especially as the presidential party late evening hour, flickering lights, im-
neared Ohio's Western Reserve, the au- mense crowd, balcony vantage point,
diences turned colder and less respon- heckling from the audience, all over-
sive.17' On the morning of Monday, Sep- came his resistance and launched him
tember 3, Ashtabula, Ohio, became the into a major defense of his record and
first city to refuse the President a hear- his reconstruction policies.
ing. As described by the Chicago Re- To his assertion that "if my predeces-
publican for September 4, the crowd was sor had lived, the vials of wrath would
not ill-tempered, but "they simply did have been poured out upon him," the
13 New York Herald, Sept. 16. crowd answered, "Never! Never!" Could
14 The National Republican, Sept. 17. Johnson turn back and admit defeat
15 See for example the opposition Chicago
Republican, Sept. 1. in the face of such criticism? Certainly
16 See the cartoon by Thomas Nast in Har-
per's Weekly, X (Oct. 27, 1866), 680-681. 18 Diary of Gideon Welles (Boston, 1911), II,
17 Daily Morning Chronicle (Washington, 594.
D. C.), Sept. 8. 19 Cleveland Daily Leader, Sept. 12.
 288 SPEECH MONOGRAPHS

not! His audience was there to be mas- dress: "[Cries, 'Is this dignified?'] I un-
tered and he would do that if it took all derstand you. You may talk about the
night. dignity of the President. You may talk
His Cleveland audience, however, about his making a speech on the 22nd
persisted in talking back. When the of July. [Voices, '22nd of Febru-
President remarked that he was there ary.'] 22nd of February. [Voices, 'The
"for the purpose of exchanging views, whisky said that.']"
and ascertaining, if he could, who was After another prolonged interruption
wrong," he got the answer: "You are!" the President continued:
One of his favorite rhetorical questions: I care not for dignity. There is a certain
"Who is he—what language does he portion o£ our countrymen who will respect a
speak—what religion does he profess— fellow-citizen wherever he is entitled to respect.
that can come and place his finger upon [Voice: "That's so."] There is another class
one pledge I ever violated or one princi- that have no respect for themselves and con-
sequently they cannot respect any one else.
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ple I ever proved false to?" provoked re- [Laughter and cheers.] I know a man and a
plies like "New Orleans!" and "Why gentleman whenever I see him. I know a man
don't you hang Jeff Davis?" Before long whenever I look at him in the face. [Voice:
the President became angry and accused "Which you can't do."] Come out where I can
Congress of "trying to break up the gov- see you (to a man in the crowd). I will bet now
that if the light was reflected upon your face,
ernment." Hisses and cries of "A lie!" cowardice and treachery would be depicted
replied to this accusation, and one voice upon it. [Laughter and cheers.] If you ever shot
suggested, "Don't get mad!" a man you will do it in the dark and pull the
Asking that all "allay our passions trigger when no one is by to see you. [Cheers.]
. . . And those men—such a one as insulted me
and permit reason to resume her empire tonight—you may say, has ceased to be a man,
and prevail," Johnson insisted that "my and in ceasing to be a man shrunk into the
intention was to address myself to your denomination of a reptile, and having so shrunk-
common sense, your judgment, your en as an honest man, I tread upon him. I came
better feelings . . . and to say 'how dye' here to-night not to criminate or recriminate,
but to defend, and when encroached upon, I
and 'good bye.' " Instead of matching care not from what quarter it comes, it will
words with action, however, he again find resistance, and resistance at the threshold.
took his cue from the crowd: "In the
assembly here to-night the remark has You cannot frighten me. I never fear clamor.
been made 'traitor!' " Noise became too I have never been afraid of the people, for by
great at this point for the President to them I have always been sustained . . . clamor
nor affront, nor animosities can drive me from
proceed. All the more reason for his my purpose. . . .
continuing! I tell you, my countrymen here to-night, that
" 'Traitor,' my countrymen! Will you though all the powers of hell and Thad.
hear me? [Cries, 'Yes!'] And will you Stevens and his gang combined they could not
hear me for my cause and for the con- turn me from my purposes. There is no power
stitution of my country?" Someone that could turn me except you and the God
who spoke me into existence.
called out "Thad. Stevens!" and the
President replied, "Why don't you hang Repeated cheers showed that Johnson
Thad. Stevens and Wendell Phillips?" had friends as well as enemies in the
Heckling continued, but Johnson crowd. On he went: "I love my coun-
faced his assailants and talked them try. Every public act of my life testi-
down individually or en masse. Digni- fies that it is so. Where is the man that
fied! No! This speech was more like a can put his finger upon any one act of
rough-and-tumble fight than a state ad- mine that goes to prove to the contrary?
 ANDREW JOHNSON'S SWING AROUND THE CIRCLE

