Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-10-07
ANDREW JOHNSON.
His Speech Yesterday at Shelbyyille
The Issues Of the Day
Discussed.

JOHNSON spoke tnree nOurS huu Hoii a
Shelbyville yesterday. A large portion
of his speech was devoted to defending
himself against the Union and Ameri
cans Chattanooga special and editorial
of October Sd, in which he was desig
mated as an ex.Republican President
and in favor of repudiating the State
and National obligations. He says;
This editorial l have read is intended
to express the opinion that ex-President
johnson, Republican ex-President, is
not the proper person to go to the United
States Senate Then who ought to go2
They point the case well, and suggest
to the Democratic party that Stokes is
upon the stump, that Hawkins is upon
the stump, and that Stokes and Hawkins
advocate peculiarly the same views as
johnson; that johnson is little of a
Republican, and that the man they are
holding in reserve is not Republican;
that this man johnson, though we speak
of him favorably, is not our man. They
have expressed their opinion as to who
ought not to go to the Senate, and they
ought to have told us who they favor
going. [Applause.] The query comes
up, is not that unkind2 That paper
/ have stood by in all times,
and on all occasions, and l hope
when they come to consider they
will come back into line, come back
in support of true Democracy - the
Democracy that Jefferson and jackson
fashioned. [Applause. In those old
times when you called a man Wing the
term had an association of ideas in it;
you thought of Clay, of protective tariff,
of line of improvements by the Fed
eral government, which we're advocated
by that great party. When you called
man a Democrat you meant anti-protec-
ton, anti-banking and direct opposition
to all the principles of the great Wing
party Now the Wing party is gone, but
we have still left what is called the Dem
ocratic party; but is there eny distinct
and definite ideas associated with it?
Suppose we take up the credit mobilier,
and we find it was as much Republican
as Democratic. There is correspond
ing number of fingers in that pie. The
salary grab was neither Republican nor
Democratic. When you come to the
currency question you find you have as
many Democrats on one side as on the
other. What has become of the great
Democratic party? We have had so
many departures that it is hard to say
in what seas we are sailing now, and
think the time has come when we should
consult that old logbook of principles
that we may get our reckoning and get
back within constitutional limits. An
ex Republican President What was
that put in for2 / am willing to
believe it was put in merely to round off
a sentence. Stokes upon the stump ad-
vocates the same principles as those of
johnson. Now, this remarkable editorial
is predicated upon dispatch based upon
a single sentence torn from a speech
without giving the connections In 1866
Stokes was a candidate for Governor,
with Senter running against him. By re-
quest of some Of my friends, l entered
into that canvass, speaking in all por
tons Of the State and urging the people
to support Senter. The result was that
Stokes was defeated. 1t seems to me
that the service | then rendered ought
not to be forgotten. In Chattanooga
Mr.. Stokes happened to be present when
made my speech, and when | closed
he was called on by some of his friends
he is an independent candidate for
Congress, and as the audience was made
up Of all classes, he had HE friends
present, and / don't see how l am to be
held responsible for that fact, or why our
names should have been CONNECTED.
Charles V. Emperor Of Germany, after
running for long time very success
full administration, became tired of his
antics, and turning over the government
to his sou, retired to a monastery and
undertook to regulate the movements
Of watches, but soon found that he could
not make any two Of them keep the
same time, and was in this way led to
reflect upon the folly Of attempting to
make men think alike, for be had under
taken to make everybody think as be
did in religious matters Well, people
differ from me, and ! am willing they
should, but when / am classed as Re-
publican, think it is unkind. 1t will
not do to say that the editor Of the
Union and American is ignorant of the
history Of the past ] will say right here
that never was a Republican from my
advent into political life. l have been
Constitutional Democrat az taught by
that great Etatesman Thomas Jefferson
and that patriot soldier Jackson. When
Democracy was in its greatest troubles
in Tennessee you did not hear such talk
as this. We have now new judges and
new critics. / did not then yield the
palm to any living man in support Of
these great principles Of Democracy.
[Applause 10 1860 Mr.. Lincoln was
elected President; 10 that canvass /
suvno,tad Rreekiuridga IN Tennes-