Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-29
POLITICAL HISTORY.
Andrew johnson and the Democratic
Convention Of 1883.


FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn, Sept. I6, lS69.-Hon. j.
| ID. G. Atkins-Dsar Sir: have seen In the Re
| publican Banner Of the 18th inst, that ID. Z.
Atkins, an old line Democrat Of the ancient
| regime, and former member of Congress from
1 Tennessee, offers these objections to Andrew
| johnson. Esq., in the last issue of his paper,
| the Paris Intelligepcer. Alter some remarks
| about your first notice of Andrew johnson and
| his contest for Congress with Landon G. Haynes,
you say IN that article:
| Our next point of observation was his deter
| minatiOn in 1858 to force himself upon the
| Democratic party as a candidate for Governor.
The party in convention at Nashville preferred
| another man; the gifted, the lanented Andrew
Ewing was their choice. and he was actually at
| one time nominated, but he declined. and Mr..
johnson, under the principle of rule or ruin
was taken up and gave the nomination"
In this statement. | think you are in some re-
| spects in error. and in others you do Andrew
johnson wrong; both know unintentOnal.
| for you would not do wrong Intentionally. In
| the first place. feel satisfied that Andrew
Ewing was not the choice of that convention,
| and was not ''at any time actually nominated
| by it." In the second place. Andrew johnson
was not in Nashville during the sitting of that
convention, and could not, as far as he was
personally concerned, under the principle of
| rule or ruin, cause himselft to be taken up and
given the nomination. l understood that An
drew Ewing was the only man in that conven-
| ton. or in Nashville, who could speak by au-
| thority for Andrew johnson, and he was, as
understood at the time. authorized by letter
from Andrew johnson, to withdraw his - ohm
son's) name from before the convention at any
time, if in his (Ewing's) opinion it should be
necessary to harmonic the convention.
l have been aware. for several years, of these
erroneous impressions and opinions as to how.
and the means by which johnson was nOmi-
mated. / think know just as much about that
matter as any other man.
On my way. to Washington as a member of
Congress, in November. 1852. the steamer for
Wilmington, N. c., had lett the wharf in
Charleston, S. c.. before the arrival of the
train from Augusta, Ga. Consequently l lost
81 or,A ho1 10
twenty-four hours. l stopped at the Charleston
Hotel. where l met DR.. J. q. M. Ramsey. Of
Knoxville, an active and enthusiastic Demo-
crat. We conversed freely and pretty fully
upon the hJate of things in Tennessee, and the
prospects Of the Democratic party in the cleo
tons 10 come off in 1853. DR.. Ramsey was speci.
ally and particularly DESTROYS that Andrew
johnson should be the Democratic candidate
for Governor of Tennessee, assigning many
reasons: That he was a talented, reliable Dem
Ocrat; that the Wing Legislature had, by dis
tricting the State. placed him IN Wing dis
trict for the purpose of excluding him from
Congress and from pnblic life: that it had been
a long time since East Tennessee had had
Democratic candidate for Governor. and he
thought that johnson would be able as such a
candidate to increase the Democratic vote in
that division of the State. DR.. Ramsey also
desired, because he thought it would be for the
better, that johnson should, by concert and
common consent of the Democracy. be the
Democratic candidate for Governor of the
State in 1853.
shortly AFTER my arrival In aSnlngtOn ana
in December. 1852. without saying one word on
the subject to Andrew johnson, wrote to
Andrew Ewing. giving him full account OF the
cony ersation between Dr.. Ramsey and myself
in Charleston, and the interest he (Ramsey)
manifested in the matter and the Importance he
attached to it. together with the expression of
my decided preference for Andrew johnson
over all others in the State as candidate for
Governor Tha I letter Mr.. Ewing answered
promptly, frankly declaring himself in favor Of
johnson, and fully concurring with Dr. Ramsey
and myself in all things, except in that of dis
pensing with the convention and formal nOmi-
nation, saying there would be no difficulty IN
nominating Johnson-tbat he was not aware of
any opposition that would be made or offered
Ewing's letter, l handed it to Mr.. johnson " it'll
a verbal statement of what had occurred be-
tween DIR, Ramsey and myself and which had
induced me to write to Mr.. Ewing.
Shortly after the Inauguration of President
Pierce, March 4, 1853, l left Washington, and
going by way of Havana and New Orleans, l
arrived in Nashville on Sunday. ABOUT mid
night. You and others got on the boat, if / do
| not misremember, at Dover.