And what is my offending?" To this point now is that as the President

rhetorical question at least one voice headed west for Chicago and St. Louis
answered honestly, "Because you are not he had an object lesson to reinforce the
a Radical." warnings of his friends. Impromptu ad-
He tried to close but could not bring dresses were dangerous.
himself to do so. His customary perora- Johnson spoke at Cleveland on Mon-
tion, complete with the all-too-familiar day. The next few days were compara-
images of Constitution, flag, and "the tively uneventful, a montage of travel
entire circle of these States," came about by rail and boat, of speeches both long
one third of the way through his speech and short, of rain and cheering and
as recorded by the Cleveland Daily mildly annoying heckling. The follow-
Leader. Even "In bidding you farewell ing Saturday, September 8, he faced a
to-night" could not stop him, and sev- parallel situation in St. Louis. As he
eral minutes later he admitted: "But and his party were waiting for a cere-
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fellow-citizens, I have been drawn into monial banquet of welcome at the

this. I intended simply to make my ac- Southern Hotel, a huge crowd gathered
knowledgments for your cordial wel- outside, demanding a speech.
come, but if I am insulted I will resent Because Johnson's speeches at Cleve-
it in a proper manner." land and St. Louis were introduced as
Unmercifully heckled by a crowd that evidence at his impeachment trial, sworn
more than once threatened to stop his testimony is available concerning the
speech entirely, President Johnson lost circumstances of his St. Louis speech.
his dignity, stooped to the level of his Two witnesses at the trial, members of
tormentors, answered them in their own the reception committee from the Mer-
terms. The good resolutions with which chants' Union Exchange, told the Senate
he stepped onto the balcony of the Ken- of the President's reluctance to appear
nard House were thrown to the winds. before the crowd outside the hotel. In
Finally, after the damage had been this testimony from the trial record,
done, he pulled himself together and Barton Able, collector of internal reve-
closed on a conciliatory note. nue for the first district of Missouri,
The Radical press stormed. The Pres- provided the answers while Benjamin
ident had abandoned all dignity and R. Curtis of the President's legal staff
was dragging his high office into the asked the questions:
muck and mire of partisan politics. In Q. Were you present at the hotel before the
bandying words with the bullies and speech was made?
toughs of the crowd he showed himself A. Yes, sir.
unfit to be President.20 Even the friend- Q. As one of the committee . . . ?
ly New York Times editorialized about A. Yes, sir.
"The President's Mistake."21 Q. Please to state under what circumstances
the President was called upon to speak?
A. I was in one of the parlors of the hotel
III. RELUCTANCE OVERCOME AT ST. LOUIS with the committee and the President, when
The full story of Johnson's troubles at some of the citizens came in and asked him
Cleveland and the aftermath of that to go out and respond to a call from the
citizens to speak. He declined, or rather
speech in Ohio and in the nation are said that he did not care to make any
beyond the scope of this paper. The speech. The same thing was repeated two or
three times by other citizens coming in,
20 Editorial in the New York Tribune, Sept. 8; and he finally said that he was in the hands
Cleveland Daily Leader, Sept. 5. of his friends, or of the committee, and if
21 New York Times, Sept. 7.
 29° SPEECH MONOGRAPHS

