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MEYERS A MEXGEL.
Publishers.
JIVSS UEF.TINU VI THE \\TIO\AE
cIPiTVI. iN HKMHf OF W
TON'S miil fl DVT.
A lmpnrtiiut lmpnrtiiut Sprceii !i> (]•- Pre*.
i<]■ iit llO l{(>iieriilr<t lit> view* :■ tiic
Reconstructi<t:t of the t nion.
Feixow-Citizkxs, for I presume 1 .
have a right to address you a such, 1
tome to tender to you my sincere t hanks i
for the approbation expressed by your :
Committee in their personal address
and in the resolutions submitted by !
them as having been adopted by tin* I
meeting which has been held in this j
city to-day. These resolutions, as I un-1
derstand them, are complimentary to i
the policy which has been adopted by I
the Administra ion, and has been stea-1
dily pursued since it came into power. '
1 am free to say to you on this occasion j
that it is extremely gratifying to me to '
know that so large a portion of my fel- j
low citizens approve and endorse the ]
policy which has been adopted and
which it is my intention shall l>e ear- j
ried out. [Great applause.; Thatpol-j
icy is one which is intended to restore j
all the States to tiieir original relation- j
to the Federal Government of the Uni- \
ted States. [Renewed applause.)
This seems to be a day peculiarly ap- \
propriate for such a manifestation. It 1
i- the day that gave birth to that man j
who more, perhaps, than any other,
founded this Government. It is the day ]
that gave birth to the Father of our;
Country. It i- the day that gave birth |
to him who presided over that body j
which formed the Constitution under |
which all the States entered into this
glorious Confederacy. Such a day is
peculiarly appropriate for the indorse
ment of a policy whose object is the
restoration of the Union of the States
as it was designed by the Father of his
Country. Applause,; Washington, j
whose name this city bears, is embalm
ed in the hearts of all who love free
Government. Washington, in the lan
guage of his eulogist, wa- "tirst in war.
first in peace, and fir-r in the hearts of |
his countrymen." No people can claim j
him: no nation can appropriate him.
UN reputation is commensurate with
the civilized world, and his name is the j
common property of all those who love ;
free government.
To-day 1 had the pleasure of visiting J
an association who have been devoting]
their effort- to the completion of the
monument which is beingerectedtohis I
name. 1 was proud to meet them, and, '
so far it- I could, to give them my influ
ence and countenance inaid of the work i
they have undertaken. That monument
which is being erected to him who, I
mav sav, founded the Government, is
almost within the throw of a stone of;
the spot from which I now address you.
Let it be completed. j Applause.] Let!
those various blocks which the States '
and individuals and associations and
corporations have put in that monu
ment a- pledges of their love for this ;
Union be preserved, and let the work
be accomplished.
In this connection let nie refer to the
block from m owny State —God bless;
her! applause, which has struggled for
the preservation <>f this Union in the j
field and in the councils of the nation,
and which i- now struggling to renew
her relations with this Government,
that were interrupted by a fearful re- j
hellion. She is now struggling to renew
those relations, and to take her stand
where she had ever stood since 17h<> un- i
ti! this rebellion broke out. [Greatap
piause.j Let me repeat the sentiment
that that State has inscribed upon the
>;one which -lie has deposited in that
monument of freedom which is being ;
raised in commemoration of \\ashing
t >n. She i- struggling to get back into
the Union, and to stand by the senti- :
ment which is there inscribed, and she
is willing to sustain it. hat is it? It
i- the sentiment which was enunciated
her distinguished sou, the immortal,
the illustrious Jackson, "The Federal
ill ion, it must be preserved." [Great
applause, if it were possible for that
old man, whose statue is now before
'■ nd whoso portrait is behind me in
tii • G votive Man-ion, and whose sen
timent i- thus preserved in that monu
ment in your vicinity, to lie called forth
Mn the grave, or if it were possible to
">mrnunicate with the spirit of the il
iu-irious dead, and make hint under
md the progress of faction and of re
'■ Lou and treason, he would turn over
o. in- coilin, and lie would rise, and
Miuingoff thehabilimentsof thetpmb,
W'Mild again stand erect, and extend
">r;ii hi.- iong arm and finger, and reit
orntethat sentiment, once expressed by
min 011 a memorable occasion, "The
'Moral Union—it must be preserved."
[Great applause.]
