Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-11-23
JOhmsOn---The Idol
RrOken.
Andrew

We never had any faith in the honesty, in
tegrity or patriotism of this man. We believed
him, from the FIRST, to be demagogue only
anxious to find out and be on the strong side;
and that he was at all times ready to 60 dem
sgogue-like wherever his supposed Interests
led him. We have, therefore, never glori6ed
and pelted him as have many Of our cotem'
poraries. The Louisville Journal is among
those who once held of him, ss well as OF Holt
and Stanton, better opinion. 1t has long
since broken the images Of the two latter OF
these golden calves, which it had set up for its
worship 1t now thus radely breaks that OF
Andrew Johnson:
He General Andrew Johuson) has used his
Office not to restore Tennessee to her place in
the Union so much as to entbrone abolitionism
as the ruling power Of the State. He has
worked for the Abolition party with little or
no regard TO the rights and welfare OF the
State and of the Republic He has done this
in many ways, but especially in authorizing
the enlistment of slaves throughout the State,
in refusing to recognize the loyal Governor
elected consttutonally by tho people in Au'
gust last, in not permitting the people to hold
an election for the purpose of reconstructlng
| their Legislature, and of sending Representa-
tives to Congress, in continually addressing
| Abolition harangues to the people, in pension
ing an abolition organ or hand-organ at the
| Capital, and in practically making abolition.
! ism the standard OF loyalty in the execution
Of his office. In these ways and in other
ways, he, as an officer of the general govern
ment, has labored consciously or unconscious
" to subvert the institutions of Tennessee un
der the gu Sc of seconding such efforts oil her
people restore their constitutional relations ia
the Union. Instead of really seconding such
efforts, he has frustrated them in the interest
of aboltionism He, in his official character
has done nearly everything he could do to full
6 II the visions of oppression and OF insult,
which in moment Of frenzy drove TENNESSEE
into rebellion. The chief, if not the exclusive
mode, by which he, as the representative o
the Union, has sought to promote the re-es
tablishment of the Union in Tennessee is vir
tual by the offer of tyranny in return Tor al
lsganee. In fine, General Andrew johnson
speaking in the name of the Federal Govern
ment has said in effect, to the people OF len
nessee
"You must consent to abolish slavery, if yoI
would be permitted to recognize your loca
government and resume your place as Stat
Of the Union" Such in effect is now the Ian
ruage of his position and of his conduct Nay
his position and his conduct now announce
this condition more directly ana unmistakabl
than ever before Without formally asserting
the theory of Sumner and Whiting and Butler
he is vigorously carrying it out in practice
No wonder the case of restoration in Ten
nessee appears to be at a stand-still or to b
going backward rather than forward. Th
wonder wonld arise if the case should max
| headway under such uniriendly auspices Il
truth, the wonder actually is that the cause
not far less advanced than it is.