Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-05

I drew johns on never yet spoke, for Tennessee.
Cheatham led your young men TO battle In de-
| Tense of the aged men and women of Tennessee,
| while Brig. Gen. johnson led your aged men
and preachers to the penitentiary Let us who fol-
| lowed Che2thaIn in the hour of battle not desert
| him now when Andrew johnson seeks to array
against him the base envy Of his followers, and
| to prescribe him because he fought for his own
| State. AT her command be fought under the
Stars and Stripes, and snatched the victory from
| the foe even in the Halle of the Montezumas; at
her behest ne fought in the cause of the South,
| and now Andrew johnson comes among us sage
| ly prating about secession" when that ques-
| ton is as dead in Tennessee as Andrew johnson
| will be after this election.
While desire to place upon record that ac-
| knowledge, as does Gen. Cheatham, feaity to
| this government and respect and obey her laws
| yet 1t may not be inappropriate for me to say
| this much in reference to the cause which
| struggled for as a soldier ia common with many
| see here, but which we sill recognize as belong
| ing to the dead past. Aside from any abstract
| question of right a0r09g, earth never viewed
a scene of more sublimity and grandeur than the
| South presented duriug that terrible revolution
| An infant nation, whose very birth was heralded
| by the booming of the enemy's cannon, baptSed
| IN sea OF blood, she boldly assumed her stand
among the powers Of earth, and totally unaided
| by the European world, but with its moral inbu-
| ence in great part arrayed against her on ac-
count OF her peculiar institutions cast the gaunt-
| let of defiance to formidable toe, and proudly
| proclaimed her determination to live nation OF
treemen or suffer immOlation upon the altar OF
human lbarty. The mighty government against
which she SO heroicllly commended opened her re-
cruitng offices across the great waters, and final
| ly, after q four years bloody struggle,
conquered. OverpOwered, the South was forced
| to surrender. She submits in good faith to the
| aroitrament of the sword War is but the bloody
| exchange of ideas. The Lincolnian idea that a
Government half free and half slave cannot exist
| triumphed.
That the Southern cause is honored and its de-
| Tenders esteemed by our people is natural. No
| honest, fair-minded Union man asks that we
| shall stultify ourselves, or our "LedderS' by a
confession of treason. Andrew johnson does.
| Why? Would it strengthen the cause Of the
| Government to have us do so? Is it a pre-requl-
| site to citizenship that we should acknowledge
| ourselves unworthy of it, for l can conceive OF
! no greater unworthiness than to be compelled to
| this qualification. Were Robert e. Lee and
| Stonewall jackson traitors? huTl back on their
accuser the hell-bOrn lie.
Then why should Mr.. johnson stigmatize Gen.
| Cheatham by charging that he is disqualified for
| Office at the hands of the people because of his
| pdrticpancy in the ''rebelliOn?" The full right
of citizeAship you so ruthlessly deprived him of
| at the Sherman-JOhnstOn treaty has at the last
| session of Congress been restored to him
| even by the Radicals, then by what right
| does Mr.. johnson now unnecessarily
| stigmatize our "leaders" for precipitating
\ the people into "treasOn." We lost all in that
! struggle save honor, and now must that be thus
| cOYsTtly stabbed? God Almighty gave even TO
| tine blasted serpent the power and instinct to
]
| the nobler and loftier attribute by which he is
| prompted to defend his honor.
| Mr.. johnson exemplities the truth of my asser-
| ton about his needlessly re-opening the ques-
| tons that had long since been buried with the
| 'Lost Cause" when in order to catch the for
eign vote he attempts to array that class against
1 the defunct Know Nothing party and thus
| arouse that old war spirit, although he is aware
| that Frank Cheatham stood cOurageOusly and
| firmly by the foreigner in that contest.
| An Old Line wing myself, when that contest
auna 1 HFvitl
| sired to prescribe no man, either on account of
his religion or nativity, yet now, when the fierce
| and revengetul spirit of strife siumbered and
| peace Teigned among the native born and adopt
] ed citizens, why does Andrew johnson make an
| insidious appeal and arouse that slumbering
spirit Of revenge? Sirs, is it not in keeping with
| a selfish, vindictive and ambitious spirit,
| "That would rather reign in Hell
Than serve in Heaven?'
| L appeal 70 the f0reign-bOTn citizen to resist
| that prejudice-to forget the past-tO heed no
| cry that will have a tendency TO disOrganize not
! only their social relations with the American
| people but the grand old DemOcra y itself, which
has always been their sheet anchor in this
| country.
The election is close at hand. 1t is for our
| country terrible crisis. True, the tidal-wave
| of Repubhcanism has swept over a part of the
| North. There never was campaign not fraught
| with some disaster History is replete with in
| stances where the eagles of victory have perched
| on standards that but a moment before were
| threatened to be overwhelmed with defeat.
AT ulslbElC llcltl 81 w dICIlOO, N0e1 the En-
! glsh were falling before the impetuous fury of
| the blast, the iron Duke of Wellington would
close up his INITIATED and almost decimated
| ranks, and receive again and again, the murder
| Gus charges Of the enemy, while his lips, ur-
| blanched with fear, uttered the prayer, "Would
| to God night or Butcher would come"
| Like an avalanche che Old Guard of Napoleon,
| hitherto inyncibe, was hurled against the En-
| glish. Forward" was WellingtOn's response.
| Forward his troops went; and history records no
nObler or more brilliant victory in the annals of
| warfare than WellingtOn's. Then charge, and
| let Old Tennessee roll up a tremendous ma jority
| for our State and National ticket.
| Like leaves on the trees
Like foam on the river,
| Democracy viii live
And flourish forever.
A word in parting with the discussion of Mr.
| johnson. l see in the audience many of INV
johnson personal friends, and their ardor for
| johnson does not in the slightest weaken nv at
! taChment for them. L trust in nv argument
| have uttered toward them no unkind word; but
| if have, can only say:
| "Fuli many an arrow at random sent,
| Finds mark the archer never maantO