Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-03-09
Ex-PREsIDExT JOHNSON.
ms Retiring from once Without the
stain OF Corruption upon his Car

4
compliment to retiring President
in its issue of March A
To-day Mr.. Johnson ceases to be
President. Leaving to Others the
task of reviewing his administra-
ton, and blaming or praising him
according to their personal or DO
lltlcal bias, we wish to direct atten-
tlon to one distinguishing mark of
ms presidential hfe-tO which full
Justlce may not be done by com
mentators in general. For the
Characteristic to which we aIIude il
one that does not dazzle. II Is
rather negative than a positive
quality. 1t scarcely shows at all on
the surface of q mans career. To
reach it, and appreciate it when
found, requires more patience and
reflection than most people are will
ling to bestoW upon their analysis
of a human character. We refer to
President Johnson's honesty.
In former times, it was no great
compliment to say of a man in po-
litieal life, that he was honest. Like
womans virtue, it was something
taken for granted; and its absence
was an ineffaeeable blemish and dis
grace. But within few years this
standard of integrity in public life
has been so lowered that sterling
honesty, the kind that spurns brides
and all undue influences, has come
to be one of the rarest of qualities
in American politicians. A man is
no longer covered all over with in
fanny by the mere suspicion of hav-
ing accepted fee, or an interest in
contract, or some benefit, near or
remote, as the price Of his vote in
Legislatures and in Congress. So
used has the public mind become to
this debauehery of political virtue.
that circumstances have almost en-
tirely ceased to go up against the
infamous practices of the Washing
ton lobby band of men without
parallel in the history of the world
for impudence, fraud and success in
undermining national credit and ma
tional honor. So notorious are the
rich and inscriptions lobby with
both Houses of Congress, that in
bill reported by Mr. Stewart, of the
Senate Committee on Public Lands.
giving certain privileges to railroad
companies in Minnesota, a section
was introduced excluding lobby in
tiuence in almost so many words.
We quote this remarkable section
entire
"SEc. ,. And be it further enacted,
That no Senator or member of the
House of Representative shall be
trustee, director or agent of any
railroad receiving aid in lands or
bonds from the United States; nor
shall such Senator or member he a
trustee for the mortgages of any
such railroad"
What a humiliating confession
1t distinctly implies that, without
such a check upon the lobby and
members under lobby control, there
are Senators and Representatives
who would vote for measures on
consideration of being trustee, di
rector or agent of a railroad, on
salary or with some equivalent
compensation. The degradation of
Congress could hardly 90 further
than this, when one of its own mem
bers is obliged to ask the interYen-
ton of statute to keep hiseomrades
from robbing the treasury and pub
hcly disgraeing themselves. In
fortunately, the bill, if passed. will
only prevent one variety of wrong
doing. The lobby have a thousand
ways of influencing votes in both
Houses; and this one of giving
members railroad trusteeships and
agencies is only clumsy method of
their repertoire
We are not writing a defense of
MIR. Johnson. He is not a Presi-
dent of our seeking, nor of our sup
porting any further than he has per
formed his duties with ability and
conseientiOusness. If we knew of
an instance where he had received
money, or favors, or the promise of
either, or had allowed any pecu-
MARY advantage to determine his
course with regard to appointments
or the approval or rejection of pub
lie measures, we would not say
word in extenuation of that offense.
We would publish the facts and
allow them to remain, as they
should, lasting stigma upon the
reputation of the retiring President.
But no such example is within our
knowledge. Nor can we remember
ever to have heard, even in the fierce
impeachment days, any charge from
any source affecting the integrity of
Mr. johnson. We may be sure that
had an opening offered for such an
accusation against the man whom
Congress sought to disgrace, it
would have been made That the
impeaehers, in all their investiga-
tons of his course, could not find a
peg wherein to hang a charge of
bribery or jobbery, is equal to a
certificate of the highest moral char
acter in respect of honesty.
Had Mr.. johnson been more com
PLEASANT to the lobby and to Con
gress toO-had he been willing to
give up his old fashioned notions of
integrity in office-he might have
made his administration a bed Of
roses instead of one of thorns.
Whatever defects of character he
possesses would not have prevented
him from receiving the support of
his original party friends in both
Houses could he have brought him
self to put the whole business of
the Presidency into their hand, let
them decide his policy and his APP
pOintments, and regard him, in fact,
as the thing which they have sought
to make him, only a clerk to put
his name at the bottom of papers
prepared at the capitol and sent to
him at the other end of the avenue.
Let it be remembered to4day, to
Mr.. JOhnsOn's credit, that, in an age
of unparalleled public robbery, job
berry and yenality, he retires from
office without the stain of such crimes
upon his garments.
THE LATEST FASHIONS.