Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-08-08

POWERFUL-BRAINED ANDREW JOHNSON.
He looked exactly rs l saw him in
sixty-seven, sleek, fat, whOlesOme-cOm-
plexioned and full of suppressed vigOT
and latent flame. Having apOlogised
for intruding upon what might be his
private hOls., he gracefully shook my
hand and told me TO sit down. He said
| was welcome. ! told him with some
degree of pride that had the honor OF
being connected with the APPEAIs OF
Memphis, a sterling and unwavering
Democratic paper, that fought the good
fight under all circumstances, and had
the good fortune to be triumphant, He
smiled and became, as / thought, more
cordial He said he had a notion OF
going to Memphis, by way of Nashville,
where he had some private business to
transact, during the course of the pres
ent week. took it upon myself to say
that he would receive a very hearty and
a very cordial welcome in that city, not
only from his old friends and co-laborers,
but in fact, from all classes. From this
point the conversation naturally
branched Off on politics. He was free
I In giving expression to his views of men
] and things, principles and parties, and
be said he knew he was free, as he did
not wish TO be misunderstood when
! speaking on national affairs. He says
/ he stands exactly where he stood all
! through, on the broad and firm pla-
I teau Of
CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY,
mot, mind you,n said he, "a Democ-
racy that is nothing but a wild, ungOy-
ernable crowd, or a besotted rabble,
swayed by its momentary passions and
40 hrTN a ifar~
reVerencing the constitution and guided
/ by it; a Democracy that knows its own
power, its own rights, its own history,
and capable of controlling its own des-
| tiny, acknowledging the supremacy Of
| the constitution, and willing to make
progress, and make reforms, if neceS-
sary, according to its high snd sacred
provisions. There is where | stand now.
I There is where stood when Thad Ste
vens, of Infamous memory, dared the
/ High Court of Impeachment to vote
contrary to the pretended decision of his
party. There is where / stood before the
war. There is where l stood during the
war. There is where / shall stand to
the end, for believe that this country,
containing now forty millions of people
require that the constitutional guaTan-
| tees of their liberties shall be held sa-
cred" 'fIf not continued Mr.. John
son, lowering his voice to an impressive
and solemn key and beetling his brows
| In an awful manner, while he stretched
himself over toward where sat, in front
of him, "if not, where are the founda-
tions of Republican government%'
INTERRUPTION. "
At this juncture some gentleman of
the town called in to borrow a paper
from the ex-President, and also to in
quire the news. Nj. johnson was as
cordial in his manner as one farmer
could be 20 another but all the time
preserved his dignity so naturally and
easy that it did not impress one till
afteTward. When the visitor retired, he
resumed his seat again, four or five feet
from my chair; but as be sat down,
rose up to cross the small apartment for
a match to light a villainous cigar three
for quarter) which had purchased on
the train. l was polite enough to ask
permission of Mr.. johnson to smoke,
for my parents always taught me to be
polite in the presence of the great He
sweetly nodded his appreciation of my
course, and while / nonchantly drew
the match across the table to produce
ignition by friction,
Mr.. JOHNSON RESUMED
the discourse. He said, speaking of the
present aspect Of affairs: 81 can only be |
deceived in one way. If Mr.. Greeley
acts independently of the Republican |
party, labOrs honestly and faithfully |
to heal old sores, and to reanchOr the |
drifting ship of state in constitutional 4
depths, frees the executive from corrup-
ton, and permits all the States the en- /
joyment of their rights, then | shall be
agTeeably disappointed" He said that
the Cincinnati platform was sound
enough, so far as il went but in the l
course Of his conversation he elaborated
on the tariff question and the one-term
principle. He said that plank, or ad-
or confession, or statement of
Greeley upon the tariff was false in /
principle, namely, that he would, if
refer the matter to the Congress
siOnal districts. "My Godn' exclaims
Mr.. Johnson, ''have we not the Consti-
tution?p Let US be logical at least.
This is the very point; il is upon this
very principle that the rupture took
place between Congress and myself Is
II not part and parcel of the same
ruinous doctrine, taught by Sumner and
the rest, that Congress shall have all
i
Congress shall do this; Congress shall
do that;
CONGRESS SHALL DO EVERYTHING.
1t tied up the hands Of the executive,
and became the executive itself IT
swed the Supreme Court into trembling
silence, while it became the judiciary
itself Congress! It has come so close
down TO the everyday life and workings
Of the people that it steps into the poor
mans kitchen to see how many dump
ings he has for dinner. The hirelings
Of Congress are in every town, in every
back alley, in every church, behind
every NOUS counter. 1t is a hydra
headed tyrant, with more prying ewes
than Argus, and with such inquisitOrial
powers as We're never exercised in
Venice. Refer il to the Congressional
distrietsl The Constitution prescribes
for what purposes revenue may be
raised; protection is in violation of that
instrument. Let us pause" said Mr.. I
johnson, while he hung his head for
ward and slowly wagged it from side to
side: "Let US pause, and not run head
long into the dark. There are bogs and
fogs, and quagmires, and wildernesses
about Us, and
WE NEED LIGHT.
Let the constitution be our beacon in
.hese troublOus, dangerous and dubious
lines. Observe me; the constitution
provides for the maintenanee of the
government in every possible eontin-
yeney. Revenue is to be raised to carry
/ on, and for no other purpose. In rails
ng that revenue it may be made appa-
'ent, for instance, that a tariff of severity
i've per cent. on iron will bring in less ,
money than a tariff of fifty per cent.
fou can understand how that is without
any lengthy explanation from me. In ,
case of that sort justice and the legiti-
nate objects for which the government
vas established require that the tariff
'e lowered to fifty per cent, but for the
axe of protecting this party or that, this
interest or that, this section or that, the
ariff is kept up, and the treasury suf-
ers. That would be contrary TO the
constitution, and neither the Executive
Tor Congress has the power to set it !
side. 1t Is unconstitutional provision and
would be the sworn duty of the Pres
dent to veto bill which would afford |
uch protection. Yet
MR.. GREELEY
ays he would refer the matter to the )
districts 1t is a matter.
aid Mr.. Johnson, already fixed 10y the
constitution, and until that instrument !
,e amended neither Congress nor the
resident has power TO make a law con-
rary toit You see now where the habit /,
Ial Radical contempt of the constitution
Omes in. Tins is called old fogyism in
ne. Too late; when the peoples liber- 9
les shall have been all taken away, and /
he dream of Sumner shall have been
ealized in the consolidation of the gov 5
mment in the hands of Congress, and 1
very State shall be ruled as our Legis- /
ature rules the counties, the people will {
waken to the dire truth that the con- {
ututional old-fogysm of Andrew John y
on was the only safeguard Of their orig /
nal liberties"