Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-02-20
"what is an Autocras -,

| in the Union a. AmerioaH's article of yester-
| day, under the above head, on some points,
we presume it is ignorant of the etymolo-
gy of the principal word in its question,
What is an Autocratw If there is a
crevice in its sconce capable of admitting
the faintest glimmer of light, we will let in
a little. Autocrat is from two Greek words
autos and kratos, the one signifying self or
himself, and the other pOaoer. An auto
| crat is one who combines in himself all the
power of the State. The Gar of Russia
is an autocrat He is an absolute mon
arch, the source of all power in the gov
eminent of his realm and his subjects. In
our use of the term which has suggested
the article in the Union d american,
we referred to the understandable as
sumption of power by Gov. johnson in re-
gard to the Inspectors of the Penitentiary.
1t is not necessary to refer to the conduct
of this individual two years ago, in regard
to this same matter. Every man in the
State knows it, and unless he wears col
lar and chain, the former bearing the in
scription "MY DOG. A. Johnson" and the
latter in his masters hand, puts correct
estimate on it. 1t can be briefly stated,
however, to refresh sluggish memories. He
nominated to a Senate with Democratic
majority, three gentlemen as Penitentiary
. Inspectors. They were confirmed. Their
commissions were delivered, and they en-
tered on the discharge Of their duties
Duties, be it remembered, for the proper
performance of which both the Governor
and the Senate had vouched their capaci-
ty, and for which they were not responsible
to Andrew Johnson but to the laws of the
country. At the threshold they met with
difficulty They appointed an Agent and
Keeper. The man of their choice for that
station did not suit their autOcratical Gov
ernor, and be demanded that they should
revoke their appointment and select one
whom his august and imperious majesty
should dictate. They refused to do his
bidding, and with the aid of Democratic
Senate, this audaciOuS tyrant hurled them
from their places and appointed others in
their stead. Is there nothing in such con-
duct which savors of autocracy? Is there
nothing in it which looks like attempting
to arrogate to himself powers not confer
red on him? The law made him the in
strument for appointing certain officers to
do certain duties. He virtually took from
them the authority vested in them alone by
law. He made their judgment in the mat
ter, and their responsibility a nullity. DO
as I tell you, said Sir Dictator, adding in
his purely chaste and pious phrase, let any
body who don't like it go to HI and be
id. That is the conduct and the Ian
guage of an Autocrat.
But what does Governor Johnson want
with another Board? The one now in Office
are the meE of his selection two years ago
What does he desire a change for? They
have manifested signs of a refractory
disposition. They are going to cross his
path. They are going to thwart his will.
They are about to trench upon his auto
cratical privileges. They are about to re-
sst the one-man power. Unless they are
elected from their place, the next Penten-
tiary Agent will be the appontee of those
whom the law has commissioned with the
duty, and not Of Andrew johnson! If
they were automatons and not men, there
would be no attempt to appoint another
Board. Autocrats are jealous of their
powers. Any attempt to curtail or inter-
fere meets with prompt resistance. They
regard their appointees as unreasoning ma
chimes, and when they evince an intention
to do as they please, they are unsuited to
their purposes Andrew Johnson on the
hustings can howl himself hoarse in advo-
cacy Of popular rights, in his desire to sim
plify the government and bring it nearer to
the people, but in Office he can play the
petty autocrat, oh how disgustinglyl