Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-09-20
Democratic Nominees.
ANDREW JOHNSON AND THE sIrUA
TI0N


Of talismanic influence over the minds
of the Democratic masses of this State,
has long since lost its power. In times
past, when he flourished most, he was
regarded as the special champion of the
people as well as the upholder of State
sovereignty. His ambition led him to
desert the one and betray the other.
Since then he has been without friend
or party to sustain him. The wages
of his political sins press him down
and have soiled and withered the
chaplets once so proudly worn'
that were placed upon his brow by those
whom he afterward delighted to insult
and Cypress. We do not With any de-
gree Of pleasure.reyert to the past as
criterion by which TO judge any man
living under the peaceable protection OF
the laws Of the State, but there are some
whom we can never forgive, because
better things were expected OF them
than was the result Of their course. 1t
was not thought best by us to so much
as allude to the events of those times,
and only do so for the reason that we
are called upon by Andy johnson to
renounce the truth as a heresy
and to stultify ourselves in every
act committed by us during the war.
That we shall never do, regardless OF
what may be the consequence. SO TAR
as the present is concerned, we are will
ling to let the dead past bury its dead,
and to unite again under one broad
shield that will protect us all alike, with
out reference to past differences. for
the agitation now of the settled issues of
the war can but bring with il revival of
animosities that had as well be forgotten.
Believing this, it is improper, we think,
for any purpose whatever, to drag up the
question of secession and make it liy-
ing topic of discussion in the canvass
now going on in the State. The
politician who will attempt il
has no feeling of harmony in his heart,
and cares only to demagogue for per-
sonal ends. The Convention that met
at Nashville a few days since silently
ignored the question Of State having the
right to secede, as it should have done.
The first resolution Of the platform,
which declares that 1.-THE Southern
States should be Immediately restored
to their rights under the Constitution Of
the United States as sovereign States of
the American Union," it appears is the
moving cause Of Andy Johnson's oppo-
sition to the platform and the ticket in
the field. The words State sover-
eighty are too much to be gulped
down into the stomach of this would-be
political epicure. He was known pre-
vious to the war, and understood to be, a
States Rights Democrat Why he has
changed over to the doctrine Of CONSOLE
dation is perhaps owing to his course
during the war, when the people Of the
State thought it best to dissolve their
political connection with the Union. 1t
matters little now whether that separa-
ton be called secession or revolution,
for in effect it was the same. Whether
we had right to secede or not, the
North had made up its mind that no
division Of the Union should take
place. and the consequence was bloody
war, that resulted adversely to either
proposition. The right of revolution, il
Mr.. johnson please, is as well recognized
in the history of this Government as
the right Of secession could be if written
in unmistakable letters upon every page
of the Constitution. Why not, then, ask
the Convention to declaim against that
as well as the kindred doctrine Of seces'
sion? We. as a people, have already
put ourselves on record in regard to
both; for, while large party in the
State have ever held to the doctrine that
State Of this Union could not secede,
still all were agreed, in 1861,
that separation either by seces-
sion or revolution was necessary.
AT no time since the adoption Of the
Constitution Of the United States has it
ever been asserted that the States were
not sovereign as to the rights and powers
reserved and not expressly ceded to
the General Government. They are
sovereign 50 far as these are concerned,
and to these alone does the first resola-
ton Of the platform refer. 1t does not
follow as a logical sequence in adopting
this language Of the resolution that the
right Of secession is still recognized and
claimed BY the people Of our State.
AID in the attempt to fasten this mean
ing on the platform Messrs. johnson
and Colyar are both alike guilty