Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-06
Congressional Plots and Plans.
An Empire Wanted.
The National Flnances--Tax
Collectors and BayOnetS.

| states, ana as having iougnt many Dats
ties and won many victory in behalf
of constitutional freedom.
Ex-PresideDt johnson then climbed
over a rail and took his stand near the
reporters table on the balcony. He was
again greeted with applause. He said it
was not his purpose to make speech,
but merely to tender his thanks for this
cordial welcome on his return to Wash
ington. 1t was not necessary for him on
this occasion to recapitulate or rehearse
the arguments he had heretofore made
in behalf of the people, and in behalf of
those great principles which should be
maintained and preserved by those call
ing themselves free, patriotic, and intel~
ligent. In taking the stand he did, be
believed he was doing his duty. Ap~
plause. He had tried to act on
principle and in vindication Of prin-
ciple. He had collected facts and
arguments which, in times gone by, were
| considered unanswerable and irresistible.
They had been presented for the consid-
GRAFTON Of Congress and the country, but
it appeared they did not avail much
during the time he had presented them.
However in his politics, as in his relig-
ion, when his facts gave out and his
reasons failed him he drew pretty largely
on his faith, and his faith was yet strong
and unbroken. The time would come
and that ere long-when the American
people will be aroused to the importance
and high sense of preserving the great
rnr1nninlac hiah haua haar annh cd
and trampled under foot so long. He
would say let US have faith. He be-
lieved the CLEAN Of the morning of re-
demption could now be seen he thought
it was coming when the constitution of
our fathers would be restored. 1t was
not necessary for him to call the atten>
tion of this intelligent audience to the
struggles and contest transpiring within
the last four years ; it was not necessary
for him to point their attention to the
judicial department of the government to
show that under the domination of an
usurping Congress even the judi
ciary of the country was made to quail
and shrink before it. Applause. 1t
was not necessary to turn attention to
the other end of the avenue-(cries Of
Hear, hear Ror was.it necessary to do
more than point to the tyrannical body
called Congress, which attempted to abb
sorb every single power Of the President.
He had called them "tyrants standing
with the mailed heel of power on all the
necks of the freemen of the United States,
endeavoring to blot out the lines which
separated the States, to wipe out the
other two coordinate branches of the
government, and in this Congress stood
omnipOtent. Il tell you here, my
countrymen," he SAID, ''that if l were
compelled to make a choice (and thank
God / am not so compelled as YETI
would take one individual who was
honest, wise, patriotic, and just, as
my ruler or master, In preference
to a Congress so usurping, caprici~
Gus, and corrupt. CA voice: That's
| So" and applause.) Let us talk
about these things as they are. We even
find difference among them as to
whether they would take such govern
ment as an omnipotent Congress would
impose, or an imperial government.
| Such feelers have been sent out. They
| wish to develop what sentiment there is
in the country. Take paper, especial
Iy in New York, in which, no doubt, is
the emanatiOn and reflection Of certain
combination of individuals, some of them
perhaps residing in Washington {; and
when we turn to the title page what do
we see? On one side, THE empire is
peace" and on the other side the quota
ton, Let US have peace ~ daughter
The meaning is this, "Let US have the
empire with Grant at its head and We
shall have peace" daughter and ap-
pause.) But you find lurking behind this
debt oftwentySfive or twenty eight hum
dred millions of dollars. The great fear is
that the people arc not to be trusted, and
will not pay it /; and hence we must have
a strong government with an army al
our backs, and when the people become
restive as to the payment Of taxes, they
are to be compelled to do so at the point
of the bayonet. l know what say, and
not to be egotistical, know what Is be
ing prepared for the American people
We find the single item of one hundred
and fifty millions to be collected for pay
ment of interest on bonds, and what is IT
Interest to be paid in one half year.
time. You run your hands into you
pockets and pull out something so din
, and worn that you can not tell what 1t Is
But see what it calls for on its face, a.
compared with the currency of the world
AS admitted by both Christian and bar
barous nations, we find this pape
to be thirty or forty cents below
par. But what about the men who haV
| so many millions in bonds? | mus
here tell little story. 1t has been s
long since any of the people in my sec
ton saw a five, two and hall, or ten o
. twenty dollar gold piece, that | made
a special point to carry home with me
! few pieces in order that they might Sc
. | them. 1t had been stated in paper tha
in a conve sation he had remarked
= somebody that mo nation had ever ye
D paid national debt created ID war exceI
e by reputation" If | stated fact,
, there any harm in it? (Cries of "N'
l no") What political economist daI
t deny the proposition. | also state ther
S is not nation on earth that made del
e interminabls or permanent that is fre
Is there any harm in stating such fac
It and great truths? responses, IN
Q no!") Then how does the matter stand
if Because l have uttered truths whic
cannot be centroverted, it is said favor T,
n pudiation. But go to Congress. What b;
II 1t done? You will see that in the inauI
2 ural address ii is stated that if anybod
t is in favor of Reputation to the exteI
# of single farthing he cannot hold q
h office under government daughter
l. but when you go to this Congress, s
e conscientious were they Of the grei
-e fraud practiced in various atrocious way
J. they came forward and proposed to re
"A pudiate one third of the whole debt.
IS nominated in the boLd" to pay six p
m cent, and yet Congress, in face of tn
r. solemn contract, proposed to reduce it
10 to five, four, and three per cent. B
Of this interest is to be paid in gold al
a silver. Go to the Department, A ms
ID comes in with coupons, and at one cOu
m ter gets gold and silver for them; anot
N er man comes in and goes to anoth
"A counter with claims for some widow
,d orphans Of him who fell in the country
7 cause-who was buried with no windi
at sheet around his body but the blan
a ct stained with his blood-and this m
Oil acting for orphans is handed
Te preciated paper, while the bon
re holder receives gold and silver. VIII
the rebellion commenced | was one