Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-10-26
Andrew Johnson.

The supporters Of Andrew JohI
son complain that we have maligne
him, and that we are moved by pei
sonal ill-will. For confederation O
what we have said they have only {
turn back cople of years and res'
1he comments made upon his Sena
torial aspirations by the paper
which a.e now supporting him
They will find him therein charged
with crimes enough to damage The
character of an escaped convict.
We have scarcely considered the
personality of the ex-President al
ali; and we have certainly no reason
to entertain ill-wil toward him.
But there happened to be circum-
stances, having an interest to the
people of Tennesree, with which. we
are familiar. We made these known
as a matter of public duty.
Mr.. johnson went back on Ten
nessee, when, being President ofthe
United States, Tennessee needed his
aid to extricate herself from the
mess in which he had involved her.
We may add, since the question of
personality is suggested, that he is
essentially unreliable. More than
this his election to Congress would
be 8 national misfortune on q small
scale, for he would prove a mere az
itator in the Honse, fomenting dis
cord among his friends and fabrica-
ting political material for his enc
mics. Much that was said against
him two years ago was highly color
ed. Some of it was false. But there
was enough of it that was true to
justify his defeat then and now.
1t is better that liberalism in Ten
nessee should for the present fail
than be saddIed with such a leader.
That it should be able to secure no
better is evidence of its unfitness
and incapacity for distinct existence,
We say these. things regretfully, but
they ought to be said not the less
plainly on that account.
The success of the Liberal move.
ment at large Will surely not be pro-
noted by the success. of Andrew
Johnson. Nor viii the hopes OF
his supporters be realized. They
have shown themselves signally de.
ficient in political tact and acumen
Their straitened circumstances, the
result of this lack, produced the
ex-President as shift, an expedient
q necessity; but they will discover
as the frogs did, that King Log is
no better than King Stork.
Nay, this is not all of it. They dc
not display, in their handling of the
canvass, the spirit of genuine Lib.
eralism or Hberality. Theirs is q
most one-sided, partisan liberalism
which draws its Bustenance from
the dry bones and dead languages OF
bygone political controversies, and
is utterly unworthy ofthe ennObling
professions of those principles OF
reunion and reform which he at the
base of the fabric established by
the changes of the last half dozen
y ars, and the exigencies of the
present condition of national affairs.
The Cheatham-J ohnsOn fight is
little more than a revival of the old
personal quarrel between Harris
and johnson, and in this personal
controversy, the sympathies of dis
interested and honest meU ought TO
be with Harris. Political Liberal
ism has really nothing to do with it
either way. 1t is a question of men,
and johnson, as the worse, deserves
to go to the wall. But, as a public
question, the argument in favor OF
his defeat is stranger still, for his
temperance at Washington will
embarrass all parties except the
Radicals. Take him any and every
way, as an individual and as politi-
clan, and he will be found to be a
claimless agitator, having power
only to help the enemies of Liberal
ism, and will only to serve his own
ambition. Since his exit from the
White House he has dragged him
self and the retreating shadow OF
the Presidential office which attends
him through scenes disgraceful to
himself and disgusting to the most
casual sense of decorum. No can
did man will deny this. Nor will
any candid man pretend that he is
now, any more than hitherto, moved
by stronger or higher sentiments
than those which spring from inor-
dinate egotism, calculating selfish
ness and unquenchable malignance.
He proved a failure when he had a
chance to succeed. Success, by
which he might have been of SER
vice to his time and country, was
the price charged by those who,
without the hope or expectation of
profit, supported him in spite of his
They owe him no.
thing for a series of plumbers which
recoiled on the cause of constitu-
tional government. The obligation
is on his side that they bore with
him so long and have carried his of
lenses so lightly in their minds and
hearts. 1t is asking too much, how
ever, when perpetual confidence and
popular gifts are required,
and at the instance Of liberalism
never professed or practiced by him.
Six months ago johnson was a
six months hence, he will
be-God knows what. He was and
and is, in all respects, a Hunker, a
organizer and placeman
of the old corrupt and cOrrupting
school, and no liberal and candid
man can give a fair, dispassiOned
reason why he should be taken by
the young men of Tennessee as their
He.represents no.
body but himself and nothing but
his private passions, which are
strong and wicked. A vigorous I'M
man, with just enough
genius to eqnip him with dangerous
and just enough learn
ing to make him an unsafe teacher,
he does not fail to attract the masses
and hardly more by his virtues,
which are few, than by his vices,
which are many. He will always,
we take it, have a certain strength
which belongs to exceptional char
acteristics. But the young men OF
Tennessee should beware of him and
his ascendency' He Is not a good
man. He is bad man, an untrue
and faithless man.
Those who allege that, in our es-
Inmates, we have been inspired by
personal feeling simply mistake the
picturesque but honest candor OF
the historian for personal feeling
Andrew johnson is historic char
acter. The scuff1e in which he il
engaged, disgraceful though it be,
presents some striking points. We
have on extensive audience of read.
ers in tennessee, land it is to their in.
terest to have US consider and dis.
cuss certain topics of concern tc
them. We should touch them, how.
ever, with delicacy if they were
purely local in stheir kind
This Congressional race is not local
and accordingly we treat it will
perfect freedom. Andrew johnson
is certainly a study, and we have
studied him with impartiality anC
with care, seeking to do him no in
justice, but to tell the truth abou
him, plenteously and accurately
We have studied him in vain if oui
portrait be not life-like in every de
tail.
There is much in the line of ar
gnment pursued by the opponent
of johnson with which we do no
concur. 1t seems to us that al
parties have gone too far back 70
their arguments. But, lumping tn
whole thing, the cause of worth ant
fair dealing honesty and merit, /
with Cheatham and against John