Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-04-02
SPEECH OF GOV. JOHNSON, ON THE IN
STRUGGLING RESOLUTIONS.
CONCLUDED.

If I we're disposed to enlarge the subject, (but
intend 70 be brief) / could 60 back to 1859, and
refer to the proceedings in the Senate when the
measures came up. We all remember
the part taken by the distinguished statesman OF
KspIuclyv on that occasion Notwithstanding il
had been part Of my teaching and part Of my ed
ueation to oppose that distinguished man, yet al
WAYS looked upon him as gallant, talented and
daring leader In 1850, when | witnessed his eff
forts here in the Senate, when he was struggling
for what many believed to be the peace and hsrmo-
nv Of the country, when he threw himself into the
breach, when he was standing here receiving as
ssuls from all quarters and defending those meas
ures, where did my honorable colleague stand2 Up
to the time when God, in the exercise Of his nssru
table Providence, called General Taylor to-
The undisoovsr'd country, from whose bourne,
No traveller retorns."
and Mr.. Fillmore was called into power, where did
my colleague stand? Was it not understood that
he in opposition to the course taken By the dis
inguished statesman of Kentucky, whom came
here to listen to with delight and pleasure every
dayl The gallant bearing, the noble sentiments
uttered by that great man during that contest
brought me up nesrer 10 him and removed many
Of the preiudices had centracte in early life, IN
reference to him. General Taylor, with all the
patronage Of the Administration took his stand in
favor Of what was called the non action policy,
leaving the country aud the questions to take care
of themselves though dissolution might come,
though the country was bleeding. He was for let
ting in California, and leaving al the other ques
items unsettled Have we forgotten that strong
smile that presented in the Senate, by Mr. Clay
holding W his hsud ex ending his fingers and say
inghqt he;e we're five bleeding wounds, and that the
Administrator only proposed TO stop one, leaving
the other four bleeding profuselyf
In this condition of things and when that man
was appealing to the country, where dld the great
compromiser-I mean my honorable colleague
stand? lie stood here sustaining the Administra-
ton, and against Mr.. Clay. Until General Taylor
died in July 1850, here he Stood opposing all those
measures, giving the weight Of his reputation, and
the benefit OF his talents in opposition to that dis
tiuguished man who has acquired some reputation
as a compromiser, and deservedly 60 Where did
he stand while those five wounds were bleeding =!
After the President passed from time to eternity,
and Mr. Fillmore came in, and action must ulti-
mately be had and his leader gone then he came
up to support the compromise. When you take my
honorable colleagues course on all the measures
with which he has been connected, you find dis
position rather TO 60 along on both sides 1t Is MS
history Take his speeches, with all his power TO
refine and double distil and they run along carry
ing arguments both sides; tits hard to telW where
he will locate until his vOteis given.
Ny honorable colleague yesterday evening, IN the
midst Of his excitement, (which was 80 great that
he refused to allow anybody to move an adjourn
ment) in referring to what had done, said that
had my documents dog-eared; and had made a
terrible onslaught. Why sir, portion Of the things
that were used by me COTTON up after the dis
cussion commenced In the very same remarks he
told the Senate that he had stUdiedhis speech that
ne had conned it; that he had memorized it, but
that he had not delivered it in the Senate as he had
prepared it; that he was careful in selecting the
terms he used. have no fault to find with that !;
but where is the force of the objection that should
IL, 1oor 10 n
some references. 1 can inform my honorable col.
league if he does not know it. that try TO initiate;
sometimes | am an imitator; and remember read
lug the old maxim always keep your powder dry "
It was a great maxim with Cromwell. did not
know but that he might in here on the presen-
tation Of these resolutions, or on some other occas-
ion and make an onslaught on Democracy and the
principles advocated, and wanted to be prepared
come when he might, to meet his assaults; for
knew they could be met and answered successfully
Dog-eared. l think if my colleague had dog-eared
some Of his documents & little more than he has
done he would have been more fortunate in some
particulars than he has been.
