Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-10-13

1 SS4, ,000, 900 900, more than nine-.enti1s
the States entire liability, secured
t first lien on several of ouI raj
4 roads and their equipments and prope
Z ties of every description, the sale
either one of them, and the retirement
J the bonds, which might be taken in pa.
ment, would instantly command Il
our State credit, the high position
} which its ample resources and the intel
rity of the population entitle 1t.
, Gov, Senter recommends the adOptio
of measures to promote immigration, al
proves our common school system
which he saws has proved advantageOu
and should be fostered, and commend
the charitable institute rs of the State I
Legislative favor-7 n rrrFznn.
The message produced an excellent 81
feet, and affords no cause for schis1n be
tween the Governor and Legislature, an
gives general satisfaction.
The bill repeating all laws passed sine
1867, was tabled by the Legislature with
out q dissenting voice. q NaH
| - ~ FROM OUR RxcHASaEs. a-
/ In our files for April last we find thi
article upon ex-President Johnson whicl
we reproduce, reminding our readers tha
it was indorsed and published by many
of the presses that now sssail him. 1t il
! from the Atlanta Constitution, of the l6ti
of that month. Though inflicting, as W.
think, some injustice upon Mr. johnson
! in its reflections upon his Executive
/ ability, il is nevertheless in the main cor
rect, and hits with remarkable truthful
ness the pecullarities and idiosyncracies
that have in a long and eventful public
! life rendered Mr.. johnson conspicuous
among the statesmen Of the United
States:
There are men who, in merely executive
affairs, find no display for their capacities.
DOgmatic, unmalleable, and pugnaciOus,
they really appear to great disadvantage,
even though possessing high abilities, be-
cause they cannot be satisfied with the
almost passive role OF simple administra-
tive duties.
Andrew Johnson is a very marked in
stance of this. His career as President
has had features of very luminous ability
and honesty. But as to tact, rare iudg-
ment, executive diplomacy, finely tenn
pered humOr, and exquisite management
of the great helm of State, he has been
signallv deficient. He has rushed upon
.
right into the most violent of winds, and
made the old ship careen and plunge by
many a defiant turn of the wheel, when,
bv judiciOus policy, he might have saved
many a collision and escaped many a
bruise.
We are not intending to abuse Mr.. John
son. The southern people owe to him
deep debt of gratitude. But we want to
look at his course impartially and do him
MI. a
blacksmith who would be a poor lawyer.
Many as>ucce ssfUu merchant would do a
poor business in preaching the gospel.
And Mr. johnson rather failed as Presi-
dent, though he was HnquestiOnably
towering Congressman, and an unsUr-
passable stump speaker.
The truth is, he was rather out of place
in the Presidential chair. His genius had
no room for work in its red-tape tram
mels. Put him before the people to dis
cuss some great issue, that is Wavering
for decision, and he has no superior. As
the active leader of an aggressive party
movement he is in his element. Stand
ing on the fiOor of Congress as the advO-
cate of some heavy measure of public in
terest, free to strike when and where he.
pleases, he Is at home.
Fearless, belligerent, ready, popular,
bold, he mounts the stump with that keen
zest man feels who is filling the sphere
nature designs for him.
We have watched him with very curl
ous interest. His ascendancy proves him
no common man. His administrative
course amid general corruption eyinces
his incoFruptible honesty. His adhesion
TO his convictions, when yielding would
have gotten him anything, exhibits his
firm consistency. Honor him for all this,
The maddest partizan foe cannot charge
him with venality, weakness or dishonor.
He took his high place in a trying time.
He was elected by party whose schemes
he could not indOrse, or principles APP
prove. The break followed quick. He
had to join the current or open up war.
A weak man would have succumbed; a
corrupt one would have surrendered for
consideration; a timid one would have
fed in dismay. He boldly breasted the
tide and fought with grim obstinacy that
has never 6iGkeFed q second. The bull
dog element must be immense Ia him.
The fight he has made against Radical
ism would have been splendid in Con-
gress, but it did not suit the Presidential
Office.
As a Senator, battling against a measure
he deemed wrong, his able antagOnism to
the enactment OF 4 bad law would have
done great good and seemed proper. BY
argument, inyectiVe, SARCASM, logic, de-
clamation, he could fight the policy he OPP
posed.
But az an Executive, with the RESPONSE
bility of the country's interest upon his
shoulders, unnecessary defiance and un-
stinted assault that would end in irrecon-
cilable hostility between the great co-or-
dinate powers of the Government, was TO
be cautiously resorted to. Frequently
men are honest in wrong; and the way 10
reach them is certainly not by developing
into life antagOnism bitter, and enmitY
implacable.
The sharp aggressiyism Of Mr.. john
sons course was not craftsmanship. It is
hard, YritipgQf this matter, to do exact
justice to him. lie was Whplly right in
his views and positions; but III the man
ner Of maintaining them he was unfortu-
nate.
A good general picks his time to attack
the enemy. He don't blurt away without
plan, and reckless of results.
Mr.. Johnson's want of tact frequently
hurried him into matters of bad taste that
hurt him almost as much as things of
grave delinquency.
HeRca, we say, taking his whole admin
istratiOn into view, with its Jagged salients
and uncompronliSing Waut pf even the
most simple diplomacy, he did not 10 as
well as a man Of less ability, but more
self-eOmmand and greater tact, could have.
done.
When he left office, he himself evidently
felt relieved, and the whole country
showed consciousness that he had not al
together handled the thing for the best,
by the utter absence of any attempt to re-
tain him, beyond brief spasmodic little
spurt of complimentary mention for the
nomination.
but he is now in his right position.
Foot-loose, hand-free, no formal restraints
of Office TO straight-jaclIet his peculiarly
undiplomatic genius, no red-tape require
ments against which his democratic no.
tiOns can chafe; the masses for his audi-
ence, the great abuses of the Government
for a theme, a wide play for his mssterly
stumppowers, he is on his own heather,
and he will make his voice heard.
1t is no shame to him that the dignity Of
Executive duty bothered him. ii is
great glory thai be was not spoiled or be-
smlrched.
His enemies predicted that he would
snbside into absolute Obscurity, forever
killed by his administration. They mis-
calculated him. The shaeklesOf place nn-
riveted, he sprang mp, instead of falling
down. Never, during his Presidential
term, has Andrew JOhnson's word been
AS potent as to-day. He is waking up
Tennessee. His progress through the
his heather as of old, and already victory
follows him.
If the popular heart were sounded.
probably nothing would be more unani-
mously wished by good men than to have
the ex-President back in the Congress
sional councils. ts.,ts a-sfra-
All! what c0nlTnotion he would make
among the corrupt What a shaking of
the tiesh-potsl What a rattling of the dry