New-York daily tribune., 1865-10-26
PRESIDENT JOHNSON AND TIE
DEuO(RATIC PARTY.

DEUO( Ratio RARts'
Andrew johnson grew up nttimocrat oi the
school of Andrew Jackson. AS such, he wac
successiyey chosen Mayor Of the borough;
Representative Of his County and Senator from
his District; Member Of Congress; Governor,
and u. :. Senator: holding the last-named post
when the long broodng conspiracy for Disunion
eliminated in (so-called) Secession and open
Rebellion. So far, there is no dispute as 10
facts. In the natural, dictionary sense Of the
term, Mr. johnson is a Democrat; in the ar
tiiicial, arbitrary, partisan sense, nc ceased N
be one when thirteen out Of sixteen
Democratic Governors, with large majority OF
the Democratic Members of Congress, and oi
the several State Legislatures, also Of Federal
and State officers, repudiaied their oaths OF
fidelity to the Federal Constitution and plunged
into the mad vortex of Rebellion. Then, when
the Democratic leaders even in the loyal States
all but unanimously protested against "coer.
cion," insisting that the Disunionists must be
bribed to come back or permitted 10 go of and
stay of, Andrew Johnson broke with his party
and claye to the upholders Of the Union by
/ force, since force had been invoked by the
Rebels.
On the 3lst Of January, ls6l, the Democrats
Of this State held great delegated Convention
in Twedde Hall, Albany, to reprobate and de-
nounee beforehand any attemps TO " coerce
the Secessonists into obedience 70 the ConSti-
tuition aud laws. Horatio Seymour, Amasa
J. Parker, james s. Thayer, DC, &c, We'd
with each other in stigmatizing coercion" as
unconstitutional and worse than Secession.
MIR. Thayer gave notice, amid laundering accla'
! nations, that if the incoming Administration
| ItLincoln's] should undertake TO "coerce a" the
South, It would have its hands full at the
North, without looking for enemies elsewhere.
And the party - in every Northern or Border
State reGchoed these threats in every form and
shape, treating as public enemies not those
who were plotting 10 dissolve the Union. but
those who were suspected Of fixed detennina-
ton to preserve it.
Andrew johnson hercupon took issue with
his party-broke with it-denounced its leaders
as traitors, and vas denounced by them in turn.
On the ID Of March, 1S6l-Jo. Lane Of Oregon
having made speech against coercion"-Mr.
Johnson answered him earnestly, defantly-
saying:
"Show me the man who has been engaged In these
spraces show me one who has been sitting these
nightly and secret eonclaves, plotting the overthrow Of
the Governments show me who bas FRED upon our hag,
has given Instructions 10 take our forts and custom
houses, our aroenas and doekyIds. and will show
Won q traitor.
That being dom, were the President oi the United
State Wonld do Thomas Je1ei sOn did in 1896 with
Anron Burr who was charged with treason. would
have them arrested and tried or treason and II con
yictod by the eternal God they should suffer the pen
ally of the law al the bands OF tue execuioner sir
treason must be punished. It's enormlty and the ex
tent and depth 0f the ofense must be made known.
The time is not distant If tbs Government preserved
IFS Constitution obeyed ana s laws executed ia every
department. whom something of tEis kind must b0
done"
In this spirit, he has ever since spoken and
aeted--the distance between him and the bulk
Of bis former compatrots constantly widening.
Thus he spoke and voted in favor of expelling
Jesse d. Bright from the Senate--Jesse being d
rather pronounced Copperhead, though esteemed
by bis fellow Democrats sound in the faith and
loyal to the Union. In his place in the Senate
in the Joint Committee on the conduct Of the
Wsr-il addressing assemblages Of the people
Mr. johnson has been among the boldeSt and
strongest denouncers of Secession as treason,
and Of sll its abettors as criminals Hence
he was selected by Abraham Lincoln
for Military Governor o. rTsnnessee, as one who
would do anything, dare anything for the
cause Of the Union-a confidence that was fully
justified by bis subsequent coursc. Mr. johnson
governed Tennessee as an uphaldcr Of tie Union,
regarding and treating armed, defiant Rebels as
having no rights that loyal men were bound to
respect. Hisrule was far more OdiouS to them
.han Lincoln's--his acts stiguatized by them as
more outrageous. They didn't know how to
hate anybody else so venomotsly as they hated
Andrew johnson.
He was stern ruler. When the people Of
Nashville chose Rebel municipality, Gov.
Johnsou--on their refusing 70 take tho oa1' o.