The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-10-08
MONDAY MoRNINs;nma:a::ocT 8, 1865.
"ANDREw JOHNSON AND THE
STARVING IRISH
The Detroit Post has started

The Detroit Post has started on its rounds
the following paragraph:
In the winter of 1867 during the Irish
famine, it was proposed in Congress to ap-
propriate sum Of money to purchase corn
and -four to send to the starving people Of
Ireland The bill passed the Senate and came
tothe II ouse where its title was read, when An
drew johnson, Of Tennessee, objected to il on
the ground that it was Unconstitutional
to feed starving Irishmen and women. and
moved to lay the bill on the table. When
this vote was taken Andrew johnson voted
to lay the bill on the table. In spite of An
drew johnson the American people did send
several ship-loads of corn and -four to Ireland
to aid the starving people of that island.
TO the above implied charge Mr.. JOHNSON
once made a reply which completely silenCcd
and overwhelmed the party who brought it
before public meeting The story is worth
repeating at this time. 1t was four or five
years after the famine and the contribution
of food from America TO relieve the starving
Irish, that GusrAvrs A. HENRY. styled the
eagle orator of Tennessee was stumping
the State against ANDREW JOHNSON. At a
public meeting in locality where there were
considerable number of Irish voters, Mr..
HENRY was prompted by a brother politician
to bring out this charge" against Mr.. JonN,
SON.
Henry was brilliant orator. a relative OF
the family of the famous PATRrCR Henry,
and he proceeded to draw picture of the
Irish famine, in which strong men fell down
from the exhaustion of hunger and babes
Irnn,nJ InnI bo utnrla hronuts IF 70,
ished mothers, etc. And at this time. he said
proposition was made in Congress to appro.
pirate money TO purchase food for these poor
sufferers. But Mr.. JOHNSON voted against it
When Mr.. JOHNSON, in the course Of hi'
reply. reached this subject he said, i'll sub
stance: My friend has seen fit TO a lude tC
my action as member of Congress in ref
crcnce to a proposition to appropriate tho
public money for the relief of the people o
foreign nation. then suffering much dis
tress. 1t is true that | voted against sucl
an appropriation. knew, and the gentle
lnan who has spoken in opposition to Inc
knows, that we had no right under the Con
stitution and laws to give the peoples money
TO other nations, however we might pity anC
commisserate their sad condition. We were
not sent to Congress for any such purpose
nor endowed with any such powers. Blu
while | was constrained, by sense of dut,
to my constituents and to the country. to op
pose that measure in Congress. ANDREW
JOHNSON, although possessing buta very few
thousand dollars. and with family to ~
supported, put his hand in his pocket an
gave five hundred dollars to the fund the
being raised for the relief of fulninc-Strickc
Ireland. How much did yoU girc Nj
Henry Hnm much did you Jioe? All, IN
fellow-citizcns, he did not give one cent =
The effect Of this rcioindcr was 4 colnpct
"settler." The lrishlncn present, who la,
been excited against Mr.. JOHNSON by the az
peal of the Eagle Orator OF Tennessee, eN
perienced a sudden reyulson of feeling. an
Mr.. Henry. as the meeting broke up. h'
slowed some heavy malcdlctons upon hi
political friend, who had melted him 10 tc
this terrible story about ANDY JOHNSON
Il If tho storyinr Irish