Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-04-10
M nc M II Fl Isl
Saturday Evening. April 10. 1863
Moses johnson.

Moses Johnson.
Ex-President Andrew Johnson, in his
speech a few days since at Knoxville,
reviews his political record, and takes to
himself much honor for having set the
negroes free, and thereby robbed the peo-
pie Of his own State of millions of dol
lars worth of property.
"But a word or two about Moses,
savs Andrew johnson, and adds: u
want the attention of the colored people
They are now free. Who set them free Z
Abraham Lincoln2 No. Any of these
people? "a voice--Nary one.J Don't
YOU remember Tennessee was exempted
from the proclamation ? / want my
reputation to 90 down clear. There was
not a eolored man in Tennessee freed by
Mr.. Lincoln's emancipation proclama-
tom Who did it? did, on the steps
of the capitol at Nashville, in the midst
of the excitements and perils of that
hour, while the missiles of death were
flying, /, myself, proclaimed that slavery
no longer existed in Tennessee; that
every man was free by the inherent prin-
ciples in him"
That, we must confess, is very pal
etable stuff for the freedmen, but not
for his late master. Let men talk as
they please about the forgotten past, ard
let by-gones be by.gones, and the grave
that contains the bones of our deceased
Confederate Government should also
hide from our view sill that in the past
is disagreeable to look upon; yet such
fine speeches will not prevent our look
ing back at our desolate homes and
ruined fortunes. We cannot forget these,
for each and every hour in the day we are
forced to remember them by want and
the struggles against poverty. We, per-
haps, are not forgiving enough; but we
are poor human nature, and ask to be
judged by the Christian rule, and that is,
TO forgive when forgiveness is asked, but
not till then. Andrew johnson comes
back to Tennessee where four-ffths of the
people are the sufferers by his damnable
and reasonable course, and right
in their upturned faces says ut
was | who took your fortunes from
you the accumulations of several
generations by toll aud deprivstions. 81
am the Moses that led the negro out from
Egyptian slavery. and not Abraham Lin
coin, and for which you must throw up
your hats and shout for me as the modern
savior" This is the political disb from
which the freedman and the Yankee de-
lights to sip. bat it is not at all palsiable
TO our rebel sto@aehs. We sicken on it.
1t is disgusting to every true man who
wore tbe gray and served four years in the
Confederate armies; and instead of taking
Andrew Johnson to our impoverished
hearths he should be spurned and forced
from our doors. Let "a be true TO our
selves, and God will then be Just to us
in our generation. But to surrender
honor and manhood, to be plsything of
the hour for Andrew Johnson-never,
never, never.
The gentleman should be treated with
every degree of respect by our pecpls
while sojourning 10 our city. He should
not be insulted But we should not
forget what we are now and What we
would have been but for Andrew John
son. There is an impossible river of
blood, drawn from the hearts of half q
million OF Southern heroes, that cannot
be passed over by Mr.. Johnston to the
affections of our people. By undoipg
the work he has done, and pursuing
penitential course in the future, alone
could force us to accept this ex-Presi-
dent as our political champion.