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

| filed an Office except ~ they gave It to
| him. with one u arked exception, and that
vas when in their darkest hour he turned
his back upon them, and by some secret
l confessional made himself so acceptable to
| Republicans as to receive the second Office
insfhe government at their hands. The
world win never know the process By which
Mr.. Johnson slipped the skin of fierce I'M
compromising Southern, pro-slavery Dem
ocrat. to assume in a hsnd-breadth Of time
the earb of Republican, and vsunt the
name of a Moses of the African. The
writings, the deep inpreeations, the fear
fol oath, and horrible pangs, which attend
ed the parturition hour of his delivery into
the bosom of the Republican party, belong
20 the unwritten history of Mr.. johnson.
Mr.. Martin proceeded to speak of the deep
ingratitude which the political departure of
Mr.. j. exhibited, and then said be could
not understand how Mr.. j. was now
running as Democrat; that he
(Mr. j. had recently announced
that the Democratic party was dead,
and nothing was left to its friends but to
Give it a decent burial, and doubtless this
IL Inc KIM OlllCC LtCn llC lU1Cu0o w POI
form in becoming bolter and an indie
pendent candidate.
Mr.. J. does not stand upon Democratic
platform, He is emphatically Johnson
man and he stands alone upon his record,
and he says, in reference to that record,
that he was, right and we were wrong.
Such is the issue presented by himself 1t
is not one of our own choosing, and now
let him stand, or let him fall by that record.
MIR. Martin referred to the public record
of Mr.. j., preceding the war, and read por-
tons of his speech In the Senate in which
he arraigned John Bell for bis Nothern pro-
ciivities, and then he set in contrast Mr..
Johnson's assumed and unauthorized pro-
clamation of freedom to the slaves of Ten
nessee. He spoke of bis last entertainment
speech, his candidacy before the Charleston
Convention and his canvass in behalf OF
Breckenridge and Lane. Did
it not seem that man whose
great name and voice and Office were
all lent to precipitation Of the war of re-
bellion should and would have resigned his
place in the Senate of the United States,
and come here to the people who had so
bonered him, and whom he was represent
! ing and made common cause with them
when they went into that bloody conflict.
But no, he did not, and why should he /?
His interest was not in that direction, and
| whoever heard of Mr.. johnson forgetting
himself. His interest might lie directly
across the current of public sentiment
among the people whom he was represent
ing, but what mattered that to him. He
was safe, and in the future he saw the dim
outline of that reward which was reserved
for his abandonment of the people whom
he helped 10 lead astray. Where then, was
John Bell, whom he had driven from his
| place in the Senate upon the charges OF
unsoundness to the South. He was fol-
low ing the fortunes of bis people, he never
deserted them. If there was treachery and
betrayal of truth, who is the guilty man.
Let the people answer? .-~-,- f- -.---.
Mr.. Martin then passed TO a review of
President Johnson's record as Military
Governor, of Tennessee. He referred
to the many acts of oppression
and outrage committed by Mr.. Johnson
during that fearful day, not excepting that
mean and unchristian order in which be
forbids even the stricken wives OF those
imprisoned preachers from sending them
the little tokens of their love, and COM
mandiug thatthey be held as persons gull
ty of infamous crimes. He spoke OF Mr.
Us bitter and Incorporating rage against
the Rebels and all who sympathize with
them, and of his oft repeated threat that
treason must be made odious and traitors
punished; that we were all assassins, and
deserved the penalty which belonged to
such crime. .r
He reviewed "My Policy" with fine eff.
feet, and demonstrated to every unpreju-
diced mind that Mr.. johnson was directly
responsible for the odious franchise law,
and for much of the oppression and shame
of Brownlow's reign in Tennessee.
he closed with eulosy upon Gen.
Cheatham as the chosen leader of the De-
mocracy, and called upon the people to raj
ly to his support. He said if there were
any present who thought with
Mr.. johnson that the dead comrades OF
Gen. Cheatham slept in ignominlous
graves, then they were joined toitheir idols,
and such no doubt would vote against
him, but he trusted they were few in num-
Der. And he said if there were any present
who accepted the intimation thrown out
by President johnson in his speech at Col
umbia, that none who had once been Reb-
els should be allowed to hold Office, they
also must vote against Gen. g.; bat hs did
not believe there was such man in Wilson
county.
Mr.. Martin spoke rapidly, and for near
two hours, and it is impossible for me to
give even a fair outline of what he said. He
was replied to by Col. Robt. Cantrell, but
without effect, and the rejoinder of Mr.. NJ {.
in which he referred to Col. C.'s habit Of
boiling conventions that he might get beat.
en- by the people, SO diseomftted the Col.
onel that he never recovered.
Cheatham viii carry this county by a
handsome majority. Y.