Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-03-31
The Dead Secret = What Will Andrew
Johnson Dot


Greenyille Cor. Cincinnati Commercial. 25thl.
A. J. is now at home, enjoying the
sweets of private life for the first time in
many years. / say the sweets of private
life: to most men such terms could be
aptly applied, but not so with the man |
here refer to. As write / look out of
the window, and right down the street a
little way see o plain brick house. In
this house are the living remains OF
Andrew johnson. He is resting to-day,
but tomorrow he will most probably 90
into his little Office and straighten that
out. after that, whatY Not q single
man have / found in Greenville-not q
single old acquaintance of his in all the
crowd Saturday did | meet-who believes
that johnson will remain quietly in
Greenville for any length of time. They
all unite in saying that he is Of that ener-
getic, restless disposition which is never
content unless actively employed. Not
one month, since he left the tailor's
bench after his second election to the
Legislature, has he been out of public
life, and be is too old now to change his
habits. he may not get Office again
soon, but he has held all the Offices at the
command of the people, from alderman
of town of six hundred inhabitants to
the Presidency, and, of course, he can
go nc higher.
AS he said in his speech yesterday, he
had been to the highest round in the lad
der, and to go higher is impossible. Such
being the facts, it is not reasonable to
suppose he wants office but one thing is
certain, he wants excltement-the ex-
citement Of public life. If he fills no po-
stion himself, he will lend his voice upon
the stump to assist others. Beyond any
doubt, if the Conservatives make fight
the coming summer, johnson will take
an active part in it. He can draw larger
crowds than any man in the State-no
one denies that-and he knows it himself.
Although but very few believe he will be
a candidate for Governor, owing to the
slim chances of success under the fran
chise law, yet all believe that he will not
let the summer pass by without making
at least hundred speeches in this State.
The Conservatives don't want to put him
out on the Gubernatorial course as
candidate with such great odds against
him, as is now the case, for il would be
a lmost certain defeat, no matter how large
a vote be might get This may look like
a strange assertion, but, according to the
franchise law, the Governor has the
power to strike out all the votes of all the
counties but Kuox, for instance, or any
other. Suppose johnson should run, and
should carry two thirds or three-fourths
of all the counties in the State, what
would be the result? Simply this: +:
enough of the johnson counties would be
struck out to elect his opponent, whoever
he might be.
Now, with any other candidate but
] Johnson, the Radicals would hardly take
so bold step; but there lives not man
whom they would not prefer to johnson, !
and if he runs they will use all means to |
defeat him. And they can do it lawfully, |
too, if we consider the franchise act good |
law. II is very easy to strike out a dozen |
counties or two, which might happen to
give Conservative msjorities.
A great deal-in fact, everything-de-
pends upon the decision Of the Supreme |
Court 10 the Ridley VS. Sherbrook case,
now before it If, in tha, case, the Su-
nreme Court decide against the constitu- |
,iouality of the franchise Law, nothing is
surer nothing human can be more sure
than that Andrew johnson will, if he
ives, be the next Governor Of Tennessee,
and then 90 into the Senate Of the DATED
States. With the registration system out
of the way, and a free and fair bal lot for
black and white, he would receive from
sixty to eighty thousand majority. II he
should stump the State vigorously, the
number would be swelled close up to
hundred thousand.
/ am writing nov what ] believe to be
fact without prejudice or favoritismi aRd
i these Supreme Judges, who are now
holding the case to which ! have referred
under advisement lthe argument having
closedl, should be Of opinion that they
have Jurisdiction and that the lsw is in
conflict with the Constitution, what |
have here said will be in a fair way TO be
realised. In short, such decision would
change The whole aspect Of things 10 this