Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-06-26
ANDY "GETs- Gus irENKx.
Half Told StOry-The OTHER HalE
The Tables Turned Om the Eagle
Orator by the Great Tribune.

Half Told story-Thc Other MaIf
The Tables Turned ON the Eagle
Orator by the Great Tribune.
For The Constitutional
Editor Constitution 1 read I'm your
paper, of recent date, an article
credited to the Knoxville (Tenn.)
Press and Herald, giving graphic
account of political discussion be
tween Andrew johnson and g. A.
Henry, at Memphis, where these dis
tinguished statesmen were opposing
candidates for Governornor of the
Volunteer State, and stating the hap
Ply manner in which the Eagle Ora
tor" "got Andy" by claiming that
the eagle was u proud bird and would
not feed on carbon" I remember
the discussion very well; for there
was another incident connected with
1t which cannot be forgotten. 1 was
q supporter of Mr.. Henry, and then
thought, with the liberty masses, that
Andy johnson was the quintessence
Of baseness. But to the discussion at
Memphis. The Press and Herald has
only told half the story. I give you
the other half, which will plainly
show how Andy "got" the " Eagle
Orator."
1 believe it was the late lamented
and brilliant VIM. L. Haskell-him-
self the "noblest Roman of them
alP-that pointed out to the Wing
candidate in the Congressional Globe,
a vote Of JOhnson's against bill
making an appropriation tosend sup
plies to the starving people Of
Ireland during one Of the years
Of famine In that oppressed country.
There were many Irishmen in the au-
dience, and their sympathies were
naturally of the Democratic party
But Henry's glorious elOquence, as
he pictured the starving mothers, els
tiers, and "innocent babes ut the
breast" In their native land, and
hurled anathemas at johnson for the
heartlessness of the vote he had given
In Congress, refusing to send crumb
of bread, even to induce the ifnmori
tai spirit to remain in its tenement OF
clay, left Andy for the moment with
out an Irish friend in the audience.
Finally, it came Andy's time Ia
speak. He did so, and at once took
up the question of Irish relief. He
acknowledged that he had acted as
charged and boldly declared that he
would give the same vote then If he
was in Congress and the question was
before that body He did not believe
that Congress had the Constitutional
right to appropriate the public money
i'm charities. He was q strict Coii.
structionists, and could find no au
thority to make any such disposition
of public funds. These funds were
collected for specific purpose---ths
payment of the actual expenses O
the Government-and he would have
been untrue to his official oath If h,
had voted to make any other DISPOSE
ton of them. Therefore, he coult
not, conscientiously, vote for the ap
preparation In question, and he wa,
not mean enough to dodge.
of course do not pretend to quot,
his language, but simply indicate tn,
line Of argument by which he defend
ed his unpopular vote. But tn,
clincher was yet to come. After OK
hausting his defense of that vote, h,
defiantly proclaimed, in substance
Yes, fellow-citizens, L did vote a
charged. / would do it again.
simply discharged an unpleasant
duty In so doing. But it was a. duty
had no more right to put my hand
i'm the public treasury and take on
money for this purpose than 1 had t,
put it into your pockets and take /
out for q like purpose. Yet sympa
thized deeply with that famishe,
people. My heart bled for them.-
And as proof of my sympathy, al
though you know me to be a poo
, man, here state that andy Johnso,
put his hands into his otUn pocket
and contributed, out of his Ow,
money, fire hundred dollars. How
MUCH DID YOU GIVE, MIR. HENRY
WITH YOUR TWO PLANTATIONS AM
HUNDREDS OF NEGROES? Nor 4
CENT"
This completely turned the table
on Henry, and at once not only res
, tored Johnson to his original position
in the affections of the Irish, but in
creased 1t tenfold. Many of tn,
Wings were some somewhat incredu
lous, and wickedly suggested tina
Andy lied about the five hundrct
dollars, but they knew that he woult
find hundred Democrats t6 swea
to its truth, and that he would proba
bly, knock any speaker down tina
publicly disputed his word,
This Is what / term the other hal
of the story of that memorable dis
custom.