The most of the speech that has been made to-
day has been an attempt to show that public Opin-
ion in Tennessee has not come in conflict with
his He repeats what 1 stated yesterday, that had
csnysssed the State from johnson to Shelby and
that made the issue upon every stump. That Is
true l did make the issue with my competitor,
Colonel GENTRY, VINO was man popular IN manners,
of fine personal address, and as fine declamatOry
powers as any man in the country, and pressed it
upon him every day, with scarcely an exception. /
pressed upon him to know how he was on the Kan
sas Nebraska question? My honorable colleagues
course was known. It was known that portion Of
the delegation here had voted against him, and the
inference was that Colonel Gentry, if he had taken
ground would be with those colleagues in the other
House who voted for the bill. That was the Opin-
ION: l will not say it was the fact but Is well
known that if he had taken ground against it, he
would have been beaten many more thousand votes
in the State than he was. lie saved himself and
tried to save some of his friends by Withholding
an avOwal Of his sentiments on the subject; but
even with Know Nothingism on hand, with all their
plans and the appliances that were brought to bear
on that contest the State was carried by decisive
democrsticmaiority. Look the election of members
to Congress- you want see how public opinion has
been expressed. l see some Of the members not
far from me. The issue was made on this identical
question and every who voted against that bill
mas been consigned to the tomb of the CaPulets
My honorable colleague is holding on to his place by
the tenure Of a six years term.
He says that the American party commenced the
canvass of 1855 in the State of Tennessee with the
confident hope of carrying the State by an over
wheiming majority. That is very true They did
set out with the belief that they would carry it by
large majority What they believed, and what they
other and very different thing. The result turned
out differently from their anticipation. They were
and we carried the State by over
majority. How is it possible, then, that
nv honorable colleague can be deceived in refer
ence to public opinion there!
Then, in 1856 followed another contest, with
identically the same issues involved, discussed by
the electors throughout the State; and what was
the result of that canvass An increase Of the
popular majority for Democracy TO seven thousand
five hundred votes. In 1857 the same issues were
before the country and one Of the electors who was
on the ticket for the State at large the preceding
fall was the candidate for Governor, and he ried
the State by a majority Of ten thousand votes. ct
nv honorable colleague in the face Of all this gets
up here and tells the Senate that he does not be-
lieve there are five hundred men in the State of
Tennessee who understand the question. That is
very complimentary to the people of Tennessee? In
S54 the question before the Legislatures it has
since been discussed in two gubernatOrial cleo
lions: in Congressional and Presidential elections
and yet my honorable colleague has the hardihood
10 give it as his opinion here that there not five
hundred men in the State who understand the ques-
ion.
Nov. when the Legislature are in session fresa
rom the people, elected at the time with the
Governor, who received ten thousand majority, they
pass resolutions, after discussing the subject in
which they instruct their Senators TO do certain
uluEs Wnlcn iney eA press IN
hose resolutions they recte the language of my
honorable colleague, in which ne declared in sub
1tanoe that if public Opidon was against him in |
his own State he would net be one day longer
n the Senate. Yesterday he declared that these |
extracts we're garbled. What do We mean by gar |
lied extract It is an extract taken from para
Taph, or a writing, or speech, which taken by |
tself means something different from what it would
hen read in connection with the whole context. Is
lot that so He said it was gaTbled, thereby ma
ing him mean something that he did not state. Did
ny honorable colleague show to- day that by read
ng these paragraphs in connection with anything !
Use, they meant anything but just what the Legis-
AZURE has stated? H. did not and he leaves them
Untouched with the simple declaration that the ex-
racs are garbled. How? They are there; every
art that would make them mean Just what they
re and what does he say? In his place here he
ecared that if the voice of the people Of Tsnnes-
ee was against him, he would not be seen in the
enate another day How does he stand Go to
IT. Etheridges district, now represented by General
.tkins, and TO Nathaniel G.. Taylors district, now
epresented by the honorable Albert G. Watkins
nd how does the matter stand In Mr. Etheridge's
istrict, where it was stated by my colleague the
3sue was directly made, and upon this question the
lection turned, aud how does it stand there Take
be isolated case he presents Mr.. Etheridge man
talent nd ability, was borne down by public opin-