The Wing convention met in Nashville on
| the next day (Monday) and nominated q. A.
Henry as the Wing candidate for Governor;
The democratic convention was TO meet, and
did meet on Wednesday following, only one
day interv ening between the conventions. On
Monday and Tuesday, the two days intervening
before the meeting of the Democratic conven-
| ton, saw many of the Democratic delegates,
and in all my conversations with them, l frank
Iy and without reserve urged the nomination of
| Andrew johnson, not only because l believed
| believed he was the best man OF the Democratic
| party to make the canvass against Major Henry,
| if not the only Democrat in the State with
| whom the Democracy could beat the Eagle
| Orator,
| On Tuesday night preceding the meeting of
| Democratic convention on W ednesday, the del
| egates held a meeting in the dining room of the
| Nashville Inn. Andrew Ewing was called to
| the chair. W. =. Davis offered a resolution
| that twO-thirds should be required in the con-
| yeptiOn to make a nomination, which was
| adopted. The meeting then proceeded to vote
for nomination. Upon counting the votes pres
/ emit Andrew johnson failed by two or three Of
that informal meeting. Several votes were
taken, each resulting substantially as the hrst,
which was proof conclusive that the meeting
/ preferred johnson TO any other man. FINALLY
| the name Of Andrew Ewing was presented, and
| without formal vote and count, 1t was car
| ried by reclamation. l stopped John l.. NJ arl,
| ing, who was passing me at that time, and told
| him to say to Ewing not to commit himself un-
| der the excitement; that he could not accept
| the nomination if rendered.
| left the room and went in front Of the Inn.
The meeting broke up soon after, and Mr.. ET-
| ing coming out of the door, observed me stand
| ing near. lie spoke to me, saying, be wished
| to talk to me- but It was then late and he must
| 20 home; said he would be at his office early
| after breakfast next morning, and requested me
to come there. promised TO do so:
| When went to his Office. he and went into
| his hack ROOM He asked me what he should or
ought to do. if nOminated by the convention
| or declined to give him any advice or opinion,
saving he must act upon his own Judgment. |
| replied that would be frank and candli with
him, that he was the only man authorized by
johnson to withdraw his name from before the
| convention if in his opinion it should be neees-
| sary 10 do so to harmonic the convention. Ii
| Won accept this nomination, you can never Satls-
fy johnson and his friends that you have acted
| fairly by him.
Just abouc that time Thomas Barry, CT Sum
| ner county, came in, and, hearing the suhJecl
| we were upon, in his peculiar and emphatic
| earnest manner announced, Andrew johnson
is not my choice for Governor. am not J0h nm
son man; but by -, am Democrat Inc
| Democrats of Tennessee have sent their dele
| gates here to nominate Andrew johnson FOL
| Coyernor and it will be aviOlatiOn of all Demo
cratic principles and rules if he Is not noml
] mated"
Shortly after that the convention met and wa
| organized in the Courthouse. Not being dele
gate didnOt attend, but learned verbally an,
| from the published report of the proceedings
| that Mr. Ewing in a few remarks requested ina
| his name should not be presented to the con
yention saying ne had had some correspondent
with Washington and could not accept IN
| nomination if rendered. His request wa
COMPLIED with, and Andrew Johnson was nomi
| mated as the Democratic candidate Tor GOVernO
| of Tennessee. Allen A. Hall, then editing one
! the Wing papers in Nashville, charged lmPrope
| interference by some body IN Washing LOI
| in the Tennessee elections. Mr.. EW
} | ing, through the UNION AND AMERICA
| had the matter explained as 10 the CORES
pondence he referred to in the convention an
with whom it was had, and wrote me asking
he had done right. l answered him in Il
e affirmative, and requested him if he could fin
=. | my letter. give it to Mr.. Hall and tell him
q | publishit; that to Mr.. Hall would hardly charl
| the Wing administration OF Mr.. Fillmore, WI
Y | aiding to secure the nomination of the stron
q | est Democrat in the State to be run against b
political friend and party candidate IN tn
Q | State In iustice to Mr.. johnson, and to co
r | rect the erroneous impressions abroad IN rel
Iation TO this matter, you will please give Il
place in your paper and Obhge your friend.
a GEORGE W. JONES
le THE editor of the Macon (Ga) Tel
Z" graph has seen q circular sent from Il
IS CITY. which states that at is now certa
y, that the entire Supreme bench, with o
70 exception, are of the opinion that t