Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-13
THE DRIFT.
The Tennessee senatorial Question
Comments Of che New York Papers
"A st. Louis Journal ON the PrOba-
bflffies. G44J g

The Washington correspondents of thu
New York papers seem to think that ex'
President johnson viii now stand some
chance for election to the United States
Senate. This opinion, it is stated, is
based upon letters received at the nation
al capital from prominent Tennessee
Republicans, supporters Of Senter, but
strong opponents Of Mr.. Johnson" who
write to their friends in Washington that
Secretaries Boutwell, and Creswelps let
ters indorsing Stokes have contributed
largely to the probabilities of Mr.. johns
sons election. One writer says
"These letters of Endorsement had the
effect of exasperating those Republicans
who supported Senter in good faith upon
| the platform and principles enunciated
by the Chicago convention. They assert
| they have always, in connection with
Senter, stood, and now stand, upon that
platform, while Boutwell, and Creswell
have sought to ignore it so far as the
| franchise question is concerned. These
Republicans say that Andrew johnson
and his friends were shrewd enough
to take advantage of the fact that
these two cabinet officers were array
ing the administration against the most
prominent of Grants supporters in Ten
nessee, and that therefore they were to be
whipped in like set of ours upon the
caprice of ambitious aspirants for the
presidential succession in 1872. 1t being
well understood that Andrew johnson
would be the most obnoxious person to
Gen. Grant and his cabinet that could be
sent from Tennessee to the Uuited States
Senate, asympathy for Johnson's success
in that regard has been aroused on the
part of prominent conservatives who
would otherwise have opposed him with
strong probabilities of success This
sympathy for Mr.. johnson has also
been materially heightened from the fact
that Gen. Grant has neglected or refused
to contradict or qualify the terms Of these
mischievous letters of the Secretary Of
the Treasury and the Postmaster Gems
eral.'' -...
The New York Tribune's Washington
correspondent writes that the prospects
of ex-President johnson for the Senate
"are now considered almost certain" but
the Tribune editorially says:
'If the news were little less vague
we might know how much to be fright>
ened, but we are confident that no such
affliction is in store for the Senate yet
awhile, and Mr.. ] ohnson will have abun>
dant time to fulfill the promise he made
in public speech little while ago, of
beginning once more at the foot of the
ladder of official promotion, and mount
ing from the rank of alderman of his
native village up--welI, up as much
higher as he can get"
The New York Herald, under the
heading mot Dead Yet" editorially
says:
candy Johnson's return to the United
States Senate in view of the result in
Tennessee, is almost certain. This is
not the least satisfactory result Of the
contest in that State. Andy is bold,
positive exponent of that class Of political
ideas that is least agreeable to the blatant
Radical rulers. He has the one grand
virtue that he will not be put down, and,
therefore, discussion in the Senate will
be the less monotonous for his presence.
He has Union record that no man can
impeach. He is o Southern Senator not
open to the carpet bag objection nor as
sailable on the copperhead sheer. He is
genuine in all senses. absolutely fearless
and honest, and will make Rome hoWl7
from his place in the Senate with much
better effect than he ever did in his mes.
sages. He is the first President since
j ohm Quincy Adams whose political vi
tality has not been exhausted by the
Presidency"
The New York Journal of Commerce
editorially says:
FLUSHED with their grand success, and
fercely indignant for the interference
against them, there is possibility that
the new conservative legislature will send
Mr.. Andrew johnson to the Senate; not
by any means because they like Mr..
johnson much, but they want to plant a
thorn in the Presidents side. Mr.. John
sons talents as nettle are well known.
If returned to the Senate, we may exs
pect him to devote his time, for the rest
of Grants term, to thrusting the sharpest
of spikes into him and his policy. He will
be to the President what Brownlow has
been to himself, or Stokes to Senter,
personal, malignant and implacable perse'
cutor. All of which, if it happens, will
be disgraceful exhibition to the coun-
try, but, politically speaking, will be but
a fair return for the Presidents NEEDLES
some conduct in the Tennessee election.
By taking sides unnecessarily in the cons
test he has descended into that political
arena where blows are given without
mercy and the cry for quarter is un~
needed. The President never will hear
the last of Tennessee until he has got out
of office and settled down on his farm at
Long Branch or elsewhere"
The st. Louis Republican of the llth
inst, discusses the probabilities as fol-
lows:
Our Radical friends just now-haviDg
partially got the thunder Of the late cleo
| ton in Tennessee out of their ears, are
busily engaged calculating the chances
of Andrew JOhnson's return to the
United States Senate in place Of Fowler,
the present incumbent Claiming, as
some of the administration journals do,
that the election alluded to was IN no
sense of the word a Conservative vic
tory, it is certainly singular that the
name of the ex President should even
be talked Of in the same breath with
that high position. Mr.. Johnson, If we
mistake not, has made such an emphatic
record that his political status is as well
defined as either his friends or his enc
mics could desire. If by shrewd ma
nipu!atisn of the forces which kind for
tune has seemingly put into his hands,
he should emerge from q brief retire
ment and take his old place IN the
councils of the nation, the strong
probabilities are that the voice and
vote of Mr.. Johnson will not materially
assist the Radical cause. That such I'M
questionably 'floyal'' people as Greeley
and Brownlow should indirectly contri-
bute to the triumph Of a man whom they
have hated worse than the devil, would
be species of dOnble-distilled, poetic
vengeance hardly equalled and never sur.
passed, And yet there is something il
the mans character, and especially il
his previous history, which might lead us
to suppose that such an event was re
served to complete his remarkable ca
reer. Fighting his way from an obscure
and illiterate manhood inch by inch anC
step by step to the gubernatOrial chair