Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-06-09
es- The Union and American declines t.


ES- The Union and american declines to
publish our exposure of the grounds on which
Gov JOHNSON rests his free-land scheme; but
acquits US of any intention to ihjure Gov.
JOHNSON This is quite as much as we ex-
pected. Finding itself and the Senator in an
extremely awkward position in defending the
proposition to win the popular heart TO the
government by bribery, it proceeds to shift
its ground, and brings forward other passages
from the redoubtable Senator's speech, in
which the trite idea is advanced that persons
having direct interest in the soil are more
likely to be its reliable defenders, than those
who have not. This is most unkind cut to
very large class of the American people,
honest, brave, intelligent and patriotic, who
have no ownership in the soil. The very
large class of mechanics, operatives, laborers,
merchants, clerks, &c, de-, whose capital is
mostly vested in another form, and who, the
census will show, constitute a large proper
ton of our people, are thus put under the
ban Of suspicion and doubt. Their patriotism,
according to this theory, is to be measured
and estimated by the title deeds, and govern
ments patents for lands which they may have
on record. We are to try their reliability sin
sustaining our free Institutions by the rules
and proofs which the Courts make use of in
the trial of ejectment casesl Without the fi,-
tons it il, John Doe VS.. Richard Roe. In the
passages quoted, the Senator holds that the
landholder is also more reliable at the ballot
box. His next step after the passage of the
homestead bill, to be logically consistent,
would be to establish property qualification
for votes-not workshops and store-houses,
but landed property. We were content to let
Gov. JOHNSON and the merits of his hobby go
to the people as a bride for their patriotism,
but more especially as a measure to humbug
them into the support of ANDY himself
together with the fact that its leading ten
dency is to invite foreign immigration to this
country, and build up and strengthen the
power of the free-soilers and abolitionists.
But the Union and American, out of superfiuous
and mistaken kindness, firts the ambitious
Senator out of the frying pan into the fire. If
it accords better with the honorable gentle
mans feelings to be roasted on the Goals than
in the frying pan, we shall certainly interpose
no objection. We can as conveniently haste
him in the one place as the other.
Gov JOHNSON could not resist the tempta-
ton to renew in this speech-which has al
ready received unmerited notoriety. for it is
q crude mass of inelegant verbiage, pervaded
by an undercurrent of agrarian radicalism
and demagoguery-his uncomfortable desire
TO array the classes of society against each
other. He does this in this language: Il
want no miserable city rabble on the one
hand. 1 want no pampered, bloated, cor
rupted aristocracy on the other. / want the
middle portion of society built up and sus
tanned, and let them have the control of the
Government" And this, be it known, is
paraded by the Union aud american in a labored
vindication of the course of Gov. JOHNSON on
this subject We venture that there is not
an honest, discreet. sensible and rejecting
member of that middle class, to which this
vile appeal is made, who does not despise it
with all the energy and vehemence of proud
and Independent nature. A free democratic
government, in which the people are all equal
and alike sovereign, goes to perdition the very
moment it begins the practice of class legisla-
ton, which is here openly avowed by the |
powerful mischiefmaker, but feeble statesman.
who is commissioned from this State as a |
United States Senator. 1t destroys at once
the theory of equal rights and equal laws,
which is the foundation of every excellence |
we possess as a nation, and should consign to
eternal infamy the man who would deliber-
atelv aftemDt to bring il about We can tell |
Gov. JOHNSON now, that the people, the great |
middle classes, if there are really any such,
will spurn him and his doctrine. The time |
has not arrived when he, or any other enemy |
of good order and good government, can |
rise upon any warfare which they may be
able to stir up among the fancied classes of
society.