Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-09-14
THE RADICAL INSULTS TO THE
PRESIDENT.

them would be difficult, IL is wholly unlm-
portant what member Of the Radical party
was the guilty one. They are all aocesso-
ries, and will receive the just scorn of all
decent men, at home and abroad. 1t shows
the spirit which animates and directs the
party which has arrayed itself against the
wise policy Of the President-its tendency
to violence, brutality and bloodshed.
II is an experience, however, that is not
new TO President JOHNSON. When he es-
poused the cause Of a constitutional Union
against the Southern movement to dismem-
Der the Federation of States in 1861, he was
tainted and jeered and called hard names
then by many Of the Southern people. In
passing from Washington to his home in
Tennessee, he was met with indignity and
insult on the route of his trave!-cailed
traitor and scoundrel--threatened with viO-
lence and with hanging-crowds sometimes
entering the cars and leading him with con-
tumelious epithets, and on one occasion es-
capped mob violence by the conductor Of the
train moving off before his pursuers had
time 10 execute their purposes. This course
did not influence him then, and it will not
influence him now, so far as to swerve him
a hairs breadth from the course which
he has fixed upon as right, and wise,
and true. The foundation stones Of
ANDREW JoHNsoN's political action, and
upon which he will stand or fall, are; lst
A reverence for the Constitution, which he
holds as sacred and inviolable; I'd. An at
tachment to the Union under the Constitu-
ton, fearless and unalterable; Sd. An
abiding faith in the people, and their dispo-
sition and capacity to uphold and sustain, as
they have created, a free, popular govern
ment on the basis Of true Representative
Democracy; and 4th, the duty of all
earnest and patriotic people to stand by and
maintain the Republican structure erected
upon this foundation. To these he adheres
in prosperity and adversely alike, defying
equally the allurements Of place and power,
and the rude and fierce detractiOns Of adyer-
saries. Upon such man the amazing scenes
through which he has passed in his present
journey can have no influence, either in
modifying his course or changing the worlds
estimate Of him as a man and statesman.
Besides, these vulgar exhibitions of brutal
hate are as feeting as the winds Of March,
or the clouds Of April. There are but few
Of our readers who will not remember that
the very man, whose cherished memory this
pilgrimage of the highest civil, military and
naval functionaries of the Government was
designed to honor, was spurned, insulted,
traduced and openly threatened with mob
violence at his own home, at the place and
by the very people who are at this moment
sounding his highest praises, and perpetu-
ating his great fame by the erection of the
monumental obeliszl Only a few years
before, the immortal WEBSTER was rudely
traduced and openly insulted in the streets
Of Boston, and excluded from Fanuell Hall,
an edifce his own eloquence had con-
tributed as much TO make dear and memoir
able as anything else in its history. The
massive doors were closed, and the ancient
walls were denied to resOund under the
thrilling words Of WEBSTER. Still earlier,
President JACKSON was refused the courte-
sizes Of his station by the meek and sanity
city thdt has offered the same indignity to
JOHNSON, within elastfewdays, and thehe-
70 Of our Second war Of independence" was
likwise denounced and traduced and insulted
and threatened with mobs and assassination.
Yet his tomb was the Mecca Of the Union
soldiers in the late years, and his magic de-
claration in favor of the Union, uttered thir-
ty years before, became the rallying cry Of
the people and the armies of the North du-
ring the recent struggle None of our truly
great men have escaped treatment similar to
that visited upon ANDREW JOHNSON within
the last few days.
Yet, when DOUGLAS was assailed by
furious and inappeasable constituency, he
was only asserting the constitutional rights
of the people of the States and of the Terri
tories to regulate their domestic concerns in
their own way. When the Infatuated mob
at Boston were tradueing WEBSTER, and
locking Fanueil Hall against him, he was
but expounding the Constitution and point
ing the duties and obligations Of States and
citizens under it. When JACKSON was the
object of contumely, and barely escaped
assassination, he was only asserting the
rights Of the Erecutiuc under the Constitu-
ton, and sustaining the Union in the grand
name of the people, their interests and their
rights These names be immortal forever
more, and the political and social gad-fies
that vexed and annoyed them for a brief
hour arc the property Of oblivion.
So it will be with JoHNsoN-having be-
fore him greater and more expansive and
enduring work than either of them. 1t is
his to wrest the Constitution from the enc
mics that have laid violent hands upon it:
To take up the several arteries Of torn and
bleeding country and make them whole and
perfect in their functions again: To close
the temple Of war, and restore wasted and
blighted land TO peace and prosperity: To
preserve the executive power, to resist the
fatal oncroachments Of the legislative, TO
hold the judicial to its sphere, to curb the
military, and to restrain the popular pas
sions that have been dashed into fury by the
events of the last five years, These are the
great Offices Of President JoHNsoN-greater
than all the labors Of tabled HERCULES;
more varied and delicate than those a dozen
OF more Presidents in succession before him;
involving greater diversity Of interests,
intenser passions, and binder and more vio-
lent antagonisms than has ever fallen to the
lot Of one man-and he can only perform
them by the assistance and support Of a ma
jority Of the brave and true people Of the
country, regardless Of past differences.
In such vast work, the Insignificant YER
bal assaults made upon him at railway sta
tons, in the dark, by hired tools, in small
settlements, will make no impression upon
or diversion in the right line Of his career.
"
A CORRESPONDENT of a Southern paper
says Of WESDEII PuLLIs:
His facets bloodless. more than bloodlcss-