Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-09-23
GOV. HENRY $. FOeTE
ALeaf from History.
v
From the Nashville American.

I ls
that party now proposes to put the
Southern States and citizens under
more complete military surveillance
and domination than was dreamed of b.
Lincoln andSeward in 1861, it may be
well to look little into the record oi
the present distinguished leader oi
Tennessee Republicans
In opposing the election of ex-Pres-
ident johnson to the United States
Senate, Gov. Foote in communica-
ton published in the Banner of Oct.
1869, the Legislature being then in
session, said the election of Mr.. j Ohm
son would be an act of folly and crime
which, if once perpetrated, will inn
print upon the escutcheon of this no
Bile Commonwealth stain of deep and
ineffaceable discredit and infamy, such
as has been seldom imposed upon the
corporate character of any civilized
community in any age of the world. .
He said he was chiefly solieitous' 50
THAT the Legislature should choose
for the place lnquestlon some individ-
ual whose presence in Washington as
Senator of Tennessee will not signal
" disgrace the people whom he will
attempt to misrepresent. We
should desire some Individual to be
chosen who will be able to carry with
ro4tana1 l. n =, -,
sullied reputation in private and social
life. : Surely Senator from
such. a State as Tennessee should be
something more than an adroit and
successful demagogue and political
manager of loquacious, declamatory,
unpublished, incongruous, ribaldstump-
speaker persevering reiterater ofil-
logical, egotistical, indecent, blasphe-
nous harangues, replete with unblush-
ing self-laudation and indecent, un-
gentlemanly denunciations of the
character and morals of all who op-
posed him, I can see not
the least objection to our onto be-
elected Senator being person of pol
ished and dignifed manners and gem
eral demeanor, nor should / have the
least objection to his being able to pre-
sent winning and impressive physi-
ognomy to the view of his brother SEN
ators; neither marked with low and
vulgar sensuality, with furtive, cunning
or sly and sneaking malevolence. The
man whom we are now, In our emanci-
pated and our regenerate condition, to
send as our Senatorial agent to that
solemn hall of deliberation, where the
spirits of Pinckney, Clay, q Van
Buren, Calhoun and a Webster yet
linger, as it is to be hoped, should not
be one addicted to low compa nionship,
and notoriously willing toresort to the
meanest and most censurable expedi-
ents in order to secure his own ad-
vancement or to shelter himself from
menaced punishment. [ am perfectly
aware that Mr.. Johnson's s silly adula-
tors are impudently asserting, in every
form capable of infencing legislative
action in his favor, that he is a sage
and profound statesman; that he is far
superior to all whose names have been
mentioned in connection with the elec-
ton in all the qualifications requisite
for the Senate. If SO, indeed our
State is in sad predicament. If we
send Mr.. johnson to the Senate on
the ground that is so insultingly as
sumed by certain of idolizing friends
and admirers, and this shallbe believed
outside of Tennessee, then indeed
shall we be justly recognized as the
most dishonest and contemplate peo-
pie to be found in nhristendom. But
this | altogether ayAy, aud | boldly
assert that more than dozen counties
can be mentioned in Tennessee where
in several individuals of more capacity
than Mr.. johnson for senatorial SER
vice could be most easily specified.
He never made, as a member
of the House of Representatives, a
single speech which will descend with
honor to posterity; nor did he bring
forward and carry through, as a mem
Der of that body, a single great public
measure"
Speaking of Mr.. Johnson's Union
speech in the Senate in 1861, Gov.
Foote says:
Admitted; he did send forth to the
world a respectable speech enough,
but there is not one original thought
or sentiment In it; it was only a rude
coarse rehash of Jackson's celebrated
proclamation; and assert that he made
at the same session of Congress, in
support of his own compromise reso-
lutions, one of the rankest and most
fragrant secession speeches which has
ever seen the light, He did
arrange, by the most INSCRIPTIONS
management, to be nominated on the
Republican Presidential ticket with
Mr. Lincoln, and was of course elevat-
ed to the second Office, in point of dig
nifty, in the executive department of
the Government. On the 4th of
March, 1865, he was inaugurated Vice
President of the United States, and
went through the Inauguration scene
in state of beastly drunk kenness, to
the eternal discredit of the nation;
| come now to allude to facts
of the most diabelical and revolving
nature. which, if true, and | feel as
sured they are, should consign Mr..
johnson to the scaffold, instead of
elevating him to the United States
Senate. If the particulars | am about
to state have occurred, 1t is not perse-
cution to insert them, but it would, on
the contrary, be objectionable to con-
ceaI them. Neither CaIigu-
la, nor Tiherius, nor Nero, ever used
more cruel and bl0od-thirsty Ian
guage."
After relating the incidents of Mrs,
Surratt's trial, conviction and execu-
ton, Gov. Foote proceeds;
whilst these Internal proceedings
were going on (as | am informed by
those who ought to know Mr.. John
son was shut up in the Presidential
Mansion with Butler King and Jim
Lane; whether this beautiful trio were
drunk or sober at the time, ! know
not, charge formally that
Mr.. johnson earnestly urged upon
Gen. Grant the apprehension and trial
ofthe distinguished confederate officers
to whom | have referred (Lee and Joe
Johnston) in violation of the terms of
their capitulation. / have
no means at present of proving, and /
therefore do not charge that he ever
stole money or accepted a brihe, but
this | do assert, without the least fear
Of successful contradiction ia any
quarter, that he made more lavish and
unbelievable use of the large conting-
ent fund than any antecedent Presi-
dent had done; he appointed large
number of notoriously corrupt and
fraudulent men to Offices of high pc