The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1869-04-09


rogative of his Office. The great writ
of habeas corpus-Athe last resort and
refuge of the unprecedented been sps.
pended, and whena citizen of the Uni.
ted States appeared before the Supreme
Court an arbitrary Congress took from
him the right of appeal, and ruthlessly
deprived him Of his liberty.
Mr.. johnson spoke of the charge of
"treason to party" and asked, With
much earnestness, when he had been
false to the platform upon which he was
nominated? lie addressed himself for
a few minutes particularly to the color
ed people, n number of whom were
present and apparently deeply interest
ed in his remarks. He said they had
permitted themselves to be preiudiced
against him by tire misrepresentation
of their newly found fricnds--the men
who had stood affair off while the con-
flict ragged. but became furious warriors
and eager for the fray rs soon as the
battle was ended and peace declared.
II is well known that Tennessee was
omitted from Mr.. Lincoln's emancipa-
ton proclamation, and that he. Andrew
Johnson, had been the first man to strike
the chains from the negro in this State
and bid him 90 free: and lie would
admonish the colored people to beware
ofthcir newly found friends who taught
them TO hate and contcmn their old mas
tiers, and were rc-cnslaving the black
man by inducing him into leagues and
oath-bound political organizations. lie.
who had never deceived white men or
black men. told them in truth and So
bcrnesS that they were slaves to the
leagues--a bondage infinitely more de-
basing and oppressive than that from
which they had escaped. An such Or
CARNATIONS were foes to freedom and
conspiracies against constitutional gov
ernmcnt. What had these lattcr-day
friends of the negro, who talked so
much about Moses done for the
black man? Had they piloted him
through the wilderness to the promised
land! Had they brought him mamma
when hungry. or water from the rock
to appeaSo his thirst? Had they car
ried him to Pisgah's top and directed
his vision to the green pastures and
blooming fields beyond? No! But
when the battle was over and the vic
tory won. they had rushed from their
hiding places remote from the scene of
danger, sought the negro, found him
and confused with his new
invcighlcd him into the
league rooms, and made him greater
slave than he ever was before.
As the EX-President was vindicating
his official line of conduct, many of his
remarks were necessarily personal to
lie spoke, as we have said,
about two hours, and was listened to
with degree Of earnest at
tcntion which we have never before
witnessed in so large an assemblage.
lie closed by warning his hearers that the
time was full of alarming portents that
the country is in danger. Look at the
taxes of the Federal and State govern
nlent. The Federal government collects
one hundred and fifty millions of dol
lars annually to pay the ,bondholdcrs.
The black man might as well know this,
that Willie they had been enfranchising
him and DISTINGUISHING the white man,
they had been making slaves of all to
the bondholdcr who had remained at
home during the war and waXcd fat and
rich upon the blood and misery of the
He would to God that the
government had not credit to borrow Il
dollar with which TO carry on war. If
the people could have foreseen the cost
Of the war we should never have had
one. lie thanked God that his march
had not been through Golgotha, marked
by crumbling skulls and Wondering
bones; that his honors had not been
gained by blood. There was 10 crinlson
upon his skirts. The widows and the
one-armed soldiers could not attribute
their wrongs and privations to him.
He stood there to-day vindicating the
Constitution as it had been handed
down to him; he had stood by i'll
throughout all his days; and in the last
hours of life lie would earnestly call
npon all to cling to the Constitution of
heir country, rs the mariner on the
rackless sea clings mid the darkness
md the storm to his compass. u
We don't want our readers to under.
stand that we have been trying to report
Mr.. Johnson's speech. We are incom-
'etent to do it justice, and most fthcm
perhaps will, in a short time, have the
to hear him for themselves.
We didn't visit Knoxville Saturday for
hat purpose. We went there to witness
he sort Of reception he would meet
With in Old knoN--a stronghold ofradi- |
alism, the home Of Brownlow and the
ar, oIn1n 80 7 la, D.,