they said so he would go out and respond Laughter and loud cheers greeted this
to the call, which he did do. sally.
Q. What did the committee say? Did they say
anything?
Next someone called out, "Ten thou-
A. A portion of the committee, two or three of sand welcomes," to which others added
them, said after some consultation that they hurrahs and cheers. "Thank you, sir,"
presumed he might as well do it. There was said the President. "I wish it were in
a large crowd of citizens on the outside in my power to address you under favor-
front of the hotel.
Q. Did the President say anything before he
able 'circumstances upon some of the
went out as to whether he went out to make questions that agitate and distract the
a long speech or a short speech. . . .? public mind at this time." He thought
A. My understanding of it was that he did not that "the time has arrived when we
care to make a speech at all. should have peace." So far, so good!
George Knapp, one of the publishers The President might have bowed, left
and proprietors of the Missouri Repub- the balcony, and gone inside to the
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lican of St. Louis, corroborated Abie's waiting banquet table without damage
testimony: to his reputation or loss to his cause.
Q. Please state what occurred between the Many in the crowd below the hotel
President and the citizens, or the com- balcony did not agree with Johnson that
mittee of citizens, in respect to his going the time for peace had come. Someone
out to make a speech? wondered how the riots at New Orleans
A. The crowd on the outside had called
repeatedly for the President, and some con-
fitted into Johnson's rosy picture and
versation ensued between those present. I asked aloud, "New Orleans; go on."
think I recollect Captain Able and Captain Johnson rose to the bait. Granted his
Taylor and myself at any rate were to- temperament and confidence in his own
gether. The crowd continued to call. Prob- abilty in rough-and-tumble stump speak-
ably someone suggested, I think I sug-
gested, that he ought to go out. Some fur- ing, Messrs. Able and Knapp could
ther conversation occurred, I think between scarcely have expected him to exercise
him and Captain Able— self-restraint. "Perhaps if you had a
Q. The gentleman who has just left the stand? word or two on the subject of New Or-
A. Yes, sir; Captain Barton Able, and I think leans you might understand more about
I said to him that he ought to go out and
show himself to the people and say a few
it than you do." One word led to an-
words at any rate. He seemed relucant to other.
go out, and we walked out together.2^ But when you talk about New Orleans and
talk about the causes and consequences that
Responding to the demands of the resulted from proceedings of the kind, perhaps,
crowd, the President began with a salu- as I have been introduced here, and you have
provoked questions of this kind, though it
tation to his "fellow citizens" and an doesn't provoke me, I will tell you a few
insistence that he was being introduced wholesome things that have been done by this
to them "not for the purpose of making Radical Congress.
a speech."23 Someone in the crowd This led to the Judas Iscariot business
caught up his "fellow citizens" saluta- ("If I had played the Judas, who has
tion and asked: "How about British been my Christ that I have played the
subjects?" In reply Johnson promised, Judas with? Was it Thad. Stevens? Was
"we will attend to John Bull after a it Wendell Phillips? Was it Charles
while, so far as that is concerned." Summer").24 What a wonderful oppor-
24 This was probably provoked by Thaddeus
22 Supplement to the Congressional Globe, Stevens in his Lancaster speech rather than by
"The Trial of Andrew Johnson," 40th Cong., anyone in the immediate audience. Pamphlet
2nd Sess., p p . 211-212. in the Stevens Manuscripts, (Manuscript Di-
23 Missouri Republican (St. Louis), Sept. 9. vision, Library of Congress), viii, 54196 et. seq.
 ANDREW JOHNSON'S SWING AROUND THE CIRCLE 291

