Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-04-26

SPEECH OF HON. ANDREW JOHNSON.
! Delivered at the congregational COVen.
ton in GreeneViIIe, April 10, 1859.
The GreeneVille Democrat gives the following re-
port Of Gov. JoHYsoNs remarks. sin response to
general call Gov. JOHNSON said
He had not entered the house with any purpose
of addressing the convevtion-he was wholly uupre-
pared to do 50, but in response to the call that had
been so loudly made upon him, he could not do less
than fer his heartfelt congratulations to the con-
Teniion for the harmony and union which had char
acterised its proceedings The Democratic party
rested upon principles, and addressed itself to the
intelligence Of the citizen; and while its members
| might justly differ about men, there could be no
substantial difference principle. Party divisions
had their origin in early history, and originally
we're founded upon The cGpaciiyof the people gov
ern themselves Inc democratic party believed not
only in the peoples RICH. to govern, but in their
pacity to exercise that right; and however often
the Opposition party" had changed its name they
had never lost sight Of the original principles that
divided the distinguished fathers Of the republic in
the formation of the Government. Under Whatev-
er banner they had f9ught-whether it was Wing,
Republican, Know nottingham, Amerioanism, Black
Republicanism or Opposition, they still adhered 10
the original distinctive dfereuces-stil distrusled
the capacity Of the people to control their own gov
eminent
Dub l6 CUuIu HUI 6ldDOTAie me history OF par
ties he would only say that the present plan of the
approaching contest indicated that it was to be
fought under the banner Of opposition. No pol
icy was Swallowed forth in any OF their platf-rms.
deposition. :" opposition to the party in power
was the watChWOrd and the battle cry.
He proposed to examine their DO sitiou of o2po-
stiOn for moment, for the people should under,
stand before they cast their vOtes. for whom they
voted, and for what they we're vo ing. "oPposi
tion," what did it import? 1t was negative term,
and proposed nothing but mutiaion and destruc-
ton of the it existed in the hands of
the democratic party.
They might tear it to pieces and reduce the whole
to ruins but what did they propose in its place
new pOlicy--he sUpposed-would be announced, af-
fer they had gotten themselves snugly ensconced in
power and place. Was that the way to address
free and intelligent people ?-the way to manifest
their capacity to govern themselves? First ask
power and then Rraciously declare no they intend
to exercise it. He thought the past history war.
ranted such confidence, and the people would de-
mand something understanding further.
He could not leave this part OF the subject with
out briefly recurring to the mode of attack the op-
position had adopted at the opening of the canvass
They charge the administration with extravaganza
anu WGsteful expenditure Of the public money.
He admitted the figures had run up pretty high
and no would go farther than he would to re-
duce them 10 the lowest standard upon which it was
posssibe TO administer the government. His past
of this assertion But this charge, as everything
else should be understood. 1t was made broad
cast and without specifications. If there was ex-
travagance, in what did it consist What items
were wrong Let those who make the charge
point them out, and then he would venture the as
sertion, that in nineteen out of every twenty in>
stances the journal would show that the very
party who now clamor about them, had actually
voted for them.
1t was sometimes charged that there was a waste
full extravaganza in furnishing the new Hall of the
House of Representatives and he only adverted
to that as illustration of what he had stated in
general terms. The enlargement of the Capitol,
and the consequent necessity of furnishing it all
was begun under Mr.. Fillmore's administration,
aud 3 large portion of the furniture purchased by
o gentleman of this State one William Cullom, who
was then Clerk of the House, elected by Know
Nothing" House of Representatives with Mr.. Spea-
ker Banks at their head
This would serve to illustrate how these wholesale
charges of waste and extravaganza, when squared
by the truth Of history, vanished into thin air, and
he warned the people when they heard such char
ges to understand them before they decided upon
them. If they were wrong the party who voted for
them should be held responsible. Il is true that
here and there it might be found that democrat
voted for appropriations, which perhaps were ex>
travagant; but where is the instance he demanded,
that the Opposition opposed them. He wanted
evidence.
he WCuIu Iurlner auuy lhaJ Inc great source CT
extravaganza was an overlooking Treasury. The
money hsd been collected off the people, and the
effort by Congress seemed to have been to spend it.
lie had always been opposed to such doctrine, be-
ieving he did that it led to extravagance and
corrupt IN. He believed in the old adage A poor
Treasury and a rich people" Collect nothing more
than is necessary to deray the expenses O! an eco
nomical government, and leave the people to apepd
their own money in their own way, was the true
doctrine.
But what did the opposition" propose to do more
than had already beeen done, The Democracy had
the inside track the subject of retrench,
ment and reform. Mr.. Buchanan st the head of the
party, had in the language of one of the resou-
tions adopted by the convention, recommended Con-
gress to institute rigid scrutiny into the expendi,
Of the various departments of the government
ad promised them all the aid in his power in pur-
suing The subject. Under this recommendation the
Senate Democratic Senate too-had begun the
work, and called on heads Of departments to submit
estimates for the seth Congress, bringing down the
expenditures if possible, to $4,000 OO0 or less,
per annum, exclusive Of the public debt and inter.
terest thereon. Here action was taken, and the
work begun. Congress- too, at its last session. had
acted still more decisively. The appropriation bills
then passed. only carried the expenses up TO about
ga 000 900 instead of 500 600 600 as had haon