Wo have witnessed what has trans-
BY MEYERS & MENGEL
treason, and treachery, and infidelity
to the Government antl Constitution of
the United States stalked forth in the j
land, it was his power and influence j
that crushed the serpent in itsincipien- j
cy. It was then stopped, but only for
a time. The same-spirit of disaffection
continues. There were men disaffected
to the Government both in the North :
and in the South. There was in a por- !
tion of the Union, a peculiar institution
of which some complained, and to
which others were attached. < )ne por- j
tion of our countrymen in the South
advocated that institution, while ano
ther portion in the North opposed it. >
The result was the formation of extreme
parties, one especially in lhe South, ;
which reached a ]>oini at which it was .
prepared to dissolve the Union of the i
States, for the purpose, as was said, of
securing and preserving that peculiar j
institution. There was another portion |
of our countrymen who were opposed j
to that institution, and who went to
such an extreme that they were willing
to break up the Government in order ;
to get clear of that peculiar institution ,
of the South.
I say these things because I desire to
talk plainly and in familiar phraseolo
gy. 1 assume nothing here to-day be- ]
yond the position of a citizen; one who :
has been pleading for his country and ;
the preservation of the Constitution.
[lmmense cheering, j These two pur- j
tits, I say, were arrayed against each
other, and I stand here before you for i
the Union to-day, as I stood in the Sen
ate of the United States in i sfiOand isfil. ]
I met there those who were making war
upon tlieConstitution : those who want- j
ed to disrupt the Government, and 1
denounced them in my place then and
there, and exposed their true character.
I said that those whoAvere engaged in |
the work of breaking up the Govern-.
ment were traitors. 1 have never ceas
ed, on all proper occasions to repeat t hat
sentiment, and as far as my efforts could
go, I have endeavored to carry it out.;
[Great applause.]
1 have just remarked that there were j
two parties, one of which was for tie- i
stroying the Government and separat- 1
ing the Union, in order to preserve -la
verv, and the other for breaking up the
Government, in order to destroy slave
ry. True, the objects which they sought
to accomplish were different, so far as
slavery was concerned, but they agreed •
in the desire to break up the Govern
ment, the precise thing to which I have
always 'oeen opposed, and whether dis
unionists come from the South or from
the North, I stand now as I did then, i
vindicating the Union of those States j
and the Constitution of my country. ]
[ Tremendous applause.J
Rebellion and treason manifested
themselves in the South. 1 stood by i
the Government. 1 said then that 1 was
for the Union with slavery, 1 was for
the Union without slavery. In either
alternative 1 was for my Government
and its Constitution. The Government
has stretched forth it- strong arm, and j
with its physical power it has put down
treason in the field. The section of the
country which then arrayed itself a- j
gainst the Government has been put
down by the strongarm. What did we
say when this treason originated? We
said: "No com promise; you yourselves i
in the South can settle this question in
eight and forty hours." I said again ]
and again, and 1 repeat it now, "Dis
band your armies in theSouth, acknowl
edge the supremacy of the' Destitution
of the United States, acknowledge the
duty of obedience to the laws, and the j
whole question is settled." [Applause.
What has been done since? Their ar
mies have been disbanded, and they j
come forward now in a proper spirit;
and say, "We were mistaken; we made
an effort to carry out the doctrine of
Secession and to dissolve this I nion; in
that we have failed; we have traced
this doctrine to its logical and physical
results, and we find that we were mis
taken. We acknowledge the flag of our
country, and are willing to obey the
< 'onstitution and to yield to the suprem
acy of the laws." [Great applause.)—
Coining i" that spirit, 1 say to them, j
"When you have complied with the!
requirements of the Constitution, when
you have yielded to the law, when you
have acknowledged your allegiance to |
the Constitution, I will, so far as I can,
open the door of the Union to those
who had erred and strayed from the
fold of their fathers for a time." [Great
applause.]
Who has suffered more by the rebel!-1
ion than I have? I shall not repeat the
story of the wrongs and sufferings in-j
flicted upon me; but the spirit of re-;
venge is not the spirit in which to deal I
with a whole people. 1 know there has
been a great deal said about the exercise :
of the pardoning power, so far as your
Executive is concerned. But there is!
no one who has labored with more ear
nestness than myself to have the prin
cipal intelligent and conscious traitors |
brought to justice, the law vindicated,;
and the great fact judicially established
that treason is a crime, [applause]; hut
while conscious, leading, and intelli
gent traitors are to be punished, should
whole communities and States and peo
ple he made to submit to the penalty of
death? [No, no!] I have q>erhaps as
much asperity and as much resentment
as men ought to have; but we must
reason in great matters of government
about man as lie is; we must conform
our actions and our conduct to the ex
ample of Him who founded our holy
religion—not that I would make such
a comparison on this occasion in any
personal aspect.
stitutionof the Country, and by the ap
probation of the people, and what did
i find? I found eight millions of peo
ple who were in fact condemned under
the law, and the penalty was death.
Was I to yield to the spirit of revenge
and resentment, and declare that they
should all lie annihilated and destroyed ?
