The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-07-03
Divinity OF n-Converging Lines-Extrsct from
Gov. Johnson's Inaugural Address.


Gov Johnson's Inaugural Address.
The following is an extract from Gov. John
sons Inaugural Address to the Legislature of
Tennessee, much inquired for by the people.
We print it for convenient reference. We
copy from the pamphlet edition, pages and z,
printed at the Union and American Office:
At present shall content myself by assuming,
and taking it q conceded aaacI, that Democracy or
mans cspability to govern himself, is a principle
tha: eiSts that il is inherent in the very nature OF
man that it is that Ingredient in the compound
called man, which enables him to determine be.
tween right and wrong, in all political affairs. In
this principle called democracy, consists his capa'
bilty of self-gOvernment. 1t is that which enables
him to reason correctly and lift himself above all
animal creation 1t this principle that constitutes
the intelligence of man; or, in other words it is
that in Man, which psrtakes most highly of the ma.
ture and character of Him in whose image he is
made-which term the DUMMY of dian. And
in proportion as this Divinity is enlarged the Man
becomes more and more capable of self government,
and still more elevated in bis character. will also
assume what know none viii venture in reason to
deny, thu this Divinity of Afaa be enlarged,
and that man can become more God like than he is.
1t is the business of the Democratic party to pro-
gress in the work of increasing this principle OF
!
make man more perfect. hold that the Democrat
ic party proper of the whole world, and especially
OF the United States has undertaken the political
redemption of man. and sooner or later, the great
work will be accomplished In the political world,
It corresponds to that of Christianity In the moral
They are going along, not in divergents, nor in
parallels but in converging lines-the one purifying
and elevating religiously, the other politically.
Democracy progressive corresponds also to the
Church Militant: both fighting against error-one
IN the moral, the other in the political field. At
what period of lime they will have finished the
work of progress and elevation is not now for me
to determine; but when finished, these two lines
will have Appropriated each other-man being per
fected both In religious and in political point OF
view At this point it is that the Church Militant
will give way and to exist, and the Church
Triumphant begin: at the same point, Democracy
progressive will give way and cease to exist, and
Theocracy begin.
The divinity of man being now fully developed,
it may now be confidently and exultingly asserted
that the eoice of the people ia the voce of God and
proclamation be made, that the mIennial morning
has dawned, and that the time has come, when the
Lion and Lamb shall lie down together; when the
"yoce of the turtle" shall be 'heard in the land ("
waen 1.-THE sucking child shall play upon the hole of
the asp" and the 'weaned child put its hand npor
the cockatrice's der" and the glad tidngs shall be
proclaimed throughout the land OF mans political
anu reIglous redemption, ana that there Is ION
earth, peace, good will toward men,"
1t will be readily perceived by all discerning
young men, that Demo racy is a ladder, correspon-
ding in politics, to the one spiritual which Jacob
saw in his vision: one up which all, in proportion
to their merit may ascend. While it extends to the
bumblest of all created beings here earth below,
it reaches to God on high; and it would seem that
the class of young men to which have alluded,
might find position somewhere between the lower
/ e IL. \ 4
at least with their virtue and merit if not equal TO
their inflated ambition, which they could occupy
with honor to themselves and advantage to their
country.