The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-08
Andrew Jackson-Andrew johnson.


From the World
The most interesting letter received by the
Tammany Society, on the occasion of It's semi
centennial celebration of the Battle of New Or
leans, was not published with the proceedings
of the dinner. We are now permitted to print
the letter of President johnson in response to
the invitation sent to him. To render its sig
nfcance more apparent, we give also the form
of invitation to which il was a reply:-
SEMI CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE AMI.
vERsARY OF THE BATTLE oE NEW ORLEANS
Society OF Tammany, or Columbian Order-"The
Union Must and shall be Preserved "-TAMMANY
HALL, New York, December Is, 1865-Sr:-lhe
ancient Soc ETY. OF Iammany in pursuance Of Its time
hOnored customs, will celebrate the versary OF
the Bait OF New Or cans, by grand dinner at
1ammany Hall, on Monday, January g. 1885, at
O'Clock z. M Since the establishment OF the
IN the history of our country which animate the
patriotism OF our peope and strengthen their devo-
ton TO our glorious Unloni aud among these none
was moro conspicuous or important than the great
victory which saved south western frontier from
Duchery and plunder and closed the war OF 1872 in
a blaze of glory.
he recent sad civil STRIFE has given rise to coebra
tons IL the opposng sect ons OF our Union, VIII ich
are desgned to commemorate the victories OF
brethren over brethren. 1t Is with unfelgned joy
that the Iammany Society hail the advent OF
when they can lecur to an event which NO achieve
ments IN our subsequent history eyer dim and
which reunited brethren, in every portion of our
glonous republic can celebrate with euua pride and
qualification 1t is IN this spirit and with promise
of q cordial welcome, that the sons OF Tammany IN
ve You to their semi centennial celobr lon of the
great victory OF Southern hero, who filled the world
with tire fame of American valOr, and devoted his
subsequent life to the establishment and security of
constitutional liberty.
We ave the homer to be your Obedient servants
John l. hoffman, Elijah +. PurdY, Jonn Van
BuIen, Samuel l.. M Barlow Ma thew I. Brennan,
Anthony l.. Robertson. Daniel ID vim, Edwards
PierrepOnt, James L. Brady, Wi liam M. Tweed,
Sie hen Cambreling Aqggst Belmont Samuel ):
hellY, Douglas lay ylOr Isaac Bell, John f. Burril,
John j. Bradley Richard O'Gorman, Daniel E.
Delavan, Charles Oaly, Oswald OttendOrter, Peter
u. Sweeny, Emanuel B. Hart, George w. Mclean,
James b. Nicholson John Il Ueveln, Ma hanlel
JARVIS Jr., John r. BRIGGS, Committee of Ar ange.
ments JOHN VAN buren, Chairman.
DOUGLAS TAYLOR secretary.
President Johnson's letter declining the invi-
tation will command general attention:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WAsHINeToN D. G.,
January 1S66.-Sir:-i take pleasure Ill ac6noW.
ledgIng the receipt, ftom the A ent Society OF
IsmmanY, OF an invitation to attend their sem-cen-
tennlal CO ebraton OF tire anniversary OF the Battle
of New Orleans. 1t would afford me sincere gratif-
cation TO join YOU in cOmmemorauOg he eminent
serv ces OF the hero OF that great victory who in
field and IN council ever sQnalIzed his devotion to
the Union o the ntates, and won for himself endur.
ing national renOwu. Ny engagements, however,
WI not permit me to he present, and regret this
the more as the occasion IN honor of event to
which, as you justly remark, reunited brethren in
every portion OF the republic can recur with equal
qualification and PRIDE
he nspira ions derived from the contemplation
OF common trIas, common vic, orles. ana national
traditions, saccdy cherished by every American,
cannot tall TO exert important influence in heal
ing the irrltatons of sectional wounds and strength
enlng the feeling OF devotion TO the Federal Unlon,
the maintenance and presery alton OF which, in ali
its dignity ana purity was the sole OF the intre
pld and mcorruptibe patriot, Andrew Jackson,
With great respect, sincerely yours,
ANDREW JOHNSON
Hon. John Van Buren, Chairman, etc etc, New
Yerk City. ... u
We commend this noble effusion of sterling
patriotism to the meditation OF the political
newlights who have discovered that the true
glory OF this country dawned during the late
war, and that our former boasts and achieve
meDts deserve to be treated with contemptuous
scorn. According to these Illuminated patriots,
the greatness of the American Republic dates
from the first OF January, 1868, when Mr.. Liu-
coin issued his emancipation proclamation.
The restoration of such state of things as ex-
isted under Washington, under Jefferson, un ler
Jackson, woulo be regarded by them as national
degradation, under the insupportable shame of
Which they would ''look about them to find dis
honorable graves"
President johnson does not seem to share the
views of these political Don QuiXotes. One
might suppose from his letter, that he thinks
the career OF his country for seventy years after
the adoption OF the Constitution was career of
greatness; that the pride OF our statesmen, the
eXultatiOn OF our people, and the admiration OF
liberal minds In all foreign countries, had some
reasonable foundation, which it need not dis
credit mans judgment to acknowledge. From
| the way he writes, we should not be surprised
to find that he thinks the inner tance trans
! mltted to us by our fathers is quite as valuable
! as any additions we OF this era OF hight are
| likely to make to it: and that If, in imitation of
! the damsels IN the Greek table, we cut up our
J country and boil her in political caldron with
! herbs and incantatons, in the hope of render
| ing her more far, we NAV be urable at the con-
cluson OF the experiment to restore lie to her
! disioned members.
To what wonderful height of moral eeva-
! ton must our present statesmen-our Summers,
| Steyenses, and the rest-haye grown, to be able
| to look down with pitying contempt on what
| was, lor seventy wears, the admiration and envy
! oil the world How unfortunate for the mental
| growth oil Andrew johnson that he keeps such a
| stubborn hold of the prejudices he imbibel in
that unfortunate era when we were afflicted with
the habeas corpus, but had no Ereedmen's Blu
reaul Now that we have grown SO yirtuous and
| enlightened as to regard those seventy wears as
period OF national disgrace its political saints
| ought, OF course, TO step out OF the calendar.
especially those who like Jackson, had so little
philanthropy as to value the equal association
of the North and the South IN its public councils
With such names on the Southern side as
| Washington, cur most illusrious patriot; JET
ierson, the most forecasting OF our statesmen:
Marshall, the greatest OF our jurists; Madison.
the wise eXpounder OF the Constitution; witt
Clay, Jackson, and 80 many more it is only
by deacing and beiouline the memory of those
seventy years OF what was once considered
glory, that the claims OF the South to better
treatment than we are giving her can be sC
scorniully set at naught 1t Is perhaps owing Il
the TACT that Andrew johnson is beni ghteC
Southerner, like the rest OF them, that he IS 81
slow to perceive that true sCatesmanshIp did no
commence TN it was discovered that the UnloI
is not worth restoring, and consists in efforts Il
keep 1t dismembered.