Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-28
us skulkers in times of danger and
men VIGOROUSLY unfit for any pub
liz truSf

; eminently qualified for the positio
he held, and who will go q crippl
to his grave, is displaced by a ma
who not only enjoyed the securit
of his fireside during the war, bu
is known to have been proslavery
: sympathizer during the BordeI
Rufian disturbances of ths ther
territory. iall b Desc.
In another, a soldier is dismissed
to make room for a mere camp To-
lower, who made it his occupation
during the war to plumber the gov
eminent at every turn, and fill his
own purse with the ill-gotten gains
of stolen beef.
In still another, as brave and gal
liant soldier as ever drew blade,
who entered the army a private,
and won his epaulettes with his
sword, is displaced by a man whose
only recommendations the eyes
of those to whom he owes his APP
| point ment-is his personal hostili
| ty to and defamation of myself
| This consideration, in fact, will
apply to nearly every appointment
that has yet been made in my State
] The acknowledged military ser
vices and past faithful political and
official records of the ineumbents
all go for nothing when weighed
against that paramount and all es-
sential qualification of having been
my persistent and fierce calumni-
ator; and the fiercer the better, in
the estimation of those who are the
new found patrons of these ap-
pointees. ....t. =.
| The faithful, intelligent, and in
fuential Radical Republican, be he
soldier or civilian, may go back to
his law, his farm, or his shop. This
administration has no use for his
services, however valuable they
may have been, if he has held office
during the last year and half, and
bas not had the sagacity to ward off
the coming storm by timely and
wholesome personal denunciation of
myself. 1t was not sufficient that
these gentlemen should openly
everywhere and decisively dissent
from the policy of President John
son, and from the course which l
thought best to pursue, when l be-
lieved the Republican party was
Fastening to its own and the coun- 4
try's destruction; but having failed
to burroN into the deeps of SANDER
and personal vituperation, it counts
nothing, and they must go.
The soldier may look back with
proud satisfaction upon the record
of his four years of gallant service;
he may recall the bloody scenes of
that history, all of which he saw,
and part of which he was, and
count the nights and days of hun
ger and toll, and.of mortal danger
cheerfully borne in behalf of the
land he loves; he may think of a
limb left upon the field of battle, a
memento of his courage and his
faith in his country's cause; he may
contemplate with such hope and
consolation as he can the dismal fu-
ture through which he is con-
demned to pass-a useless cripple,
or body cicatrized with wounds;
it all counts nothing if he has been
so imprudent as to accept a favor
from me, his friend, and fellow SOL
der, when l had it in my power to
serve him. This administration has
no use for him. No matter what
his military or political record, no
matter how faithfully he may have
served his country in sanguinary
contests of the field, or his party in
that great civil engagement which
elevated to the Presidency the great
captain of the age, which put an
end to strife, and gathered in the
fruits of the glorious victory in the
field, if he has SHIELD Office during
the last year and half" that fact
sis presumptive evidence that he is
a Johnson man." and he must go.
Mr.. President, during my term
of service here l have sought re
cognition of the claims of my fell
low soldiers to public honor and
station, and by my aid many have
been appointed to offices which
they have filed honestly and well.
The fact that Mr.. Johnson did him
self the honor to appoint them,
though they nearly all were and are
Republicans, and the further fact
that they are my friends, is not
sufficient ground for their removal
by the Republican President-him-
self a soldier. If he ostracises
them from personal pique, or to
crafty the animosity of others, he
does no honor to himself and no
service to the country; and /, as
their friend and comrade, will not
stand by and acquiesce in it
from any consideration ofpersOnal
interest or none of executive favor.
These men are among the coun-
try's heroes. The President, with
| the consent of the Senate, may take
from them the petty Office by which
| they hoped to exc out subsistence,
| until the grave shall close over the
last of their fast diminishing num-
Der, but he cannot take from them
their right to recognition and favor,
because of their service, nor their
power to indicate that right by
their and their children's ballots.
And any administration which de-
grades that right to or below the
level of mere party or personal
claims will be taught its folly by
those ballots. a f a-
Mr.. President, for twenty years
| it has been my pleasure, though not
my profit, to belong to that adj
| vanced corps of politicians now
known as Radical Republicans.
| No man joined with more earnest
zeal and hopefulness in urging
upon the Republican party, long
before the assembling of its general
convention, the nomination of the
distinguished chief who is now our
National Executive. No man
looked forward with more painful