The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-11-07
Gov. johnson aua tho Common paopla.n

The following remarks upon the views ex-
pressed by Gov. johnson in his Inaugural Ad-
dress in regard to "cLas8es"-the "common
people, and the "extra-learned" "aristocra-
cy," are from the able pen of the editor of the
Memphis Bulletin, an independent paper
Differing with him slightly in regard to the
dimensions of the Governors soul, politically
speaking, as well as to the character of his
"sympathies," we submit that the views Of
the writer are otherwise remarkably correct,
and that they prove Gov. Johnson to be, what
his opponent in the last canvass told the peo-
pie that he was, the most dangerous man, &C
cording to his capacity, in the country:
Gov. JoHHsoN's ISAUGURAL.-0f all the pitiabe
sights in this world of the most pitiabe is to
see great intellect and strong soul heplessly
struggling in the letters of a rooted and grOveling
prejudice, from which they vainly seek to free
themselves Such a spectacle does His Excellency
Andrew johnson, Governor of Tennessee, present.
Endowed by nature with mind far above the
strength and vgor of that of most Of his fellows
and soul warm and big with sympathIes for hu-
manitv he is yet the veriest of slaves to the Bit
ter prejudice of class Forgetting, or overlooking
the anomaly which his native land presents, he re-
~
hooks or as he sees it in the arthciates of Euro
mean civilization Here, where he was born, and
sl around him. these artificial inheTitances OF caste
are no where TO be seen. All about him on the
contrary, under the magic enchantment OF Ameri-
can Republicanism, the world by which he IA sur
rounded il full of creations which are the offspring
of the natural equality of man. Everywhere there
are TO be zen the children OF ignorance risen to be
the lights of intelligence OF their age-the off
int the
strongest props Of virtue and public morality-the
victim of pinching penury in childhood raised to
be the luxuriant millionaire of the new generation.
Everywhere around him, in this teeming and busy
American life of ours, there are but continual eVi
dences that the ignorant are Ignorant only from
choice or sothiullness; the obscure are kept IN
obscurity only because, for the want OF manly en-
ergy Of purpose they choose to remain obscure;
and that the poor remain poverty stricken only
through their own thrftless Encouragement. Gov.
johnson himself is striking exemplar OF the
truth of all of this Poor himself in the beginning
of liie-lacking all means of even common rudi-
ments of education until he had arrived at years OF
manhood -friendless, alone, unaided, by bis own
energies of mind, and WILL and industry he has
forced his way upward to Distinction intellectual
as well as political, which few men OF his age and
circumstances have gone beyond.
And yet, Gov. johnson, we regret to see, still
ever aud ever seems to feel if he were still OF
that class of the Ignorant the humble the obscure,
the poor, who in his Imagination, are kept darn
Jy another ''class" ADORE them. This feeling leaks
out in his public speeches at the hastings; 1t re-
veals itself in his official communications; 1t |
breathes through his last Inaugural. His mind
seems TO be haunted by phantom OF AristOcracy |
and he is continually running tits at it, The |
windmills of cultivated mind refinement of man.
ners end the possession of wealth, are to his i'm
Agination veritable giants-enemies o! the com |
mon people" which it behooves him to attack and
slay. Hence he announces that there is settled |
hostility on the part of all those in possession OF
considerable extra learning, wealth and power" to
"every plan, effort and undertaking that has ten
dency to improve and elevate the great mass OF the
people," and that "whatever tends substantially to
benefit the common people, will be generally
viewed with hostility by the pseudo aristocracy OF
the country"
And yet it would be very difficult for Gov John
son to show that this very 'aristOcracy," of which
he speaks, possessing the extra learning, wealth
aud power" of which he is so jealousy hostile, did
not spring from precisely the same humble rank OF
life that he himself did The fact thas there 'ods
strata Of society above them, Of more intelligence,
more wealth, more power, than that in which they
were born, the incentive, the source OF emula-
ton for that self development whereby they attained
to it, It's the grand motor by which man is moved
onward and upward. Take away this goal OF a caste
of superior learning, superior refinement and
elegance, superior wealth and power, and man
would soon stagnate-the common people" would
soon become a stsgnnnt pool, instead Of a living
fountain from whence flow out the native rivuets
Df genius and of worth which water and refresh
the nations.
Gov. Johnson's philosophy reverses all laws Of
progress and is at war with the democracy he
processes. The history Of our race does not show
m example where what he calls the common people"
originated and pushed forward any great achieve
nent without being prompted and led by the master
minds Of the age The spirit of his way Of looking
1t things, would keep dOpn the aspirings of these
minds would restrain the throbbings of these
mighty hearts whose pulsatons quicken the life.
blood of the nations TO the level Of the thoughts
md the feelings Of the masses" by prescribing
hem as "arstocrats." II levels by pulling dOV'l,
lot by filling up.