Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-03
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Irish Gratitude.

COUUlTDHlGn GALLO llClC oAO olLCt
the war. That majority never saw slavery
as il was. Their views of the South are
biased by what they have heard in the
North. And in Nashville they find clique
of arstocratic bigots very much resembling
English landlords; and by this class they
| Judge the whole Of Tennessee, when in
fact this class no more represents the South
ern people, than the Irish Aldenites with
llovai government labels, who run over s
fallen foe like so many SaSsenachS, repre-
sented the true, generous lrishman.
Ifully appreciate and endorse the spirit
| that induces so many Irishmen to prefer
johnson in the present race. tits the love
| of religious freedom and Irish gratitude
But the same identical motives prompt me
Irish born, but reared in Tennessee and
somewhat familiar with its politics, to sup
port Frank Cheatham strenuously.
The turning point in the irish mind is
Johnson's campaign against the Know
Nothing Gentry. My gratitude is given to
the Democratic party. whose convention
put Johnson in the field, and who made or
| the issue in their platform, maintaining oul
rights when there were not a thousand
Irish votes in the State. My gratitude is &c
the people of Tennessee who, through Dem
ocTatic organization, voted down the vile
imitation of Anglo-Saxon intolerance. NV
gratitude is to the party that made the
South one solid unit against the Northern
born midnight monster. My gratitude is to
the party that crushed It cut of existence
everywhere. 1t was no one man did it.
here or elsewhere it was the Democratic
party did it-and that fact explains the
rsncor against Democracy which incites its
lifelong enemies to join hands with Their
once "hated and despised foe" johnson in
trying to tear down that noble old party.
As the Banner says: they have not come to
johnson, but he has gone to them-gone out
of the party which fought Known othing-
ism.
Do l give the man no credit? you ask.
Certainly do, just as ] give Ben Butler
credit for doing the same work in puritaDie
Massachusetts,. They both got their re-
ward-got al they worked for-and both
have since abandoned the party that stood
for religious freedom. In both cases,
stand by the party, not the man; for the
man dies, but the party won't die so long
as this country is free, although there are
many for johnson now who wish it to die,
and would pray for it if they believed IN
prayer.
Some Of you say johnson is Democrat
enough for us, but johnson himself
breaches from the stump that the Demo-
cracy is dead. Let me warn you. fellow
countrymen: when It comes to that, the
sun OF religious liberty in this country is
fast setting. The JefTersonian Democracy
which tore to tatters the Alien and Sedition
Laws of the elder Adams-that party
which smothered Native Americanism and
Know Nothingism-is the only party ever
in this country that stood by the constitu-
ton, whole and entire. Mr.. johnson him
self will tell you so. Other parties have
tempered with one part Of it or another
part. Some day some party will lay IN
holy hands on the clause securing religious
freedom, and it viii have no defender if the
Democracy be dead.
We Irishmen appreciate this danger more
wildly than others. johnson beat Gentry
in 1856. johnson may die any time; Gen
try is already dead, but there are other
Gentrys still among us. Only two years
ago one Of them in this city was rebuked
for stirring up religious strife By fighting
the Franco PrusSian contest over here as a
religious war. Later On, he was the apollo
gist Of the Paris Communists, defending
them in the murder of bishops, priests and
nuns. Where is lie now? For Johnson,
and ana against him. Why is he for
Johnson? Because he knows as well as l
do that Johnson is trying to pull down in
this State the party that defeated Know
Ard lie chuckles over his
Innocent Irish allies of to-day, because
. h , 10 Ir;f- -
politics as clearly as he and do.
Later on we have been warned BY the
July riots in New YORK, and the secret
american Protestant League" which is
still spreading in the North. This Know
Nothing question is never dead issue
with US. Three centuries of persecution
have branded it into our souls. We know
how il IS liable 20 come up. When North
and South are reconciled, and everything
runs smoothly, the politicians will be at
their wits end for fresh subject on which
TO rouse the popular passions. As Dean
Swift told his preachers, "If you are at
loss for sermon, abuse the Pope; he is
always there" So with the politicians,
when they run out Of ready material, the
Pope is always there. When Radic2lism
runs its natural course, exhausting North
eTn prejudice against the South, We may
bear, within few years, mayhap, the cry
"DowR with Popery! let it 20 the way OF
relics of baTbarous ages
Woe then to the religious freedom clause
Of the constitution which Mr.. johnson
adores, if the old Democratic party that
made him all he is, be moi in the field to
beat away the bigots.
Such is the main issue with Irishmen.
A few words on minor incidents: There is
no more question OF Unionism or loyalty
in voting for johnson Or Cheatham, than
there was two years ago in voting for the
Confederate General John Q. Brown,
Union man VIM. A. Wisener. The real
issue with the native Tennessee supporters
Of johnson is the disruption of the Demo
cratic party.
When johnson stumped this State
against The knOw-Nothings, Frank Cheat
ham went with him to protect him from
threatened violence with stout Irish heart
and ready fist for the right.
The war record Of the two amounts to
this: Up to 1850 Mr.. johnson did every
thing that politician could do to :''precipi-
tate" war, denounCiDg all compromise with
The North as treason to the South, and be
this State for Breckenridge against
Stephen A. Douglas. Frank Cheatham
never so much as lifted his little finger to
'iprec!pitate" war, but when it came he
fought Ike 2 man for what he considered
right. Chestham went with his people into
q rebellion against what NJ. Johnson has
taught themi to believe were Northern ag-
gressiCns on their rights. johnson studied
the strong side and went with the North
against his people. We have often read Of
the like in Irish history. Frank wasted
four years and lost his al. johnson made
political capital of bis Unionism and man
sged to get a Radical nomination which
landed him in the White House.
But it is urged that johnson is a man
with mouth, while Cheatbam is 10 talk
er. Well, let us send a man TO Congress
who will work instead of talk. Cbeatham
will work untiringly for our interests, while
Johnson would waste his whole strength in
speeches on "Idy Policy" and bis old quar-
rel with his Radical household. TIE
Jesuits are credited with an addition to the
Litanies, which reads, "From great preach
ars and takers, Deliver US, o, Lord
Ii is said the Irish have no concern with
-he murder Of Mrs. SurTati; that she
merely happened to be Catholic. But we
are taught that wilful murder cries to
Heaven for vengeance; and there is such
a thing in morals as being accessory after
The ccf 7 bOre oiven Mr. IOhpsOa tIo