tunity this gave the Radicals for ac- equal suffrage in the Senate when a
cusations of sacrilegel member of the crowd replied, "They
Next came "Moses," a reference to have never been out." Promptly John-
Johnson's promise in Nashville, Tenne- son responded: "It is said before me:
see, that he would be the Moses for the 'They have never been out.' I say so
25
Negro race. "But let me tell you, let too, and they cannot go out."
me give you a few words here tonight— Next the speaker turned to the par-
and but a short time since I heard some- doning power of the chief executive.
one say in the crowd that we had a, A call from the audience wanted to
Moses." "Moses" led to emancipation, know about Jeff Davis and his prospects
•emancipation of the Negro to emanci- for hanging. Johnson's answer was typi-
pation of the white man (one of John- cal:
son's favorite subjects), and that to the You call on Judge Chase to hang Jeff. Davis,
Freedmen's Bureau. Where could the will you? [Great cheering.] I am not the court,
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I am not the jury, nor the judge . . .

President stop? Why don't you hang Thad. Stevens and Wen-
I simply intended to-night to tender you my dell Phillips? [Great cheering.] A traitor at one
sincere thanks; but as I go along, as we are talk- end of the line is as bad as a traitor at the
ing about this Congress and these respected other.
gentlemen, who contend that the President is
•wrong, because he vetoed the Freedmen's Bureau In the immediate audience situation
Bill, and all this, because he chose to exercise the attack upon Stevens and Phillips
the veto power he committed a high offense, brought loud cheers; in the sober light
and therefore ought to be impeached. [Voice:
"Neverl"] of the following day many citizens all
over the country must have wondered
From this discussion of the Freedmen's how far the President would go. Off-
Bureau the speaker detoured easily to a the-cuff answers like this were danger-
direct attack upon Congress for its sal- ous.
ary grab of $4,000 as compared to the The President knew he was being
inadequate $50 to $100 bonus offered intentionally heckled:26
the veterans. From this digression a I know that there are some who have got
voice in the crowd recalled him: "Stick their little pieces and sayings to repeat on
to the question." Johnson heeded im- public occasions, like parrots, that have been
placed in their mouths by the superiors, who
mediately: have not the courage and the manhood to come
Fellow citizens, you are all familiar with the forward and tell them themselves, but have
work of restoration. You know since the re- their understrappers to do their work for them.
bellion collapsed, since the armies were sup-
pressed on the field, that everything that could "Bread and butter," the subject of
be done has been done by the executive depart- patronage appointments, came next.
ment of the government for the restoration of. Some conservative sympathizer in the
the government.
crowd called "Kick 'em out," referring
Again and again the speaker took his to opponents of presidential reconstruc-
cue from his audience. A few minutes tion still holding federal patronage jobs
later he was arguing that the Constitu- in post office, customs, or internal reve-
tion forbids depriving any state of its nue. Promptly adopting the phrase,
25 26 Editor's note: In his "Andrew Johnson
Robert Watson Winston, Andrew Johnson,
Plebian and Patriot (New York, 1928), pp. 259- Loses His Battle," Tennessee Historical Quar-
260. Cf. Clifton R. Hall, Andrew Johnson, terly, XI (1952), 291-328, Mr. Phifer presented
Military Governor of Tennessee (Princeton, evidence that the Radicals deliberately packed
1916), pp. 154-155. Hall questions the authen- Johnson's audiences with hecklers who would
ticity of this speech, saying, "It is impossible to provoke him to the kind of responses reported
get at exactly what Johnson said."
 293 SPEECH MONOGRAPHS

