Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-03-11
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TIE WAY IT SHOULD READ.

luCM Al tlln lnlluC4AabC 0oAAANAlhf nave
of late been publishing all the court
news" concerning Johnson's minutest
movements and smallest sayings in and
about Washington City. Especially have
they " laid themselves out" on an inter-
view which it is said some reporter of the
New York Tribune has recently had
with the orphan Senator from Tennessee
in regard to what disposition he is going
to make of that only copy of the consti-
tuition Of the country which he always
carries along, in the particular " policy
of his Senatorial career. The Tribune
man, it appears, asked him a lot of set
questions and received a lot of replies
which, from q very good knowledge of
the individual under interview, iu a po.
litical way, do him great injustice be-
cause Of the incompleteness Of the SEN
tences as printed. The skeleton of what
the Senator said is all right,
but lacks fattening up with the honest
truth. Being a great admirer of John
SON, we are unwilling to see the wrong
sentiments and sayings attributed to him
by the leaving out of words which prop
erly belong to a fair representation of
the man. So, in order to let the public
read the " interview . as it should have
been published, we reprint it, adding to
the New York Tribune's sentences of
what the Senator is represented to have
said, the necessary words to convey
what be. really meant. The language
which the Tribune man failed to catch
from Mr.. Johnson's lips we supply in
parenthesis. Here, then, is the CONVEX
s%ation, on the part of the Senator, not
before published, following the few that
have been:
Reperter-"Will not your new posi-
tioR give you the opportunity to pay of
old scores, Mr.. SenatorY"
johnson" Ny service in the Senate
will not be a personal one" (but such /
would like it to be. / an satisfied, how
ever, that there is too much respecta-
bility in the body to allow me the chance
of indulging in the blackguardism, so
congenial TO my nature, which would be
necessary to convince my admirers that
their confidence 10 my general powers
OF vulgarity had not been misplaced
when ! start in to stir up" those who
honestly thought | ought to have been
impeached, but which unfortunately for
the nation they failed to do.) ~ do
not represent myself, but Tennessee
THAT State through its Legislature hav-
ing against the protest Of thousands Of
her best citizens, seen propert to indorse all
my acts OF outrage upon and prosecutions
of her unoffending aud helpless people
when / was Military Governor, there is
no use to defend myself in such mat
ters,as the Legislature has done that.
There is really, now, no necessity
TO make any personal defence Of
the wrongs which Inflicted
on the citizens Of Tennessee. And
although a great many who know the
truth Of things, have been inclined to
End fault with me for having rejected
the ShermanJ ohnston treaty when | was
accidental President, which rejection
placed Louisiana and other Southern
States in chains and got their people
robbed, insulted and saddied with mill.
tary rulers like Phil Sheridan, yet Ger.
tain Democratic newspapers to whose
interests my election was of great i'm
portance, wouldn't let the matter be
stirred up sufficiently to give me any
serious trouble, and | don't think it
worth while to deny what is true when
others have done it for me.) II have
no enemies to punish, no friends to re.
ward"--Q am afraid to attempt the
game, even if the Senate would let me,
of furnishing enemies, because in my
case, the enemies have more furnishing
means against me in their hands thar |
can conveniently get hold Of, and as a
matter of course l could but com out
second best in the tussle. No, sir, you
bet, I've got no enemies to punish under
such circumstances. And perhaps the
most honest sentiment | ever expressed
in my life is that II have no friends TO
reward" A. j. never has. he has
plenty Of promises on hand before cleo
4ions to reward" friends, but no re-
wards afterwards. Why, bless your life,
it would make you laugh to knew how
many little fellows there are in that Ten
nessee Legislature who think I'm going
70 have EN- elected to Congress on &C
count OF friendship sbogn me in my
Senatorial race-absolutely make you
laugh, sir. / always let 'em think so,
but really have no +" friends to reward. "
"IfI can perform the duties nov before
me latter the manner binted above, and
make any advance towards a nomination
for the next Presidency by somebody.
don't care who) as clearly and conscien.
tiously as l see them at this moment
Through my " eye;glssses) ] shall
accomplish as much as human vanity
(on an entire absence OF principle) may
seek to attain"
Reporter" Good-dsy, sir"
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Iarepa Rosa has q monument which