Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-04
ANDREW JOHNSON.
HIS InRexiBIe Consistency.

RON the M CIV OK W OTld, SD. -.
The rancor of the Republican part
against President johnson grows out of
feeling that he has betrayed them. II
Democratic President had done precisel'
the came things which Mr.. johnson ha
done, he would have been regarded as
miracle Of moderation. The outpourinl
Of venom against Mr.. johnson has GoweC
from a feeling that he has BETRAYED tn
party that elected him.
We propose TO show, to the satisfaction 0
| all honest meR who will attend to tn
proofs, that Mr.. johnson has been, sine
the memorable winter Of 1861, the mos
consistent statesman in public life. H
stands precisely where he stood when h
separated from his section at the beginning
/ Of the civil war. Withthe natural infiexi
| bility Of a very tenacious character, he hs
/ never varied a hairs breadth from tn,
ground he then took. 1t would be eaay
| for the Republicans to convict him of I'M
accommodating obstinacy; but they have
no ground 10 complain that he has diaap
pointed any reasonable expectation.
Mr.. JOhnson's obligations of party honor
and fidelity are to be measured BY what
the Republicans took him for, and what ht
gave himself out to be, at the time of hi,
election. We will examine where hestood
then, glance back at the antecedents which
led TO his nomination, and complete the in.
quiry by comparing that position and those
antecedents with his subsequent course as
President The result will he TO show thai
the Republicans have got precisely what
they barganed for when they selected
Andrew johnson Tor the Vice Presidency.
When he was nominated, the news was
forthwith telegraphed 10 Nashville, and
in speech to the friends who ihronged to
congratulate him, Mr.. johnson said:
Next it the nominating convention
said, (if | may be permitted to speak OF
myself not in the way of vanity, bat TO IL
lustrate principle,) We triH 90 into one OF
The rebetiious States and choose a candidate for
the Pice Presidency. Thus TIE UNION
PARTY DECLARED ITS BELIEF THAT THE
REBELLIOUs STATES ARE STILL IN THE
UNION, and that their loyal citizens are stu
citizens Of The United States"
Without waiting to be formally notified
Of his nomination, Mr.. johnson promptly
proclaimed the doctrine he -Esaiatainad on
the most important question that conld
come up during the ensuing four years.
The most fastidious sense of fidelity 70
the Republicans required no more of Mr..
johnson when he became President, than
that he should not bestow offices on men
who voted for Mcclellan and Pendleton.
This obligation (if it wac one) he has scru-
pulously kept. He had q full right by
party usage, to change his Cabinet and in
dulge his personal preferences in the Sc
lection Of all other officers, so long as he
did not go outside of the circle Of those
who voted for the ticket on which he was
elected. He waived this privilege, con.
ceded to all Presidents by party usage, and
retained the Cabinet of his predecessor.
The Republicans have nothing to complain
of ercept that he did not allure the principles
rhich tiey kae,0 him 10 hold at the time of his
nomination.
With regard to his policy, it is simply
what every Republican must have eK-
pected from the declaration made in the
Nashville speech. The Republicans may
be disappointed, bat surely they are no; be-
trdysd. They are disappointed, because
they never meant that Mr.. Johnson should
be President; but they have no reason to
be disappointed that, being President, he
has not renowned his former belief that
the States did not forfeit their Federal
rights by the rebellion. The course Of Mr..
johnson has been a model of steadiness,
consistency, fortitude, openness, patriotism,
self-sacrifcing fidelity to principle, and
delicate recognition of all the plausible
claims Of the party which, for electioneer-
ing reasons, selected q war Democrat for
the place on their ticket There is no
justice in attempting to disgrace him for
their own political blunder.
Whether he correctly interpreted the
views Of the convention is Of no conse-
quence. 1t ia enough that he left the party
in no doubt respecting his own. 1t seems
to us that his inference from their taking
a Vice President from Rebel State was
logical but whether is was or not, its
and publicity deprived them of
sll right 10 complain if Mr.. Johnsons sub
sequent action should correspond TO his
then declared views. He had the perspi-
cacity 10 single out the cardinal question
on which future reconstruction would turn,
and the fraukness TO declare the view he
took of it, The Republican party knew
precisely what they we're getting when they
elected him Vice President. They also
knew that he was by nature tenacious, dog
matte man, little given to borrow the opin-
ions OF others, and incapable of yielding
bis own. Itwss this stubborn infiexibili-
ty Of temper which led to his selection as
Military Governor of Tennessee. As the
knew his views, and had no
reason TO suppose from his character he
would change them, they have no right to
call Mr.. johnson a traitor TO the party that
elected him.
That explicit declaration at Nashville
was in perfect accordance with Mr.. John
sons whole course from the beginning of
The war. Before the close Of Mr.. Buch
lnan's administration, Mr.. johnson, like
Mr.. Douglas, opposed secession, not as
but as a Democrat At the
extra session, in the summer Of 1861, il
vas Mr.. johnson that introduced ia the
Senate and pressed to a vote, the celebrated
resolution declaring that the war was not
xaged for any purpose Of conquest OF snb-
uEation, but that when resistance ceased
he rights Of the States would remain IN
impaired. At the same session be took
he lead in giving seats 10 the new Nir
yinia Senators who had been elected after
he secession Of the State thus evincing
lie opinion that State did not lose its
light of representation by engaging ia the
Indeed, TO have held any other
opinion would have been q remuneration Of
ia own right 70 represent Tennessee when
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