Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-18

sykes and OoIyar ON the Political
faAtf Hftuaffan

sykes and COIyar ON the Political
,s5 Bttasften.
A very respectable audience, both as re-
cards size and intelligence, assembled at
he Nashville and Chattanooga Depot last
night 10 hear what Co.'s. A. s. Cosyar and
W. j. Sykes had to say upon the. Cheat
ham johnson fight. i
1t was che intention for Col. Sykes to be
followed by Col Josiah Hubbard, but as
matter of courtesy Col. Hubbard gave
way to Colyar In order that the latter might
be allowed an opportunity to give his reas-
Ons fur advocating the election of Andrew
johnson to the United States Congress. The
speeches on both sides, together with the
rejoinders, occupied over three hours in their
delivery, but want of space necessitates
their being condensed into half column.
COL. CoLYAR's ADDRESS.
Col. .Colyar made the first address. He
said that be should say nothing to increase
the already too great excitement which pre-
walls throughout the State with regard to
political matters. He considered that An
drew johnson was the only man in the
State who was making any fight at all
against Grant andthe administration party.
There were 123 men either out making
speeches against johnson throughout the
State or were preparing to take the stump
against him, and yet every one OF these
men had endorsed johnson in his public
acts, and had acknowledged that men Of the
South owe to him a debt of gratitude which
can never be repaid. County conventions
and State conventions throughout the South
had publicly acknowledged and recog-
nized the aid given the South
ern States by johnson when
occupying the Presidential chair, at the
close Of the war, and leading men of the
South had spoken of johnson at that time
in terms of highest praise, fully endorsing
and supporting him in his administration
of public affairs, yet now these same men
are denOuncing him as man of no ability,
and as having been guilty of all the crimes
in the calendar. He referred especially to
the charges which had been made against
johnson in connection with the arrest OF
Rev. Samuel d. Baldwin, of this city dur
ing the war, when johnson was
Military Governor of the State, reading
from pamphlet what purported to be a
printed copy of letter written by MIR.
Baldwin to a friend in Missouri, in which
the writer passes a high eulogy upon the
character and efficiency of johnson as a
public official.
COL. sykes ADDRESS.
Col. Sykes considered himself unfortu-
nate in thus following an opponent who
had been public speaker all his life, in not
having had much experience in that
line, but he proposed to lay before his
"a o.11o f@.f To. b
at their leisure. johnson had taken occa-
sion to say in one of his speeches that the
men who would oppose him are dogs from
the kennel-all who do not choose TO sup
port the ''Great Commoner" are to be de-
sighated by him as ''dogs." As for John
son having been endorsed by the Demo
cratic party and men of the South, he had
been thus endorsed for his fight against the
Radical party, and in that he was worthy of
praise, butthe speaker did not consider that
for this reason he should be supported in
all he chose to do. In one of bis speeches,
johnson had said that he 'rose to the dig
nifty of manhood and pardoned everybody"
after the war. But he did not pardon
everybody; he did not pardon Gen. Bates;
be did not pardon lsham G. Harris. These
men asked. mo pardons of him, and when
Reverdy johnson approached him with
pardon for Gen. Robert E. Lee, endorsed
by Gen. Grant, johnson refused to grant
lis. If Mr.. johnson, as President
of the United States, pardoned
men, he certainly did it because he con-
isidered it to be his duty, and if it was bis
duty, why is it that be and his friends claim
that he should be supported in this contest
A,n IS TO Ia Ri
that every man he pardoned belongs to him,
and therefore should vote for him. Has it
come TO such pass in this country that
when the President of the United States ex-
ercises the powers of his Office and pardons
8 man, that he has claim upon that man?
Mr.. Colyar says johnson is the only man
in the State who is making fight
against the Grant administration; he GER
tainly has forgotten Gov. Brown, although
he travelled with him until he got tired
and then quit all of sudden; but he prob
ably had some good reason for doing it.
johnson has not done much to hurt Grant,
because most of his speeches are made up
of talk about himself. lie certainly has
not supported Greeley very strongly. He
says that when he wishes to relieve poison
Gus atmosphere, he creates vacuum, thus
giving rise to the belief that he would look
upon Greeley, when occupying the Presi-
Dental chair, as sort of non-entity. He
claims to be great friend to the Constitu-
ton, and it seems to be his idea that when
be dies the Constitution will be left without
a defender.
The speaker continued at length in this
train, heaping ridicule upon Johnson, thor
oughly showing up the many instances
wherein he had been false to bis friends and
to the best interests of the State, being fire.
luently interrupted by prolonged applause.