The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-07-07
AmAIF.T,OLD sTORY.
How Andy .TOIlissOn Tmned the
Tables on Gus. Henry. So

Tables ON Gus. Henry
1 read in. your paper of recent
date an article credited to the Knox
vile, CTenn.) Press and Herald, giv-
ing graphic account of a political
between Andrew ] Johnson
and Ct. A Henry, at Mempis, where
these distinguished statesmen were
candidates for Governor of /
the Volunteer State, and stating the |
happy manner in which the "Eagle |
Orator. ''got Andy' by claiming
that the eagle was proud bird and
would not feed on carbon" / re-
member the discussion very wen, for
there was another incident connected
with it which can not be forgotten.
/ was a supporter of Mr.. Henry, and
then thought, with the liberty mas
ses, that Andy johnson was the
quintessence of baseness. Bot to the
discussion at Memphis The Press
and Herald has only told half the
story. give you the. otlser half,
which viii plainly show how Andy
stgot" the Eagle Orator :"
believe it was the late lamented
and brilliant VIM. II. Haskeu-him-
self the "noblest Roman of them all''
shat pointed out to the Wing can.
didate in the C0llgreSstosldk Globe, q
vote OF Johnson's against bill maxi
ing an appropriation to send sup
plies to the starving people of Ireland
during one of the years of famine in
that oppressed country. There were
many Irishmen la the audience, and
their sympathies were naturally with
Johnson, as the representative of the
Democratic party. But Henry's ell
oquence, as he pictured the starving
mothers, sisters. and innocent babes
at the breast, /" in their native land,
and hurled anathemas at Johnson
for the heartlessuess of the vote he
had given in Congress, refusing to
send a crumb of bread, even to in
duce the immortal spirit to remain
In its tenement of clay, left Andy for
the moment without an Irish friend
in the audience. .-.s.-.,-. I'd -.
speak. He did so, and at once took
up the question of Irish relief. He
acknowledged that he had acted as
charged, and boldly declared that he
would give the same vote then if he
was in Congress and the question
was before that body. He did not
believe that Congress had the Con-
stitutionaI right to appropriate the
public money in charities. He was
q strict constructionist, and could
find no authority to make any such
disposition of public funds. These
funds were collected for specific
purpose-the payment OF the actual
expenses Of the Government-and he
would have been untrue to his off,
eial oath if he had voted to make any
other disposition of them. There
fore, he could not conscientio iously,
vote for the appropriation in ques-
ton, and he was not mean enough
to dodge. -f-.s--. 49, -. -.
Of course, L do not pretend to
quote his language, but simply indi-
cate the line of argument by which
he defended his unpopular yote.-
But the clincher was yet to come.
After exhaustlng his defense of that
vote, he deiantly proclaimed in sub
stance; Yes, feIlOW-citizens, did
vote as charged. would do it again.
I simply discharged an unpleasant
duty in so doing. But il was q duty.
I had no more right to put my hands
in the public treasury aud take out
money for this purpose than 4 had
to put them into your pocket and
take it out for q like purpose. Yet
I sympathized deeply with the fam
ished people. My heart bled for
them. And as a proof of my sym.
pathy, although you know me to be
a poor man, ] here state that Andy
Johnson put his hands into his own
pockets and contributed, out of his
own money, five hundred dollars
How much did you give, Mr. Hen
ry, with your two plantations and
hundreds of negroes I? Not a cent"
This completely turned the tables
on Henry, and at once not only re-
stored johnson to his original posi-
ton IN the affections of the Irish, but
increased it ten-fold- Many of the
Wings were somewhat incredible us,
and NickedIy suggested that Andy
lied about the five hundred dollars,
but they knew that he would proba-
bly, knOek any speaker down that
publicly disputed his word. = ~
This is what / term the other hall
of that memorable discussion Cor
respOndeslce Of The Atlanta CO'lstitat-
ron. 45esFeua - ed isaEtHs ra 3
4 2 ..rrtrH san--.e