Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-09-06
r. JOHNSON
SHOTTD EX-SENATOR.

PRESLDENT JOHNSON
SHOULD EX-SENATOR.
Editors Appeal: 1t is of no mor
inheritance to maintain the complete
severance of church and state, and
the idea and fact of supreme sover-
eighty in the people, as regulated by
the American Constitution, than to
preserve intact that breadth of mar
gin outside of organic law where the
free will and free hearts of the people
are resigned to themselves. What
ever of liberty Is left US should be
guarded with sleepless vigilance and
every attempted usurpatOn of power
resented or resisted. Publicindebted-
ness welded by the few is an Or
ganized power readily convertible
into absolute dcspotism. In fact the
next great political struggle in this
country will be conducted by the cOn-
solidated wealth of the Union, against
the people of the Union. Imperial
ism and riches will be arrayed against
| hard-handed, tax-burdened toll and
| repubIicanism. To restrict local and
popular rights and freedom to the
narrowest possible compass is the
| policy of those who enrich and Halter
and fawn upon the President. Be-
| Iieving that the whole tendency Of
parties and of public events is to the
| creation of this issue and the precipi-
tation of this struggle, let us send
Andrew johnson to the Senate. OF
all men he has the c~learest, keenest
and surest apprehension of American
popular rights as he is a sincere lover
of popular freedom. Much that he
has said and done we condemn; but
there is infinitely more that we APP
prove, and most of all, his mistaken,
persistent faith in the ultimate wis
dom and justice and republicanism OF
the American people.
The communications sent to the
press on the subject of Who shall be
Senator" and the frequent additional
I comments on that subject, especially
in the iHterest of Mr.. JOHNSON, in
dictate a quite persistent purpose ON
the part of many to elect him. Prob
ably we have nc man in the State per
sonally ADLER to serve it than he Is;
| and, if he should be elected, it will be
on that ground, and in the hope of his
greater efficiency for that purpose.
| But whether, under existing circqm-
| stances, he will be able to do the same
service which another mind of like
abilities might, is very much in
doubt. Certainly we haYe no man
more obnoxious TO our Radical antag-
! onists, or to Gen. GRANT; and If the
/ object Is 70 cOnciliate the administra-
ton; or If we aEe 70 be governed in
our action by any fear Of Congress, he
! is not the man to select for that puF-
pose. We ere not one of those
who think, howeYef, that there
is any wisdom or sound policy
in allowing sach considers
tions to have a governing pOweF over
US. What we have a Constitutional
and proper right to do, we think we
may safely do, since no reasonable OBJ
lection can be urged against it, no
matter how unwelcOme the choice We
may please to make. Letting "by-
cones be by-gones," we must have a
view to all these, and the like cGnsid-
erations, and make the best choice we
can. We should not regret it if we
could blot from The record Mr.. JOHN
SONS administration as Military Gov
ernOr; his rejection of the JOHNSON
SHERMAN treaty; his persistence to
punish DAVIS, against bis par0le priv
ilege, and the remonstrance of GRANT
his first twenty thousand dollar am
nesty, effective and intended to bring
the wealth, influence and talents of
the South to his feetJ the death war
rant Of Mrs, SURRATT and other VIC
Tins Of military commissions; and the
tortures of a thousand prisoners on the
Dry Tortugas, and in other places
OF cruelty, held in time of
peace, without trial, without
conviction, without necessity
and in defiance of the Constitu-
ton. These things, which he might
have avoided and prevented, with
many other mischiefs, usurpatiOps
and wrongs 10 the whole country, by
executing the Constitution at all
hazards of personal risk to himself, we
should like to forget or blot out, in
order that We might be more able or
have less occasion to forgive. But we
must take things as we find then,
and, as in the Gaze Of SENTER and
STOKES, of all the evils nom which
we must choose, take the least. We
have q remarkably intelligent, as well
as respectable and Conservative Legis-
lature. And we are willing to trust
the selection to their hands, in the full
belief they viii do what is best for all
interests. We are not sure that much
discussion Of this subject will make
any great capital in favor of the ex-
President over his more quiet, and at
least equally worthy competitors.