Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-21
UNION AND AMERICAN.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
EuIOgfum of Hon. HI. NJ. SpOn8Fd, or
Louisiana. delivered at a Public
Meeting In Pulaski, Aug. z.


Giles county: Perhaps no man ever
rose to much political distinction in
the United States who made more enc.
mics, or was the object OF more bitter
animadversion in his life time, than
the late President johnson. But "the
angel, Death, isa potent peace-maker.
Few are the men who care to pursue
their resentments beyond the portals
of the tomb. And SO the time has
come, suddenly and sooner than was
expected, when more just, because more
dispassionate, estimates will begin to
be formed of the "Great COmmOner."
1t is not altogether inappropriate SO
to style him. Springing from the peo-
pie, elevated by the people, and acting
for the most part for the people, he
early became, and for more than quar-
ter of a century continued to be, one
of the most conspicuous figures on the
public stage. Village Alderman, coun-
ty Representative, State Senator, Rep
resentative in Congress, Governor,
United States Senator, Vice President,
President-thrOugh all these ascending
grades he moved, ever Out-spoken, de-
FAINT, cOmbatiye, aggressive, yet pro-
testing all the while that it was not his
own battles he was fighting, but those
of the people whom he loved, and the
latchet of whose shoes he was ready to
stOop down and uni ,Ose. 1t was the
singularity of his lot to fall into con-
trOversy with persons and parties of
the most conflicting sentiments. He
was hung In efigy here In Tennessee by
those (sOme Of them previously his ad-
mirers) who condemned him for not be-
ing ready to secede from the Union
when they were; he was hunted down
at Washington by the assassin Atzerot,
because the attempt to discover the
Union had failed, and he was supposed
TO have contributed to the failure; he was
impeached by the House Of Representa-
tives because he proclaimed, and had
IN some respects acted in accord with
the proclamation, that the Union never
WIS dissolved, and the Constitution was
still the supreme law. 1t happened to
him repeatedly, and at various periods
IN his career, that those who had been |
his political friends became all at once !
his enemies, and that those who |
had been his political enemies, |
were Just as suddenly converted into |
friends. Assuredly, Mr.. Chairman |
and gentlemen, there was something
out Of the common IN the man, as well |
as In the times, that ledto such strange |
exhibitions of seeming Inconsistency.
Was it he, or was it others, who faced |
about and adopted new principles Of |
action? If not unbecoming, 1t GER |
tainly would be fruiless to discuss that !
question here and now. Perhaps 1t |
will be premature for the present gen
Grafton TO attempt to solve 1t. In the |
august tribunal of history, parties are !
not permitted to sit in judgment upon |
their own causes.
But there are grounds upon which |
most good citizens can, even now, unite |
IN bestOWing upon his memory a tTIb- |
ute of praise. One of these, probably |
the chief Of these, may be found. IN |
his devotion to the established Consti- |
tuition Of his country. He never looked |
upon the zCritteH constitution of this |
great Union of Republics as an i'm
pra cticable cOnceit, or a mere verbal |
formality, or parchment lie. On the |
contrary, to him 1t was always a holy |
testament Of the fathers; a bond that /
defed death and the grave; a Srue COW
epant by which this people, one and all, |
were pledged 10 'a union Of hearts and |
a union Of hands" now and evermore.
Nor was it, In his view, a plan of /
anton" only; but, still better, a Charter /
Of Government, conveying to each |
branch of that Government all the /
powers 1t could rightfully exercise, and
hedging them round about with sacred |
and inviolable limitations. He felt In
his inmOst soul, that, as the COnstitu- /
ton was the source and parent of both |
union end government, no department |
of the Government could lay violent /
hands on the Constitution without /
committing a crime akin to parricide. |
True it is, he believed, and acted Sc |
yerely on the belief, that lChere war |
ragged, and 1ChiLe war ragged, this su- |
preme law of the land, ! ke other laws, |
was silenced and suspended; but he |
also believed that its commanding |
tongue was loosed and that it spake |
again with more than imperial |
authority, upon the full return Of |
peace. In this, he had the misfortune |
TO differ from powerful section Of the !
party that had raised him to the most
eminent position IN America. Possibly |
mlstaking hostility to the Constitution,
toward which many Of these people |
felt a contempt long antedating the
war, but largely increased by the war,
for hostility 70 himself personally, he
INDUCED IN an immOderatiOn of speech,
which, no matter how Justly provoked,
hardly graced the high station lie
filed. This imprudence complicated
the impeachment struggle that ensued,
the bottom issue Of which, however
ingeniously masked, really was 1Ukether
fhe Constitution should be considered as
anu Ionger eriSting. But, in spite of
some defects In tact and taste, so man
fuIIv had he borne himself, and So solid
was the rock on which he stood, that
he yanouished those who made the on
sIauobt; from that moment the ancient
landmarks that had been submerged
BEGAN to appear again; and, as Daniel
Webster was, by common consent,
stvled the Defender" so Andrew
Johnson may yet be known to the CON-