Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-06-30


divine, wrath Of the Republican Achilles.
Hence bis organs have been prompt to
attack the VIce-President by direct
denunciation or by indirect sheer.
They have misrepresented, reviled and
ridiculed him. He passed all this by
IN silence during his extended tour
South and West. But now that he has
returned home he refuses to re-
main silent any longer. He takes up
his pen ''to notice some adverse criti-
cisms that have recently appeared in a
few Republican presses" and pays es-
pecial attention to the Washington Re
publican, the Presidents immediate or
gan, speaking of it as a journal that
eight years ago assumed to be the or
gan of Andrew johnson and the expo
nent Of his policy" and as now seem.
ing to be hugely grati6ed with the
imputed reputation of being the organ
Of the present Administration.
The Vice President speaks of his re-
cent journey South and West as being
"'the innocent cause Of extreme solicit
tude to the conductors Of this assumed
organ" but declares that all such soil.
citude Is entirely uncaIled for" He
says:
That little journey of mine was but
the carrying out of advice to take a
few weeks Of rest before I commenced
upon the task l had marked out for the
summer and autumn. Kindly vel
coined by the people Of both races, by
Democrats, Republicans and Conserva-
tives, l visited colleges, schools and
marts of varied industries. Being
welcomed by people and presses Of
every shade and opinion, l said nothing
in the twenty mine brief addresses L
made Of public affairs or of party poll
tics. spoke of law, order, peace; of
industry, material development, edu-
cation, temperance; of justice to
black men, and of a generous policy
! to white men. l visited the
graves of Jackson and Clay, of Taylor
and Polk, of Crittenden, Bell and Ben
ton. visited, too, a dying eX-Vice
| President, and chatted a moment with
Mrs. Jefferson Davis In the streets of
Memphis. Never did I make a more
innocent or agreeable journey than was
crowded into those SIX weeks. But l
find on my return that all this is very
Significant" These welcomes from
all without distinction Of race or color;
these brief speeches, this visit to the
couch Of a dying man, that little talk
with the wife Of the President of the
late Confederacy, were full OF meaning
The wandering Vice President"
was too Unanimous" he was
''the victim of Presidential aspira-
TONS" and he must be rebuked as
other gentlemen suspected Of like de-
sires had been.
In reply to the charges against him
here alluded to, Mr.. Wilson declares
that he has never written, spoken nor
limited to any one that he desired,
hoped or expected or intended to be
candidate, that he has not even replied
to letters written to him upon the sub
ject. He refers to the published re-
port of his recent interview with New
York reporter and reiterates his for
merly expressed views Of the cause of
Republican disasters and the means of
retrieving Republican losses, while dis
claiming any personal disrespec5 to the
President. Nothing is more I'M
true, he asserts, than the charge that
his opposition to the third term folly"
is simply opposition to the President.
q was" he AYERS, "actuated by no
hostility to the President or by favor
to any one desirous Of being his sue
cessor. I deemed the proposition, by
whomsoever favored, quite as fatal to
the Republican party as would have
been a proposition to amend the Con-
stitution so as to elect a President for
life"
Coming to his trip South, he says of
Southern affairs:
There have been unquestionably mis-
takes, Encouragement, and In some
cases corruption on the part of those
called to the high duty of working out
the practical problem of a reconstruc-
ton in those disordered and devastated
Commonwealth. But with all these
mistakes and corrupt practices l saw
progress-.slow, but think sure. Had |
a prophet at the close of the war pre-
dicted that In the short space Of ten |
years there should happen what has |
happened, few would have believed |
him. Then the colOred race, Just |
emancipated, had neither property, |
homes, education nor political or civil |
rights. Now, though little accustomed |
to habits of economy and thrift, it |
possesses millions of property, has |
hundreds Of thousands of children In |
schools, has been clothed with civil and /
political rights, occupies high positions /
at home, and has representatives in
Congress. Then the white race, /
with institutions. industries and
labor disorganized, unaccustOmed /
TO toll, disappointed and defeated, were
careless alike of the rights of black
men and of the opinions of their coun-
trymen. Now States, industries and
institutions have been reorganized, Ia
Dor is becoming more honorable and
more universal, the Government is
more respected, the old flag is more
loved, and the favorable opinion of the
Northern people more highly appreci-
ated. Much remains to be done; but a
beginning has been already secured.
In spite of all untoward influences
there is unquestionably a kindlier and
better feeling pervading the South. I
pity the head Of that man who does not
see and comprehend it, and the heart
Of him who does not acknowledge, hail
and welcome 1t with gratitude TO God
and with hope for humanity and the
nation.
Then, recurring Js his accusers |
''The sin for which am so sharply re-
buked by self-constituted censors APP !
pears not 20 be UnfaithfEluess to the |
Republican platform and organization,
but my continuous effort to win back |
to the Republican ranks honest men |
,rbo stiU adbara tn tho PaDublicav,