How different would this have been
from the example set by the lloly
Founder of our religion, the extremi
ties of whose divine arch rest upon the
horizon, and whose span embraces the
universe! He who founded this great
scheme came into the world and found
man condemned under the law, and his
sentence was death. What was hisex
ample? Instead of putting the world
or even a nation i<> death. He died up
on the cross, attesting, by His wounds
and His blood, that He died that man
kind might live. [Great applause.]
Let those who have erred repent; let
them acknowledge their allegiance; let
them become loyal, willing supporter.-
and defenders of our glorious stars and ;
stripes, and of the Constitution of our
country. Lettheleaders,theeonseious,
intelligent traitors be punished and be
subjected to the penalties of the law.
[Applause.] Hut to the great mas
who have been forced into this rebell
ion in many instances, and in others
have been misled, I say clemency,
kindness, trust, and confidence. [Great j
applause.]
My countrymen, when 1 lookback
over the history of t&e Rebellion, 1 am
not vain when I ask you if I have hot
given as much evidence of my devo
tion to the I'nion as some Who croak a
great deal about if. When Ilook back
over the battle-fields of the Rebellion
and think bf the many brave men in
whose company 1 was, I cannot but
recollect that I was sometimes in pla
ces where the contest was most difti
cult and the result most doubtful; but
almost before the smoke has passed a
way, almost before the blood that has
been shed has done reeking, before the
bodies of theslain have passed through
the stages of decomposition, what do!
we now find ?
The Rebellion has been put down by j
the strong arm of the Government in
the field; but is that the only way in
which you can have rebellion? Our
struggle was against an attempt to dis
sever the Union, but almost before the
smoke of the battle-field has parsed
away, before our brave men have all
returned to their homes and renewed
the ties of affection and love to their
wives and their children, we find al
most another rebellion inaugurated.
We put down the former Rebellion in
order to prevent the separation of the
States, to prevent them from flying off, |
and thereby changing the character of
our Government and weakening its
power; but when that struggle on our ]
part has been successful, and that at-1
tempt has been put down, we find now ]
an effort to concentrate all power in
the hands of a few at the Federal head. :
and thereby bring about a consolida
tion of the Government, which is o
tjually objectionable with a separation, j
[Vociferous applause.| We find that;
powers are assumed, and attempted to ]
be exercised of a most extraordinary
character. It seems that Governments
may be revolutionized, Governments,
at least, may be changed without going
through the strife of battle. I believe,
it is a fact attested in history that some
times revolutions most disastrous to a ;
people are effected without the shed-j
ding of blood. The substance of your j
Government maybe taken away, while (
the form and the shadow remain to
you.
What is now being proposed? We
find that in point of fact nearly all the
: powers of the Government are assumed i
: by an irresponsible central directory,
' which does not even consult the legis
: lative or the Executive departments of I
the Government. Ry resolutions re- .
ported from a committee, in whom it
! seems that practically the legislative i
power of the Government is now ves- j
ted, that great principle of the Consti
tution which authorizes and empower
each branch of the legislative depart
ment, the Senate and the House of
Representatives, to judge for itself of
the elections, returns,and qualifications
of its own members, has been virtual
ly taken away from the two branches
of the ljegistativo Department of the
Government, and conferreduponaconi
mittee, who must report before either
House can act under the Constitution;
us to accepting the members who are
to take their seats as component parts
of the respective bodies.
By this rule it is assumed that there
must be laws passed recognizing a State
as in the Union, or its practical rela
tions to the Union as restored, before
the respective Houses, under the Con
stitution, can judge of the elections,
returns, and qualifications of their own
members.—What a position is that?
You struggled for four years to put
down a rebellion. You denied 111 the
beginning of the struggle that any
State could go out of the Union ; you
said that it had neither the right nor
the power to do so. The issue was
made, and it has been settled that the
States had neither the right nor the
power to go out of the Union. \\ ith
what consistency, after it has been set
tled by the military arm of the Gov
ernment, and by the public judgment,
that the States had no right to go out
of the Union, can any one now turn
round and assume that they are out and
that they shall not come in ? lam free
to say to you as your Executive that 1
am not prepared to take any such posi
■■■■
BEDFORD. PA.. FRIDAY MORNING. MARCH 9, 18G6
Senate, in the very inception of this
rebellion, tlmt the States bad no right
to go out; I asserted too that they had
no power to go out; that question has
been settled, ind it being -eitied 1 can
not turn around now and give "the lie
direct to all that I have professed, and
all I have done for the last live years.
