Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-09-03
EN.PRESIDENr JOHNSON AZ. GAL
LAIN.


The most unfortunate, the most objection
able portion OF Ex-President Johnson's Gal
latin speech is that wherein he goes back
and re-opens the past, discusses the ques-
ton Of secession, refers 10 the course of
Tennessee in separating herself from the
Union, throws upon the Confederate cause
all the responsibility of the manning aud
Gripping, the butchery aud slaughter of
our young men "mutilated and thrown in
to the grave of death and ruin and decay"
charges that the South "struck the first
blow that caused all this sacrifice Of blood
and ali this sacrifice ofproperty and cause d
all the misery and woe upon this country"
Mark Antony in his speech over the dead
body of Caesar said, 81 come to bury CR-
sar, not to praise him." that they who slew
him, Brutus and ths rest, were ''all honor
able men," yet, raising aloft Caesars man
tie, he showed where ''raH Cassius' dagger
through" "what rent the enyiOus Casca
made where 'the well beloved BrjItus
stabbed" and thus SO excited the populace
as to cause the patriots to flee from Rome.
Mr.. Johnson, in his speech, like Mark An
tony, interspeTsss his remarks about seces-
sion and the disasters of the war with such
phrases as these: II have no re-
proaches now to make 81 don't con-
denim nor censure any one" 81 didn't
come here to condemn any body nor to
be condemned by any body" But wheth-
er he intended it or not, he takes up the
CORY uniforms of the crippled and the dead
and shows where the terrible shot entered
that took limb or life, and then charges
that had the policy marked out by him
been pursued, eve would have had no dis
astrous and bloody war" Whatever the
purpose, the effect Of this, if unanswered, is
to blast with infamy the Confederate cause
and every prominent participator in II.
How different the course of Mr.. Greeley.
When he was nOminate5, ex-
tremo Democrats began to pub
hsh and circulate every word OF
anger or reproach that he had uttered
against the Southern people and the South
e n cause. When he came TO accept the
nomination he attempted no justification OF
himself he threw no blame upon any one,
he evoked no unpleasant recollection, he
made DO effort to place the brand of infa-
my UPON any, high or low, he drew no ill.,
y;dious distinctions between Unionists
and dis-Unionists, he did not attempt to
excite the indignation of the private against
his officer, he pointed to ''the bloody chasm"
only to say that s'the masses Of our country
men, North and South, are eager TO clasp
hands across" it, forgetting that they have
been enemies in the joyful consciousness
that they are and must hence iorth remain
brethren"
There is not wife widowed, q mother
bereft of her son, child made fatherlesS
in defence of the stars and bars, that does
not still reverence the cause, that will moi
raise hand and voice TO keep reproach from
being brought upon it. They wish no re
wal Of the contest. They do seek tt
cast blame upon no one, but they Zee
that their dear ones sleep in honored, no
dishonored graves, that
On Fame's eternal camping ground,
Their silent tents are spread,
And Glory guards with solemn round,
The bivouac of the dead
The Cause is lost .Reyer to be revived
The banner is conquered, but the Southern
people
Love the cold dead hands that bore it,
Weep for those who fell before III -
Pardon those who traIied ana tore 10
Furl that Banneri true tits CORY,
Yet tits wreathed around with glory,
And twin live in song and story
Though its folds are in the dust
For its fame on brightest pages,
Penued by poets and by sages,
Shall 20 sounding down the ages
Furl its folds though now We must.