, 1865-06-16

power, and the aggregation OF property,
as essentially ariStocratic. Jackson's
war with the National Bank was through
out justified by him as an attack on q
new aristocracy, and he hated Biddle, the
Bank President, as the representative of
a power essentially undemocratic. So
we'll was this understood, that Seba
Smith, in the extraordinary series of sa-
tires caIIad MAJOR D0Wning'S Letters
which have scarcely been heard of in this
country. bat which so nearly changed the
course of the American Government that
Jackson on his dcathbed excepted their
author from his general forgiveness to
maukiud,-uSed his wit chiefly to prove
that powerful men were not dangerous to
the Republic. Jackson abolished them,
and Mr.. Johnson evidently shares his
feeling. He was incessantly attacked in
Tennessee rs an "agrarian," and though
he expressly and repeatedly denies that
charge, he nevertheless regards great pro-
portiez, entails, and land ~''monopolies,"
with Il rooted distrust and, when accumu-
lated ont Of the profits of slave labour,
with a feeling not easily to be distinguish
ed from hate. u am no agrarian," he
said. ~ wish to see secured to every
man, rich or poor, the fruits of his hon
est industry, effort, or toll. | want each
man to feel that what he has gained by
his own skill, or talent, or eXcrtion, is
rightfuIly his, and his alone. But if,
through an iniquitous system, q vast
amount Of wealth has been accumulated
in the hands of one man, or a few men,
then that result is wrong, and the sooner
we can right it, the better for all CON
corned. 1t IS wrong that Mack Cockrill
and G. w. Harding, by means of forced
and unpaid labour, should have monopo-
LIKED 50 large a share of the lands and
wealth Of Tennessee aud | say if their
immense plantations were divided up and
parcelIed out amongst a number of free,
Industrious, and honest farmers, it would
give more good citizens to the Common
wealth, increase the wages of our mechan-
les, enrich the markets OF our city, enliven
all the arteries Of trade, improve society,
and add to the glory OF the State"
Naming men, even though rebels,
whose properties are 10 be divided among
an audience then and there listening, is
for a Governor a strong measure, but Mr..
Johnson repeated his theory in his fare
we'll speech. Then, as now, he affirmed
that the "lcading rebels, not the rank
and file" the "intelIigent, conscious re-
bells" must suffer the penalty of death,
and the lands of the great planters be SO
distributed "that they should contribute
to restore to the thousands of suffering
poor The little substance they have lost
by the devastations and burnings Of this
war" This is doubtless the policy to
which he adhcres in his speech Of the
10th April to the deputation from Illinois,
and the reason which has induced him TO
stop the sales of confscated land in South
Carolina until he has made up his mind
how the estates should be re-diStribuitd.
We should fail by mere extracts to give
cur readers the full impression these
speeches have made on us, and must con-
tent ourselves with stating the conviction
left on OUT own minds hat Mr.. Johnson
does not only hate slavery, but that type
of society of which slaveholding is the tx
tremc form-society with violent chasms
between classes and excessive disparities
of condition. We should not even Won
der, so strong DO we believe this feeling
10 be, if it Influenced the system of tax