Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-08-16
For the Pomeroy Weekly Telegraph.
ANDY JOHNSON AGAINST TRAITORS
AND CCMpROMISERS

For the Pomeroy Weekly Telegraph.
ANDY JOHNSON AGAINST TRAITORS
AND CONTROVERSIES.
Andy johnson has been making a
speech in the United States Senate. In
this there is nothing very remarkable,
as Andy is both a speaker and Senator.
He is also good Union man and
Democrat, and as he is from Tennessee,
this is remarkable. Come whence it
may, treason finds no favor with Andy.
He has lately been among rebels and
traitors, and hence clearly understands
their designs-perhaps knows some
thing of their acts. Andy, therefore,
handles such stock without gloves-he
is by no means 'mcaly -mouthed" when
talking Of traitors. He has, indeed,
forgotten to be conservative that is,
he tells the wAo1e truth, and is willing
to do his achole duty. Andy is evil
IDENTIFY no fossil-he belongs to the rres-
cnt age. Andy's parents lived during
the last generation-Andy lives now
He acts for the present and future
not for people dead and buried a hun
dred years ago. Andy is, therefore, a
live man, fully up to the times. The
people like Andy, and he likes the peo-
pie. He was raised among them. He
made himself-learning the alphabet
after he arrived at manhood-and while
at his daily labor. He is, therefore,
one of the people. The people have
his sympathies-not so the Aristocracy.
Andy is servant for the people--not
their master, as some in his posit on
think Hence he looks to their inter
ests and welfare. This, of course, is
not conservative, but radical; but,
then, the people are radical. Senators
are not compelled to be conservative
when their constituents are not. Still,
they can be, even then, if it is the fash
ion. But, in this, Andy don't follow
the fashions SO much as he does the
people. The people would put down
treason-so would Andy. They would
not compromise and neither will
Andy. The people think the rebels are
making war upon the Government to
destroy our Stree institutions" and,
thereupon, Andy says: They (the
rebels) are in the wrong they are making
scar upon the Gorcranecnt, they are TRY
ING TO UPTURN AND DESTROY OUR
FREE INSTITUTIONS.
Very radical that is, to be sure, but,
then, very truthful, also 1t would be
"conservative' to call the rebellion an
''unauthorized'' mode of ''redressing
Southern wrongs" It would also be
''conseryative" to talk Of the Abolition
lists of the North in very harsh terms,
and then, Of Southern traitors in very
mild terms. And to be exceedingly
conservative. Republicans should be
called Abolitionists This would help
so much to ''conciliate those gentlemen,
in arms against the governmentI' But,
alas! Andy wouldn't be conservative. "
He would call things by their right
names. Traitors were called traitors.
Treason was called treason. He wished
to tell the truth and do his duty; and,
Of course, if he did this, he could not
be conservative" Truth is always rad :
ical, and as Andy told the truth, logic
ally, he is radical Andy may expect
growl, and fault-fnders to find fault
Outspoken traitors will denounce Andy
without stint. Andy would not "com-
promise" with traitors, and to refuse
that, is as bad in some folks eyes, as
treason itself. Hear what Andy a0W do!
II say to them (the rebels) that the
compromise | have to make under the
e:rtsttng circumstances is, ground your
arms, obey the la,cs, achnooledge the su-
premacy Of the Constitution; when you do
that | will talk to you about compro-
mise"
So Andy will not even tall to traitors
about compromise until they lay down
their arms and surrender at discretion
They must "obey the laws" says Andy
just SO says "Old Giddings." They
must "acknouledge the supremacy of the
Constitution could Sumner ask more!
And what then, Andy? Why, then, he
says, II will talk to them about com
promises" But what will you do,
Andy?-"that is the question inter
poses some conservative" gentleman,
anxious to fritter away the Constitution
by new concessions to slavery and trea-
son. Why, then, says Andy-we quote
rerbattna-"ALL THE COMPROMISE !
HAVE TO MAKE IS THE COMPROMISE OF
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED
STATES"
Radical again, Andy. Greely will
make that compromise. The Constitu-
tion hangs traitors; Chase will be with
you on that. 1t Furnishes treason; so
you can count Sumner and Giddings
''fast friends" there! To be "conserva-
tive, - you should make every other com
pr omise Jm the Constitution. That is
too RADICAL
But Andy proceeds-having COM
menced telling the truth he is deter
mined to clear his own skirts. Hear
him again: "When you talk to me
about compromise l hold APP to you the
CONSTITUTION x x !: IT WILL
PROTECT YOU IN ALL YOUR RIGHTS"
Very true again, Andy, but then the
traitors never dared pretend that they
were deprived Of their rights under the
Constltution-tha was not the trouble.
They rebelled because the people re-
fused to put into that instrument rights
and privileges they never had. To be
"conservatiye" you should be ready to
"gire up" not ''hold up the Constitu,
ton. This constitutes the difference be-
tween the two characters-radicals would
'hold up" while conservatives would
"giye up the Constitution. One would
suppress treason by giving traitors what
they ask; the other, by giving them what
they deserve. the former would hang
Davis and Toombs--the latter invite
them back to the Senate they disgraced
to retake the oath, which, as perjured
villains, they trampled under foot
Andy would hang traitors, and stick tc