Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-08-08
ANDREW JOHNSON.

From the Gallatin Examiner.
A meeting of The citizens Of our county
has been called for the 18th Of August, for
the purpose of sending delegates to the Con-
vention at Nashville on the 2lst inst. The
objects of the State Convention are the
nomination Of candidate for Congress for
the State at large, and the final arrange
ment of an electoral ticket. We desire to
impress upon our people the importance of
attending ottr county meeting 10 give full
expression to their wishes.
The year 1872 has been exceptional In
one respect, from the fact that for the frs
time in many years the people have given
directions to the conduct and resulss of
conventions. Politicians have been ignored
aud thrust aside. Tbs people made the
nominations at Cincinnati, and endorsed
them at Baltimore. The people of
TENNESSEE ratified them at the Nash
vile Convention, against the wishes
of ninety-nine hundredths Of the profess
SO lal politicians ofthe State. We believe
that vast majority of the people of Ten
nessee, IN the same manner, favor the cleo
ton of Andrew johnson TO Congress to re-
present the State at large. They have a
hundred good reasons for doing so, against
=
placable hostility to the man and an IN
willingness to bury the resentments grow
ing out of the war. The opponents of
johnson can forgive Greeley and Brown,
Schurz and Sumner, and the millions of
Northern Democrats who made war on US;
they can fraternize with the Liberal Re-
publcans to save the country from the
Grant despctism, but for Andrew johnson
there is nc pardon.
Now our people are Of q different way Of
thinking and acting. They are honest in
their determination TO have peace. They
have met the advances of Northern me in
the spirit in which they were ofered--for-
getfulness of the past, and an honorable,
manly differentiation founded on patriotism,
and be who aims to keep alive the passions
and hates engendered by the civil war, will
meet with their rebuke. This blowing hot
and cold must be ended. II gives ground
for the protracted military interference of
Grant. Grant insists that the SoTh is yet
rebellieus and that the war is not ended.
|. We should, therefore. do everything to
prove its ialsity. The Cincinnati and Bal
timore Conventions have gived it the lie,
and as a people, to be consistent, we must
sustain them in letter and spirit.
That Andrew johnson is the favorite Of
the masses in Tennessee, is indisputable.
Two years ago, when the bitterness IS grow
ing out of the war were far more active, he
was undoubtedly the choice of majority of
our people for United States Senator, and
with the aid of eLeUen Radical BrownloW
members was only defeated by one cote.
The positive instructions of various coun-
ties were violated by their delegates, and
the country was thus deprived OF the ser
vices of the ablest man on the continent a.
parliamentary orator. Had he been in
the Senate, the past year, in the line with
Schurz, Trumbull, Doolittle, Sumner and
other reformers who have struck such giant
blows against the Administration that great
rents have been made in the corrupt party,
which eliminated in the Cincinnati Con-
yention, the day of deliyerance from our
worse than Egyptian bondage may have
come to us sWifter and surer. And yet
there are men among US who would not
now have the benefit Of the services of the
greatest of all American Tribunes!
In Sumner county Andrew johnson is
the undoubted favorite of our people for
this position. We believe that we are in a
position which enables us to form correct
opinion as to the views of our people, and
do not think that we can be mistaken.
Now, if our people are wise, they %ill
take this matter into their own hands. Let
them assemble at this place on the 18th of
August and indicate their wishes. If they
do not, they will be misrepresented in the
State Convention.
In taking the position that we have as
sumed. we are actuated by the highest mo-
tives of love of country, as far above per-
sonal considerations as patriotism is shove
self. We are not warning against any Of
the distinguished and worthy gentlemen
whose name have been brought forward
in this connection, nor to crafty any sup
posed ambition of Andrew johnson. We
do not know that he desires or would &C
cept the nomination.
Its qualification can add nothing to bis dis
tinction, for he has attained already the
very summit of elevation in this country. He
can now have no ambition, but to serve his
country. We now need his stalwart arm in
the great battle Of cor stitutional freedom
to be fought in the next Congress. The
very existence of republican government
hangs in the scales and the next winter will
decide whether we drift into monarchy and
despotism, or swing back into the grooves
of law and order. Greeley aud Brown
may, and we believe will, be elected but
they might never enter the Capitol to be
indicted into office Cleaning bayonets
and rafting drums may line Pennsylvania
Avenue from the White House to the halls
of Congress. Its members might find
another Cromwell to invite them out, and
lock the doors behind them. It. is but
small step to Imperialism from the camp at
the White House.