arded as lamentable and one
which must have been deeply humiliating to the eminent men who
accompanied the President.

He made the tour the occasion for defending at great length his own
policy of Reconstruction, and arraigned with unsparing severity the
course of Congress in interposing a policy of its own. The most
successful political humorist of the day(1), writing in pretended support
of the President, described his tour as being undertaken "to arouse
the people to the danger of concentrating power in the hands of
Congress instead of diffusing it through one man." Wit and sarcasm
were lavished at the expense of the President, gibes and jeers and
taunts marked the journey from its beginning to its end. "My policy"
was iterated and reiterated, until the very boys in the streets,
without knowing its meaning, knew it was the source and subject of
ridicule, and made it a jest and a by-word at Mr. Johnson's expense.
The whole journey came to be known as "swinging around the circle,"
and its incidents entered daily into the thoughts of the people only
as subjects of disapprobation on the part of the more considerate,
and of persiflage and ribaldry on the part of those who regarded it
only as a matter of amusement. With whatever strength or prestige the
President left Washington, he certainly returned to the Capital
personally discredited and politically ruined. Upon the direct public
issue which he had raised he would undoubtedly have been beaten in
nearly all the Northern states, but when his weakness had brought him
within fair range of ridicule, he became powerless even in the place of
power.

Meanwhile, during the National Conventions referred to and during the
remarkable tour of the President, the cause of his opponents was urged
in every State and in every district, with extraordinary energy on the
part of leaders, with corresponding interest on the part of the people.
The contest for the governorship of New York between Reuben E. Fenton
and John T. Hoffman, and for the governorship of Pennsylvania between
John W. Geary and Hiester Clymer, excited deep interest far beyond the
borders of either State. The vote for these candidates was looked to
as giving the aggregate popular expression touching the merits of the
Administration, and carried with it the united interest which attached
to all the Congressional districts. When at last a test was reached
and the people had an opportunity to speak the Administrati