Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-05

aSpirantS to defeat the Just expectation
, Of the people Of Tennessee for the ele'
ton Of the ex-President to the Unite
States Senate.
The opposition to ANDY" is based o
two very opposite and antagonist
grounds,
The first is an appeal to Confederat
preiudices, and refers to his violen
course and sentiments toward the Sout
during the war. The second spring
from an apprehension that his appearanc
in the Senate will exasperate the Radi
calls and Grant, and provoke furthe
measures of hostility against tn,
South.
| Neither appears to US to be justly
founded and wisely urged.
That Andrew johnson was violent
extreme, and even Vindictiye during the
war, when that war was waged, as be
believed, for the Union and the preserva,
ton ofrepublican principles, may be adj
mitted without Disagreement of his
consistency and honesty, how much sou
ever it may be consurable on the score
of temper and moderation. He is justly
entitled to large charity in view of his
deep and earnest conviction of the right
and Justice of his cause, and of the i'm
minent peril Of the country. His ex-
cesses were those of sincere, honest,
intense man and even his bitterest ene-
mics, and the largest sufferers from his
violence, now that the war has closed,
and all its sad memories and exciting
passions are sought to be obliterated,
ought to pardon the same in considers
ton of his honesty. That honesty
has been attested as that of no other
of the prominent chiefs in the war
has been. 1t has stood the trial and
come forth with lustre which ought to
cast into the shade Of oblivion all his
violent and prosecuting deeds and words.
1t has furnished an ample justification
or palliation for even his excuses. He
has shown that with him it really was q
war for the Union and Republicanism,
and not for sectionalism, for the North
and negroes Whta the others falsely
and hypocritically pretended, he has
shown was by bin sincerely felt and
faithfully acted out We may forgive in
him what ought never to be forgiven in
them, for they did violent and outrage
Gus acts under false pretences, and for
ignoble ends; what he did and said of
like character were prompted by honest
convictions and for worthy purposes
And now we find him equally positive,
tenacious and uncomprOmising in com,
batting his false and faithless allies
against the South in, the war for
the the Union, as he was in
that contest against our section They
propose to abandon, to ignore, to prove
traitors to the cause for which he fought,
and he now turns upon them the wrath
which once blazed SO fiercely against the
South. 1t is events, the relations of pars-
ties, the views and passions of corrupt,
false, and hypOcrisical politicians AMI
time-servers, who have changed-not
Andrew johnson. He stands now where
he did in the Senate of the United States
in 1861 when he was the only brave and dc
FAINT combatant and fearless adversary of
the secession movement where he stood
at Nashville in lS63-4-5, and so heroical-
ly resisted the Rebel hosts" A man
with this record will not appeal in vain
to the generosity, magnanimlty, sympa-
thy, and confidence Of people like those
of the South, who are not prone to re-
veDgeful feeling toward those who have
been even violent and extreme, but hons
est and consistent in their warfare.
As to the second ground of opposition
to Andrew johnson, it is hardly worthy
of brave and manly party or people.
That he will not please the Radicals;
that he will excite their bitterest hostili-
tv; that they will wage fierce war against
him, may be quite confidently expected.
But will he be less useful, effective and
powerful on that account Is not the
game of Cancellation and compromise, of
trucking and lodging, played out and
the iced Of a new strategy lmperauyely
demanded Does not the present situa-
ton Of the country afford the very oeca>
sion and opening for man of the quali-
ties Of Andrew johnson, who has the
boldness and the capacity to arouse and
rally to his support the great populrr sem
timent and conviction, so long ignored
and disregarded by political chiefs, and
upon WuOoc COIH0Cblfo power ouu Anhu|
ence alone, we should be taught by sad
experience, the country must rely for its
redemption and the safety andperpetuity
of our republican system.
This Andy Johnson will do. He may
be voted down, he may be abused, mas
ligned, denounced and hated by the poll.
ticians, but he will fnd support, encour-
agement, sympathy and applause from
the honest masses. Thus he will estab-
lish, organize and give power to the only
agency by which constitutional and hon-
est government can be restored in this
country. This can never be done by and
through the partisan chiefs who have
been foisted into the high places OF the
republic. 1t would Indeed be lament
able and discOuraging fact if so impor-
tant a result should be prevented by the
intrigues of political aspirants, and the
short-sightedness of the Tennessee leg
islatOrs