The Union flag. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1865-187?, 1868-05-08
JONESBOROUGH TENN FRIDAY, MAY 8 868

with them, tnaJ remeuy 80 eXIfUthe
as this was more adequate. 1t is only
under the light shed upon the partic-
ular issue by antecedent facts, which
now passed into history, that the
giant proportions of this controversy
can be fully seen, if they are not sufi-
GENTLY apparent now, by the defiant
tone of the President, and the for
midable pretensions set up by him in
his thoughtfully considered and pain
fully elaborate plea. g8f
The not Irrelevant question, Who
is Andrew Johnson? has been asked
by ono of his counsel, as it has often
been By himself and answered in the
same way by himself, by showing
who he ,rdS, and what he had done
before the people of tho loyal States
SO generously entrusted him with that
contingent power which was made
absolute only for the advantage ofde-
feated and discomfitted treason, by
the murdcrous pistol Of an assassin.
| will not stop now to inquire as to
scenes enacted on this floor, and elo-
quentIy rehearsed by the counsel for
the President, with two pictures of
so opposite character before me, or
seven TO inquire whether bis resistance
to the hegira OF the Southern ,Sepa-
tors was not merely a question, him.
self being the witness, as to the wis
dom Of such step at that particular
time. The opportunity occurs Just
here to answer, it is as it is put, sby
showing who Andrew Johnson.is, and
what he has been since the hour Of
that improHident and 4aunrefecting
gift Ehem quantlm mltatus G6 lilo I!
Alas, how changed, how fallen from
that high estate that won for him
the support of a too confdiIg people!
Would that it could be said Of him as
of that apostate spirit who was, hurled
in hidcous ruin and combustion down
from Heavens crystal battlements,
that even in his fall he had not yet
lost all his original brightness, or APP
peared less than an archangel ruined.
The master-koy tolthe whole his
tory of his administration, which has
involved not mere harmless differ
ence Of opinion, as one of his counsel
seems to think, where gentlemen
might afford to disagree without q
quarrel, but ono long and unseemly
struggle by the executive against the
legislative power, is to be found in
the fact of an early and persistent
purpose Of forcing the rebel States in
toathe Union, by means Of his execu-
tive authority, in the interest of the
men who had lifted their parricidal
hands against it, on terms dictated
by himself and in defiance Of the will
OF the loyal people of tho United
States, as declared through their rop-
resentntives. TO accomplish this OBJ
iect, how has he not done, and how
much has long suffering people not
passed over without punishment and
almost without rebukeY Let history
let your public records, which arc the
only authentic materials of history,
answer, and they will say that. Ia
For this, instead of eonvehing the
Congress in the mOmentous crisis of
the State, he has issued his royal proc
lamation for the assembling of con-
ventions, and the erection Of State
Governments, prescribing the qnalii-
cation of the voters, and settling the
Of their admission into the
Union.
For this no had created offices I'M
known to the law, and filed them
with men notoriously disqualified by
law, at salaries fixod by his own mere
will,
For this he had paid these officers
in contemptous disregard Of law, and
paid them, too, out of tho contingent
funds Of departments Of the Govern
ment. rI
For this he had supplied the cxpCn.
scs of his nov governments by turn
ing over to them tho spoils of the
dead confederacy, and authorizing his
satraps tolevy taxes from the con-
qncred people.
For this no surpassed away
millions of tho public
to rebel railroad companies
without consideration, or sold it to
Of his own, and without
any security whatever.
For this he had stripped the Bureau
of Freedmen and Refugees of its mn
niccnt endowment, by tearing from
II the land appropriated by Congress
10 the legal wards Of the Republic, and
to tho robels their justly-for-
fcited estates, after the same bad beon
vested by law in tho Government Of
Tho United States.
For this no had invaded with
hand the worry ponetralia OF
Tho Treasury, and plunderod its sonti-
nels for tho benefit Of favored rebels,
BY ordering the restoration of tho pro
soeds of sales of captured aud aban-
loned property, which had been placed |
IN ils custody by law.
For this ho had grossly abused tho
power conferred on him by |
he Constitution in releasing tho most