Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-26

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the Inauguration. The complexion
of Mr.. Lincoln's Cabinet was ar
|. expression against these extremes
aud the first inaugural of Mr.. Lin.
coin reiterated the same sentiment
> in an eloquent and emphatic manner.
During all the war the conduct and
utterances Of Mr.. Lincoln went in
the same direction, and at ITS close,
his last public expression converged
to the same point. 1t surely is not
forgotten how Mr.. Lincoln spoke,
when he enforced charity for all,
malice against none. His first an
nual message after his re election
cannot fail to be remembered, in
which, speaking Of the Chicago
Convention of Democrats, and of
the entire canvass through which
the country had just passed, he de-
clared that, in his judgment, his OPP
ponents, "only differing as to the
modes of achieving it," were as sim
cerely for the Union as were himself
and his friends. In short, Mr.. Lin
coins whole policy and party no
tons conferred in the idea of peace
under the constitution of the United
States.
We thus allude to Mr.. Lincoln,
says the National InteHtgepcer, be.
cause Mr.. Lincoln was the represen-
tative ofthe party who allege that
they were betrayed by Andrew John |
son in his famous speech of 22d
February. Andrew JohnsOn's |
abused 22d Of February speech wa
notmadeto Copperhcads, Rebels, and |
Democrats, nor to any class but to
the whole people. 1t was delivered |
under very remarkable circumstan-
ces. Months before he uttered it,
in the midst of his labors for restor-
alton, the RADICAL leaders had as
sailed him from Minnesota TO Mas
sachusetts. Mr.. Stevens pronOunc-
ed him a usurper, and Mr.. Sumner,
in gentler terms, confirmed the ac-
cusatiOn. Mr.. Speaker Colfax, on
the eve of the meeting of Congress,
made bold issue with the Presi-
dent in a speech delivered inWashing
ton. Following up this apparently
pre-arranged assault came the Con-
gressional caucus, which put the
President under their ban, and on
its heels the remarkable Reconstruc-
ton Committee, that author of all
our woes, or of all our (long-
1elayed) blessings. 1t was evident,
therefore, that the Radical members
Of Congress and Of the Republican
party intended war on the President
f he refused to surrender wholly to
hem everything which pertained to
reconstruction and to policy. AT
his point, and under these circum-
the 22d of February speech
was made to the masses of the PEG
pie, that the President might he
understood fully on the Threshold
Of an administration involving such
results.
That speech was eminently proper
because the occasion was important
md imminent. The head Of the
nation must be heard if a crisis
comes when its members in the gov
threaten discord and assert
ntried powers, or else that head
must consent to sink himselfand his
great Office into imbecility. And
here is a resting point in our record
o determine whether Mr.. Johnson
abandoned his party, or whether the
eaders of that party abandoned him.
Johnson, inflexible for the !
var while rebellion resisted, when
he war was over announced himself
equally infexible for peace. AS
loW we hear Gen. Grant proclaim
Let us have peace" so on the 22d |
Of February we heard Andrew John
son echoing the Crittcnden resOlu-
tons and the conservative utter
lnces of his predecessor, and OK.
claiming for peace.
With the temper of that utterance
we have nothing to do. 1t was a
bold, blunt, earnest, popular speech.
If it was personal, it was defensive
against such needless personal at
lacks as had been made upon him.
The spirit and philosophy of that
address contained one single senti-
ment, and that was Union under the
and the laws Mr..
johnson thought on that day that
he saw all which has followed,
should the more violent party pre-
vail. lie saw disuniOD perpetuated
and sectional hate transmitted to