Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-10-12


that there is a state Of things in this
country that never existed before.
There is no outburst and there is no
passion; but there is deep, deci-
ded feeling in the country, and the
itlea Is obtaining too much curren-
cy, that this Union is TO be dissolv-
ed. That seems TO be almost a
JOTegOHe conclusion. Ii has got TO
be belief in the minds of many,
that II is simply question of time.
Globe, l34
lie advised his constituents then
of the utter helplessness of the
South in case OF the election of q
sectional President. He infiames
the Southern mind with the belief
that resistance then would be too
late. OF what avail then, any senti-
ment OF love for or devotion to the
Union? The war was the result of
grievances he had painted in dark
est colOrs of the deep-seated feeling
which he described, and his express
siens of loyalty were all neutralized
by his own appeals TO passion
When too late, he spoke unequivO-
cally, but it was when troops were
hurrying to and fro.
A REVOLUTION IN 1860.
In the Senate, December 10, 1860,
(see Globe that date) Mr.. johnson
aVowed doctrines as ultra as those of
Southern leaders. He differed as to
means, opposing the abstract doc
trines which practically attained the
same end. This speech was made
when we were already involved &C.
cnrding TO his own Vvords, ia revoiu-
ton, although the war had not be-
gun. He says:
am not cOmprOmiser. l have
generally been called Radical, and
| shall not ask anything 10 be done
on principle of compromising
In fighting this battle shall do it
upon the basis laid down by a po--
tiOn of the citizens of my own State:
ResolUed, That we deeply sympa-
thiZe with our sister Southern
States, and freely admit that there
is good cause for dissatisfaction and
complaint on their part, on account
of the recent election of sectional
candidates TO the Presidency and
Vice Presidency; yet we as a por-
ton of the people of a slaVe-holding
"a AOA 4OA VI
breaking up the Union of these
States until every fair and hOnOra-
bic means has been exhausted in try
ing to obtain on the part of the nom
slavehOlding States compliance
with the spirit and letter of the con-
stitutiOn, and all its guarantees, and
when this shall have been done, and
the States now in open rebellion a.
gainst the laws of the United States
IN refusing to execute to fugitive
slave law, shall persist in their pres
ent unconstitutional course, and the
Federal Government shall fall or
refuse to execute the laws in good
faith, it will not have accomplished
| the great design of its creation, and
will therefore be practical disso-
luton, and all the States as parties
| be released from the compact which
formed the Union.
He thus admits that the Union
may be dissolved, and the States re-
sisJing the fugitive slave law are in
! open rebellion, and only differs as
! to time, practically admitting all
that was demanded, only demand
| ing more time and a little more ne
gOtiatiOn. Tennessee thought he
/ was IN earnest, and when armed
| troops were sent against the South
/ she thought Ii ever the time would
come for practical dissolution OF
| the Union il was then. She issued a
! declaration of independence, which,
| if not based OH the very resolution
read by Mr.. Johnson, certainly ac-
! cords closely with them.
A QUESTION OF EXPEDIENCY.
lie said further:
| tell our sisters of the South that
Tennessee will not be dragged into
| a Southern COnfederacy, or any 9TH
! er, until she has had time to consid-
er, and Unen she VIII go WIers she
! believes it her interest, and not be-
fore; l tell our Northern brethren
who are resisting laws made in con-
formity with the Constitution, that
we will not be driven into their
COnfederacy, and we will not 90
they give us the guarantees we
deem right and Proper.-Globe,
1860, p. 139.
No denunciatiom of dissolution as
a moral crime, but only a question
OF time, of what "suits u.s." and is
to our "interest." His doctrine,
his inflammatory appeals had more
effect than his example.
lie agreed that slavery was the
prime point of interest to preserve.
lie argued warmly against abstract
| secession, but on all other points a.
greed with the Southern leaders,
and surely with the people of Ten
nessee, fOT they never seeded nor
! advocated the doctrines of seces-
sion, but only proclaimed the prac-
| tical dissolution of the Union accor-
ding to the resolutions read by Mr..
| johnson.
His mind was not, however, run
ming oil Southern Confederacy.-
He remembered how the Southern
leaders snubbed and hated him, and
he hated them in return. They had
all failed to support him in the
! Charleston Convention, hence he
saw that he could never be leader
or attain position with them.
Ambitious, a middle Confederacy
! would have preserved his strength
among the masses of the Middle
States, and afforded him AN ample
field for attainment of great power.
He said (GlObe, 1860, p. 140.):
When you come to break up and
Nurn loose the different elements
/ there Is no telling what combiua a.
tions may take place in the future.
! 1t may occur, for instance, TO the
Middle States that they may not get
as good government by going q
! little further south as by remaining
where they are. IL may occur to
/ North Carolina, to Tennessee, TO
Kentucky, to Maryland, to Missou-
ri-and perhaps Illinois may sail in,
! tOO-th2t by erecting themselves in
to a central aud independent repub-
! lie, disconnected with either the
! North or the South, they could stand
as a peace-maker, resisting the heat
ed and surging waves of the South
and the fanatical abOlitiOnism of the
North. Or il might turn out, our
institution OF slavery being exposed
on the northern line, that by look
ing to Pennsylvania, to New York,
and to some of the other States, in
stead of having a hostile power up
on our frontier, they might come to
this central republic and give us
sum bDA41tAA AuAEOAAAA = uolA AhNfI9 AAidI
it might be 20 our interest 10 form
an alliance with them and have a
protection on our frontier. / throw
out these considerations. There
will be various projects, and vari-
Gus combinations made.
he INCITES, NOT CoNDEMs.
There is no condemnation of dis
solution here He is only careful as
10 the arrangement of elements,
when il comes, and intimates that
Tennessee viii not where there are
no political hOnors for Andrew
johnson. Again he demands re-
! dress:
If there are grievances, why can
not we all 90 together and write
them down and point them out to