The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-01-20
THE RAILROAD BONDS.

nal improvement act Of 1852. We do not
believe there was necessity for the publ
cation of any of the many articles which
have appeared on the subject, and we cannot
conceive of any good that will ensue from
its continuance in the papers. On the con-
trary, harm may grow out Of it i'll more re-
spects than one; and we hope our cotempo-
raries beyond the mountain, who have
entered into the discussion with their usual
zeal and energy, will hold upa little, least
they succeed in effecting the very thing they
don't want to effect-an accident they have
met with upon several important occasions
within our recollection. The point about
which an issue is now attempted to be made,
has been fully deliberated, discussed and de-
termined upon by the proper and competent
authorities, and there the matter ought to
rest. We heard the subject fully debated
by competent persons before application
was made 10 Gov. Campbell, and were tho
roughly convinced in our own mind that the
Company was justly entitled to theBonds; yet
when lie refused to issue them upon what
he conceived to be good and valid reasons we
felt no disposition to censure him, because
we were confident he had done wha, he be-
lieved to be his duty, and that in his rejection
of the application he was actuated by no
selfish or sectional spirit, nor by any opposi-
- IL r 1, L., oEN &c Itab
the Bonds were intended to issue. We
thought then, as we think now, that he was
simply mistaken in regard to the spirit and
intent of the provision of the law; and
while we, in common with almost every per-
son whom we heard speak on the subject, re-
GREETED his decision, at the same time we ac-
corded to him honesty of purpose to the
fullest extent We have heard of no one
who breathed word of censure against him
about the rejection of the claim, and the de-
fence that has been sprung IN his behalf is
entirely gratuitous and uncalled for.
After Gov. Johnson was inaugurated APP
plication was made 10 him for the Bonds,
based upon the same grounds-certain provi-
sons in the act of 1852. No one will sus-
pect for moment that he would have CON-
piled without proper and full investigation.
On the contrary, his antecedents on the sub
ect of internal improvements all 20 to
show that had he not been convinced, after
u full and mature investigation of the law,
advised and sustained by the opinion of the
Attorney General of the State, who, we be-
ieve, is competent authority in such cases,
that the claim was just and proper and that
his duty required him to acquiesce, he would
at once have rejected it. lie has not hitherto
been suspected of being partial to this or
any other railroad enterprise, and had he
not believed that the provisions of the law
fully justified the issuance of the Bonds, he
would have been the last man to have Weld
ed his assent.
We have no Partially for Gov. Johnson
we abhor and detest his monstrous notions
about the divine tendenciessssf modern demo-
crazy, but our prejudices arenot so great that
we cannot render him justice where it is due,
nor shall we withhold the need of approval
when it has been earned by the discharge
of the duties of his Office. In the matter of
the Railroad Bonds, we believe he gave the
right Interpretation to the provision Of the
law upon which the claim was based, and
that he could not have avoided issuing them
withouta violation of what he conscientious
ly believed to be his official duty. Under
such circumstances the act is justly entitled
to our approval, believing as we do that it
was right and we shall not withhold it, al.
though we hope the necessity forany further
remarks from any quarter will not occur.