Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-08-17
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
WAsmINoroN, August IL, 1s7o.

The impression has been, and is now.
abroad here, that y. J, will be the demo-
cratic candidate for Congress i'm the First
District OF course there is no knowing
what he will do, as he will make a race for
anything, even down to Alderman of his
native village" if encouraged by a fair
prospect of success. Upon one point. how
ever, we may all be certain, and that H.
that the sage or warrior of Greencville is
still inspired 10y the same old love of office
and will get one of some kind, if possible
He might get the nomination for Governor
if it were not that the Democracy like
straight-out rebel generals better than
eleventh-hour converts, such rs Johnson.
The champions of Quarles and Brown will
hardly accept Andy as compromise cam
didatC. Besides East Tennessee has had
all the Governors since the war.
\ second-clasS of Gubernatorial honors
not being available just now, Mr.. Johnson
must either be looking forward to muni-
cipal honors from Greeneville, or else to the
time when he shall again resume his seat
in Congress, " lash Grant and make Rome
howl, #" in accordance with the expectations
of his most sanguinc admirers II is hardly
possible that he could become Alderman in
the radical town of Greeneville, unless the
! people should ignore party lines and elect
him out of respect to the great office he
once held. Then the known Radical ma
| jority in the First District presents u bar
! rier to his aspirations of once more becom-
ing Representative in Congress. Yet
there is hope, though it he such rs defer
| red mal<eth the heart sick
His supreme idea is, no doubt, to get into
the Senate, and to that end the Constitu-
| tional Convention became II willing tool in
/ his hands In the meantime, if Opportu-
nifty offers he can run for Congress, as be-
! ing Congressman would not deny him
the additional qualification of becoming Il
Senator. The existence of the Butler and
anti-Butler factions gives him hope in the
direction of the House. In the event the
breach should become real, with Repub-
lican candidate heading either faction
Johnson would at once avail himself of Ia,
opportunity and walk in. Otherwise Ii,
will not run, as he is too well posted not to
know that q sngle-handed race with Il Re
publican could only result in his over
whelming defeat. However much he may
desire.the office, when the hope of that i,
left out of the race, he will prefer that some
less brilliant light of Democracy shall SUI.
fer defeat and be martyred for the sake OF
maintaining organization. The Republi-
cans of the District can thus see the I'M
portance of unity i'm the coming election
and ii is to be hoped that they will act up.
on this knowledge by putting forward
their strongest man and healing all dissen
sions But the way in which Mf. John.
son hopes to get into the Senate, and tn,
helping hand which the late Constitutions
Convention extended are next i'm order.
1t has been, among Tennesseeans, Il
matter of curiosity to know why the Leg
! islature which assemblies in October, 1871
| should he elected in November of this year
eleven months before their time of meet
/ ing. This was done for no other purpose
than to reopen the Senatorial question,
and give Andy one more chance to succeed
Senator Fowler. 1t is hoped by this change
to render null the election of Mr.. Cooper
who will not have been elected by the Leg
islature chosen next preceding the 4th OF
March. the time of taking his seat as j.
required by the Constitution of the Unite /
States. This is u last, desperate plan con-
ceived To crafty the ambition of a man
who has no claim of pTeferment upon the
people. n convention, assembled oStcnsl-
bly, to frame fundamental law for the
State, degrades itself 10y lending Il helping
hand i'm carrying out the plot, not for the
public good, hut for the promotion of an
unscrupulous demagogue. The State is
cheated out of its representation in the
Senate, and the people are required to elect
| Representatives year before they take
their seats, all for the benefit of Andy
johnson. But even if they should succeed
in "unelecting" Mr.. Cooper, his chances
are still desperate. Conservative Demo
Gratis, with but twelve republicans, sue
ceeded in beating him in the present Leg
islature. The next one will probably he
one-third Republicans. SO his chance,
grow smaller 10y degrees, and beautifully
less *.