The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-04-04
Andrew Johns on in Tonnsssse.


/ Il was the remark Of the hlaeiiiet
President PollS---whose widow still sur
wives to guard his honore9 gIase frog
tue footsteps of the inyadeE-that Il
mad never held any but an elective u
fee. 1t was to the voluntary suhrsges o
the people or their representatives pia
he was INDEBTED for his elevation aud hb
honors. He never held a foreign az
pointment. ministerial on eonsulsr ilne
never occupied position in the babine
or upon the Federal bench. All the Of
fees he ever filed we're the gift. Of thu
people--the free-will offering Of his fel
low. citizens, who honored his virtues and
confded in his patriotism.
Snch. too, was once the boast OF An
drew JohDston. There is hardly a valley
or hilltop in all this great State, where
he has not been heard to exelaim thai
all power resided in the people--thot
ours was the peoples governnient-1-tiiai
~ os.isgs ,Esrr npeatsa sog rne se1a7ai
I the people, -and that their viii, When
legally ascertaiaed, should be the law of
the land. Such was his boast; what has
been his performance?
President Polk was virtuous states
mana great and good man-whose life
was made to square with his public pro-
fessions. Can the same be said Of Mr..
johnson? Has he not shown himself to
be pretender--a mere political hypo-
critic, who sought to win the confidence
of the people for their own ruin?
After boasting from every stump in the
State that he was the peoples friend, and
had never held any office that was not
bestowed upon him by the people, we
now find him coming to Tennessee, sur
rounding himself by an army Of foreign
ers, and seeking to overthrow the gov
ernment of the people! lie claims the
right to fill the Office Of Governor; but
who called him to the office? Not the
people surely. Nor have they voted to
overthrow their regular State govern
ment, and to reduce the State 10 the con-
dition Of Territory. Such, however, are
few of the changes which johnson
has come to inaugurate.
Who appointed him Governor of Ten
nessee? Mr.. Lincoln-not the people,
Who maintains him in his office? North
ern soldicrs-not the people. Who has
planned the overthrow of the sovereign
ty Of the State? Surely it was not the
people, but the Federal Government.
Will the people tamely submit to see
their proud State converted back into
a miserable territory Are they prepar-
ed to forego the right choose their own
rulers, and to have disgusting brood Of
Federal office holders-Governors, judges,
marshals, surveyors, clerks, etc, placed
over them by aleir foreign masters?
Mr.. johnson has abandoned all the
teachings of his life. lie has shown him
self to be pitiful trimmer, aehufiing
demagogue, a brazen hypocrite, pretend
ing to be the peoples friend, and yet
oyerthrowing their government and i'm
posing himself upon them when they
have not elected him.
The right of State government is the
dearest right the people of Tennessee ey-
er enjoyed. 1t is the sheet anchor of all
our political hopes, and when that is lost,
all is lost. II is above all price-of in
value-and far eXcelling all
other rights and privileges. 1t is worth
more to us than the old Federal Union
ever was, or than the new Confederate
Union ever can be, or than both combin-
ed. Destroy the State government, and
we become slaves and our rulers despots.
We will have no Legislature, but coun-
Gil appointed by our masters; no Cove rn
or, but satrap sent to rule over u.s.
The council that frames our laws, the
governor or vicegerent who executes
them, and the judges who admin ster
them, will ell be our enemies-our mas
ters, Are we prepared for such degra-
dation?
1t were better that milestone be
hanged about our necks and the whole
State be drowned in mid ocean, than
that this thing should be.-McaYh,s Ap-
Oeal.