Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-10-08
TIE SENATORIAL QUESTION
who Shall Succeed Mr.. Fowler In the
Senator
To the Editors Of the Union and American.

4 40 lQe EulLOrS Oh INC OnlOh 0uu American
/ MFMPH S, Get. 4, IS69.-.-I cannot believe
/ there is any danger, immediate or remote. of
the failure of our Legislature to elect the ma
tons fayOrite to the Senate; To doubt it.
| would be very soft impeachment OF their
1 knowledge of the demands OF the people of
| tennessee and Of the whole country. Every
| enlightened patriotic statesman Of this countrg
| expects this result. TIE public interests call
| aloud for it. The people require and demand
It. Surely the enlightened representatives of
/ the people will not hesitate TO make complete
| our recent victory in this State, and consum-
mate the grand result by an act that VIII cover
| themselves with imperishable glory and re-
dound to the material and best interests of the
whole country
have said the nation demands the election
voice Of the people Of Tennessee, no one pre-
tending to be acquainted with the wishes Of our
people. can pretend to deny. have, since the
election, been brought in communication with
many of the leading statesmen Of the whole
country, and / have yet to find one. who classes
as a Conservative, that does not look forward to
terest. have also red much with the people
of East, Middle and West Tennessee. and the
unanimity in his favor is without parallel in
the political history of the times. Andrew ohm
son having sprung from the people, has always
been the people'e friend. and they have proudly
boosted of him as their chosen champion. He
knows what the best interests OF the people re-
quire, and be knows how those interests can
best be subserved. With the knowledge. he
possesses the Power!
Many worthy gentlemen have been mentioned
in conn eetion with the Senatorship. have not
a word to say in disperagemeDt of any of them.
In ordinary times II would be well enough per-
haps TO elect from among them Senator But
these are not ordinary times The country is in
q perilous condition. A great crisis is at hand.
Giant intellect, prompted by patriotic action is |
now required. We want statesmen and not |
politicians in the high places of honor and trust.
We want mountains whose majestic heights |
will OvershadOw and overawe the mists of oppo-
ston to the progress of the best interests of the
country, and not mole-hills to be ObScured and |
enveloped by these fogs. We want giants who !
can throttle the monsters that are seeking to /
undermine and overthrow republican govern /
ment and constitutional liberty, and not pigmies |
that could interpOse but, little obstruction |
to the accomplishment of their fendish and I'M /
hal!owed purposes. The day of party politi- i
clans If not passed. should be at an end. We i
have had too much OF the ir reign. They have /
brought the country to its present situation. |
We lrdnt no more Of them. Let the new era /
dawning upon US be ireet from their cOntami- |
mating infu ences. Let US place in power states
men Of enlarged and liberal views, whose minds /
can pierce eternity remote.
And dwell at once upon the future,
The present and the past" i
We have no time to talk of local favorite
There are other and weightier reasons at stake. |
Mr.. Johnson would 90 the Senate with pres
tige and a power no other man in the State or
in the whole country possesses. lie could do /
more and accomplish more than any man In the 4
Senate, and | cannot believe there can exist |
doubt as TO MS election Dy an overwhelming 4
majority. Much has recently been yindietiyey |
said and written in opposition to his past ca
reer, Those opposed to hun had better not |
press these points. They had better not arouse /
the lion to a defence. for in that event they /
would be but as lambs in the grasp Of his power |
His past career can proudly and de6antly stand i
the test of criticism and of time. He is human, /
and none Of his friends have claimed for bin
exemption from errors into which mankind /
may be led. But, whatever errors he COM
mitted, whether in times of peace or amid the /
volcanic threes of revolution that conyulsed
society and threatened the fabric of civil liberty
and free government, they were errors which L
can alone be attributed to jzdgment-never to Il
partisan nature. What he did in times of war l
and in times of peace, his worst enemies are |
forced to acknowledge were prompted by what be /
believed to be for the best Interests OF the whole
country. ..
He stood as a breakwater against RadiealisIn.
while President, and saved the country from |
the ruin into which they were rushing It, He l
stood as a rampant around the constitution and |
preserved il from their unhAllOWed demolition.
fhe country is too familiar with the recent /
giant struggle he hadSwith Congress and the L
combined powers of Radiealisn. to require /
further reference here. But for hun. the last
government would have been swept away; and Il
but for his great powers OF mlnd-hls FAR seeing
statesmanship-his mistaken patriotlsm-his |
infexible determination to do his duty. regard
less of consequences. the enemies of free gov
eminent would have triumphed and We would |
to. day be grOvelling our way through anarchy |
and mlSrule. Inc WORM mas NEVER "ltuCosou L
such fierce relentless and vindictIve opposition |
as he encountered while President; yet solitary |
and alone, unaided by a cabinet or by friends /
with power to assist him, he fought them all /
and nobly drove them to the wall. Amid 1t all, |
he proudly and defantly stood, like Mt Athos. |
"Unmoved and glorious in his heightF
Who are his Opponentsl Whom do We Ind
opposed to his election to the Senate? We will
speak not of what may exist in this State, for |
the principal part of that opposition arises from
no feeling against Mr.. johnson, but simply
preference for some personal tavOrlte. But
abb Dad how is it-where do we find the opPosl
ton &? Ben. Butler, Sumner. Chandler, and the
small fry political scayengers who disgrace the
council rails of the nation the blOated bond
holder who Justify braWls for gold, more gold;
they are his prin cipsl opponents, and well they
should be- for to the first class he is terror and
will prove a destructOr. and to the latter, woe
be unto them when he turns loose the thunders
of his eloquence upon them and arOuses the
people to a sense of the indignity and wrong
and injustice that has been heaped upon them;
Can any thinking man, who looks unbiased
at the best interests of the country, doubt the
necessity of the election of Mr., johnson to the
Senate at this particular crisis2 Surely there
can be none SUCH and look forward with an
mistaken confidence to the accomplishment OF
this grand result. ONE OF THE PEOPLE