Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-04

"EHE FIRST Blow
The correspondent who is travelling with
MIR. johnson and writing for the Banner,
writes:
1t has been said io Western quarters that
Mr.. johnson should not have sprung the
secession question. II lcds sprung on him
II a man feels himself hit violently in the
back when not expecting 1t, it is law OF
nature that be turn around and see tOh0
stru k, and the cGase. If the blow comes
from supposed friend, he may be aston
ished, but is no less bound TO defend biSs-
self.
Is it true that these war issues were
sprung upon Mr.. johnson? if SO, were they
sprung by friends? In Mr.. JOhnson's Gala
tin speech, Aug. 81, the first speech of The
canvass, he said:
aIf there is a Confederate officer or sol
der within my hearing l want him to hear
me and he will find out his friend who was
standing closest by him at the beginning of
the war and whether he that led him to de-
feat and death was or was not his friend"
Further along he said:
ave (the South) struck the first blow
that caused all this sacrifice of blood and all
this sacrifice Of property, and caused all the
misery and woe brought upon this country"
Again in the same speech he says:
"The war was politicians'rebellion but
the poor soldiers fight. But you never
saw any Of these politicians taking the
poor soldiers to their bosoms. That was
no place for him. You can fight and win
laurels for us, while in the army. You
may elevate us TO position, but stand of.
You are but the drudges of my will. Now
that the war is over you must continue to
be my drudge. We, the Generals want
Office and you must be the slaves upon
whose backs l will step into the em0lu-
ments ofoflice, But If you want office, it is a
high piece Of presumption; You must not
aspire to any position above your rank.
It is all for the generals. You nor any
civilian shall have none Of It"
When this speech was made, Gov.
Harris had not spoken. Mr.. Dunnington
had rot spoken: Gen. Cheatham alone
had spoken. In accepting the nomination
on the 21st August, he sand:
'To my friends and to the people Of Ten
nessee l have been soldier. That pro-
fession has passed away. / have
| grounded my arms. am man Of peace.
have proclaimed it for seven long years.
l am man of peaee-a hard working man.
| [ endorse the grand movement in the Uni
ted States. and l am here to announces my
| self as firm supporter of Horace Greeley.
| loud spplause.l am willing to forget
and forgive, and, gentlemen. have preach
ed that doctrine fortthe last seven years,
and mean it. If you elect me to repre-
| sent you in the next Congress Of the United
| States, viii promise you to do the best l
can. My word to me is every thing-eTery
thing in the world. have all my life, no
matter in what position | may have been
placed, endeavored to do my duty. What
desire Is peace, peace, peace"
Now if these war questions were sprung
upon ex-President johnson, who sprung
them? Certainly not Gen. Chatham, Gov.
Harris, or Mr.. Huntington. 1t is true that
the Banner in It's editorial columns and
through its correspondents, had for years
made unrelenting war upon Mr. johnson
because of his course during the war. But
the Demccrotic party is not responsible for
| the conduct Of the Banner. Il is the organ
Of Mr.. johnson and no5 the advocate of
Gen. Cheatham. But suppose these ques-
tons had been sprung upon Mr..
johnson, was be "bound to de-
fend himself by recrimination
These questions have been sprung
upon Mr.. Greeley in this canvass and
persistently pressed upon him. Has he
felt bound to defend himself in the man
ner that Mr.. johnson has adopted. Read
his speeches on his western tour. There is
not one word of hate or Of bitterness TO be
found in them from beginning to end.
fhey breathe the same spirit that the
speech Of Gen. Chatham bresthed, peace
and reconciliation: 81 am man
Of peace" "Forget and forgive"
'cWhat I desire is peace, peace, peace"
Gen. Cheatbsm is and has been for seTe,
raj years a strict member Of the church
and, as he says, ga hard working man." la
boring daily on his farm with his OWL
hands, blowing and moving, sowing, cult,
waiting and reaping. lie is pre-eminently a
man ofpeace and reconciliation. No living
man has ever heard him utter a word o.
rebuke Of any man because Of his position
during the late war. His conduct and dis
position since the war are well known -tC
the people of Tennessee, Federal and Con
federate. We venture the assertion thai i
the race was not political, or lift was alone
to be determined by Federal soldiers, and
the choice was between Cheatham and
johnson, Gen. Chestham would be elected
By an overwhelming majority.