Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-10-18
A Statesman's Platform.

candidate Tor Governor OF ENeS
York, is am earnest upholder Of
the reconstruction policy Of Presi
|. fdent Johnson, and as such he j
uncompromisingly opposed to thu
: revolutionary policy of such slang
whangel 8 as Brownlow, Thad. Ste
vens, Ben. Wade, Beast Butler
etc. These subsidized DULLES ir
the vernacular of ruffanism, have
called PresidentJohns "murder
err" "liar,". "traitor," "usurper,'
"wretch," "drunkard," "apostate,'
and ''renegade;" they have pro-
nounced him worthy Of death on
the scaffold; they have prayed
that he might be suddenly taken
off; they have caused him to be
Missed and blackguarded by their
fanatic followers, and inshort there
is nothing in the shape of brutal
insult that malice could suggest to
base minds that they have not
heaped upon him. And then for
sooth some of their ribald organs
like the Press and Times, pretend
to be shocked because the Presi.
dent met their threats and con-
Itumely with open defiance. Yer
lily. he had been more or less than
man had he continued silent I'M
der the foul assaults that were
necessarily made upon him. His
forbearance was wonderful, but it
gave way at last and his honest in
dignation found vent in explicit
language. Stigmatized as shell
born and hell-bound,' denounced
in Congress as ruler only ex-
empted from ignominious death
by the magnanimity of the age,
and pointed at from the pulpit as
a cumberer Of the earth, whose
"taking off" was desirable, Mr..
Johnson was justified in using the
opportunity afforded by bis late
journey, to retort vigorously upon
his assailants. !
Mr.. Hoffman, in a recent speech
opening the canvass, proposed a
course from that pursued
by our patriotic, merciful, Chris.
tan C) Governor. He said:
81 am chosen standard bearer of
the great National Union party, |
which is formed of many associa-
tons of Union and Constitutions
loving men, to prevent the sue
cess of another party which is
calculated to destroy the best in
teres:s of the country. | intend
to conduct the campaign on my
part by arguments and not by de-
nunciatlon. Ishall give my oppo-
nents all the credit they may be
entitled to, and shall expect the
same treatment in return; but
while | shall not denounce them, l
shall, to the extent of my abili-
ties, denounce the policy of which
they are the upholders and the ad.
vocate." /.
This is the true course to be
pursued by the opponents Of all
parties. Nobody mistakes lam
booming for logic in these days of
1iscernment, and none are deceiv-
ed into the acceptance of the Ian
suage of common scolds for that
Of common sense. You cannot
curse a man out of his sincere con-
victions, nor damn him into SUBJ
shutting your own. Let this be
July understood, and the ameni-
lies of an election campaign will
De recognized as well as its morali-
les. Gentlemen of character
will not then be set down as evil q
aims" as " liars" or as "thieves,"
simply because they are disposed (
o serve the public, and the rest d
If the world will not be amazed to
discover, as it always must be,
hat, judging from the comph- !
nents of the press, we never put q
ID for office in this ''free and en- j
ightened country" any but un' {
n;ticatad sinners. and never re-