Johnson promised to "kick them out" cretely silent or content himself with
just as fast as he could. polite nothings.
At last Johnson began his elongated
conclusion: IV. SUMMARY
Let me say to you in concluding what I have
said, and I intend to say but little, but was
When Johnson left Washington for
provoked into this, rather than otherwise, I his "Swing Around the Circle," he
care not for the threats; I do not intend to be planed to make only informal talks, not
bullied by my enemies nor overawed by my formal addresses. Relying solely on gen-
friends [cheers] . . . eral preparation, he carried with him
The last phrase is difficult to under- neither manuscripts nor outlines. Dur-
stand apart from the description car- ing his talks he took up each topic as it
ried in the Missouri Democrat for Sep- occurred to him or was suggested to him
tember 10: "While Mr. Johnson was by his hearers.
speaking, some of his friends, who After the honeymoon period early in
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crowded around him, tried by their ges- his tour, Johnson found the Radicals in
tures and their suggestions over his his audiences increasingly vocal. The
shoulder to get him to stop." The ban- give-and-take discussion he envisioned
quet was ready to begin. The Democrat, before leaving the White House proved
however, thought Andy's voice "very impossible when on warm September
musical" to him "if to nobody else. . . ." evenings huge crowds gathered under
Finally Johnson ended one of the hotel balconies under conditions of high
longest speeches of his "Swing Around tension and excitement. Taking advan-
the Circle," and perhaps one of the best tage of the anonymity granted by the
known,27 by a restatement of his origi- hour and the crowd, Radical sympathiz-
nal purpose: ers unmercifully heckled the President.
I thank you for the cordial welcome you have
When several increasingly unpleasant
given me in this great city of the northwest, experiences reinforced the sober advice
whose destiny no one can foretell. Now [Voice: of Governor Tod and Secretary Welles,
"Three cheers for Johnsonl"] then, in bidding Johnson sought to avoid prolonged in-
you good-night, I leave all in your charge, and formal discussions under unfavorable
thank you for the cordial welcome you have
given me in this spontaneous outpouring of the conditions and to content himself,
people of your city. where necessary, with a polite word of
greeting and thanks.
Thus Johnson's St. Louis speech, Such good resolutions were easier to
used against him in the impeachment make than to keep. Repeatedly John-
trial, was drawn from him piece by son let himself be carried away by the
piece by the friendly responsiveness and occasion. His Cleveland and St. Louis
unfriendly questions of his audience. speeches approach the ultimate in au-
The hotel balcony, huge crowd, evening dience adaptation as the situation—bal-
hour, and made-to-order speaking situa- cony, gas lights, torches, noisy crowd—
tion were too much for the sober judg- drew him into long and contentious-
ment of the President and the warnings speeches. His topics were forced upon
of his advisers. He found it easier to him by friendly and unfriendly calls
yield to the temptation of a crowd wait- from the crowd. Warming to his sub-
ing to be mastered than to remain dis- ject and faced by an audience willing
27 Reprinted in David J. Brewer, The World's and anxious to talk back, he could not
Best Orations (Chicago, 1923), VII, 170-177; admit defeat and leave his audience
Chauncey M. Depew, The Library of Oratory
(New York, 1902), VII, 364-380. without a full defense of his policies.
 ANDREW JOHNSON'S SWING AROUND THE CIRCLE 293

In one way or another every veteran No one ever denied that Johnson was
campaigner faces Johnson's decision. excitable or that he had a sharp tem-
Should modern presidential candidates, per. Calmness and self-control were not
for example, abandon their ghost-writ- among his cardinal virtues. But in a
ten manuscripts and speak impromptu real sense his inability to remain silent
or nearly so; or should they limit their in the face of danger to his beloved
public utterances to prepared addresses? country motivated the Swing Around
In 1866, granted the almost fanatical the Circle. And for Johnson it was not
opposition of the Radicals and their a choice between prepared manuscripts
control of the most powerful newspa- and impromptu talks. His informal
pers,28 Johnson probably weakened the stump speeches were the only kind for
cause of presidential reconstruction by which training and experience prepared
bandying epithets with hostile crowds him. It was that or nothing, stump
under circumstances he could not hope speeches or silence. And with northern
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to control. Impromptu addresses under Radicals intent upon a policy of retri-

those conditions led him into numerous bution rather than reconciliation for
traps too deep for quick escape. the late secessionists, the President felt
compelled to present the choice to the
28 The Nation, II (March 15, 1866), 321. people and let them make the ultimate
Trank Luther Mott, American Journalism (New decision.
York, 1942), p. 369.