The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1872-09-12

Cold and UngratefuI.

There is, perhaps, no living man
more eXacting and less generous
than the ex-President. lie pos
sesses one of those morbid dispOsi-
tons, at once greedy and migrate
fal, per 'ectly calculating and cold.
OF Johnson's power there Is no
doubt. In spite OF his lack Of taste,
which is the occasion of innumera-
ble afirOnts to the understanding Of
intelligent people, and in spite OF
his ignorance, which perpetrates the
most curious and comical plumbers,
he is a popular speaker of rare ell
cheney. Nor is this the only strong
point in his political make up. I'm
certain and distrustful in his private
friendship, disagreeable and ungra-
cious in his personal and domestic
Intercourse, he is doing some hand
some and magnanimous things in
public. Sometimes he gushes; but
his gush is usually misplaced or
unreasonable. He is exact in his
official intentions-a man of singu-
lar uprightness in pecunIary matters
and still his administration was
the source of unlimited corruption.
He has a faculty Of impressing him
self upon young men. Yet no man
ever lived who has done so little
for young men. Indeed, he never
docs anything without expecting
payment four fold, having a knack
of getting it in eight eases out of
ten. His military administration
at Nashville was shameful enough,
showing him to be a thorough in
g ate in nature. He was, from first
10 last, unmindfuI Of personal obi
cations, insulting the oldest of his
friends, throwing others into prison
and causing many to fly their
homes. But his administration at
Washington with respect to Tennes-
see was even more ungrateful.
During two years of Brownlow's
dcspOtism it was impossible
for those Tennesseans who
had a right TO his confidence to
gain a decent audience of him. He
refused all communication with the
State. He gave neither succor nor
sympathy, and when he quilted the
White House and returned, he was
careful to ignore those who had in
any wise striyen to carry forward
what they sincerely but mistakenly
believed TO be the Liberal designs
and tendencies OF his policy. There
are, by one of those lucky accidents
which have attended him through
life, those supporting him now who
not only know these things TO be
true, but VINO, because of them, pro
cured his merited defeat two years
ago.
JohusOu's present strength lies
in this, that Frank Cheatham,
though a whole-hearted and capable
man, is ill-suited to the place ne
is proposed for; that the ex-Presi-
de: t, after his fashion, is cminently
fitted TO render it even more con
scpicuous than, without him, it
would be; aud that, party lines be
ing loose and the feeling of the
masses aroused, the prejudice
against conventions and the preva-
ANAAN } -cAA atAAiiS AoA NAluEGs buEA 10
the maa who not only rebels, but
promises to make his rebellion the
instrument Of new cut-and shuttle,
involving combinations and repri-
sails, which are admirably adapted
10 the caprices Of the time. Thus
Cheatham's modest, unassuming
and amiahle character contributes
strength to Johnson's noisy de.
mands, and the peculiar nature of
the situation furnishes him an adj
ditional impetus, which he very we'll
knows how to improve. Cheatham
is not canvasser or speaker. John
son is both; and he Will make a
campaign of unsurpassed energy.
The result is not hard TO f1resee.
It viii be 10y no means the first
time that Johnson has carried the
day in spite Of a personality which
richly merits defeat Courier Jour.