[Applause.) When those who rebelled
comply with the Constitution; when
they give sufficient evidence of loyalty;
when they show that they can be trust
ed ; when they yield obedience to the
law that you atid 1 acknowledge obedi
ence to, I-ay extend them the right
hand of fellowship, and let peace and
Union be restored. (Tremendous ap
plause.)
i fought traders and treason in the
South. I opiostd the Daviseq tire
Toombses, the Slidells, and a long list
of others, which you can readily fill
without my repeating the names. Now
when I turn mmd and at the other end
of the line find men, I care not by what
name you call them, who still stand op
posed to the restoration of the Union
of these States,:l am free to say to you
that lam still it the field. [Great ap
plause. j lam stiil for the preservation
of the Union. I am still in favor of
this great Government of ours going
on and filling out its destiny. < beat
applause. Voices, give u- three names
at the other end. j
The President —I am called upon to
name three at tie other end of the line.
•I am talking to my friends and fellow
citizens, who are interested with me in
this Government, and i presume 1 am
free to mentiot to you the names of
those whom I look upon as being op
posed to the fundamental principles of
this Government, and who are labor
ing to pervert tnd destroy it. ; Voices,
"Name them !' "Who are they?"]
The President—You ask me who
they are. I saf Thaddeus Stevens, of
Pennsylvania,ls one ; I say Mr. Sum
ner, of the Senate, is another, and
Wendell Philips is another. Long
continued appau-e. j [Voices, "Give
it to Forney."!
The Presided—ln reply to that, I
will simply say I do not waste my am
munition upoi dead ducks. [Great
laughter and ipplause. I stand for
my country ; ! stand for the Constitu
tion. There Ihave always placed my
feet from my advent to public life.
They may trainee, they may -lander,
they may vitmerate me, but let me say
to you all thi has no influence upon
me. [Great ipplause.]
Let me say urther, that 1 do not in
tend to lie ovefvwrd by real or preten
ded friends, nor do I mean to be bulli
ed .by my enemies. [Tremendousap
plause.) Honest con vie'ion i< my
courage, the Cons itution i- my guide.
I know, my countrymen, that it has
been insinuated, ro, not insinuated, it
has been suit! directly in high places,
that if such a usirpation of powerasl
am charged with had been exercised
some two hundred years ago, in a par
ticular reign, it would have cost an in
dividual his head, [(treat laughter.)
of what usurpation has Andrew John
son been guilty? ["Ndue," "none."!
My only usurpation lias been in stand
ing between the people and the en
croachments of power. Because in a
conversation witha fellow-citizen, who
happened to be a Senator, i said that I
thought amendments to the Constitu
tion ought not too frequently t< be
made, that if it was continually tinker
ed with it would lose all its]>re*ti<ir and
dignity, and the old instrument would
be lost sight of altogether in a short
time, and because in the same conver
sation J happened to say that if it were
amended at all, such and such an a
mendment ought to lie adopted, it was
charged that 1 was guilty of a usurpa
tion of power that would have cost a
a king his head, i.ia certain period of
English history. ; Laughter.)
From thesame source the exclamation
has gone forth that they wore in the
midst of earthquakes; that they were
trembling andcoual notyield. [Laugh
ter, j Yes, fellow-citizens, there is an
earthquake coining; there is a ground
swell of popular judgment and indig
nation. ["(Jreatapplause.j The Amer
ican people will speak, and by their in
stinct, if not otherwise, they will know
who are their friends, and who are their
enemies. I have endeavored to be true
to the people in all the positions which
1 have occupied, and there is hardly a
position in this (Jovernment which I
have not at some time filled. 1 sup
pose it will he slid that this is vanity,
| laughter,| but I may say that 1 have
been in all of them, i have been in
both branches of the Legislature.
A Voice—you commenced a tailor.
The President— A gentleman behind
me says that I began a tailor. Yes, I
did begin a tailor [applause], and that
does not discomfit me in the least, for
when I was a tailor ] had the reputa
tion of being a good one, and of ma
king close tits, [laughter], and I was
always punctual to my customers, and
did good work. [Applause.]
Voices—We will patch up the Union
yet.
The President —Xo, I do not want
any patchwork of it; 1 want the orig
inal article restored. [Great applause.]
But enough of this facet-iousness. I
know it may be said, "You are Presi
dent, and you must not talk about these
tilingsbut, my fellow-citizens, I in
tend to talk the truth, and when prin
ciple is involved, when the existence
of my country is in peril, I hold it to
be my duty to speak what I think and
what I feel, as I have always done on
former occasions. [Great applause. ]
where th;>t I was guilty of usurpation
which would have cost a king his head,
, and in another place i have been de
nounced for whitewashing. When and
| where did.l over whitewash anything
or anybody V 1 have been an alder
man of a town, I have been in both
branches of the Legislature of my
State, I have been in both Houses of
the National Congress, i have been at
the head of the Executive Department
of my State, I have- been Vice J Resi
dent of the United States, and 1 am
now in the position which T occupy be
fore you; and during all this career
where is the man and what portion of
the people is there who can say that
Andrew .Johnson ever made a pledge
which he did not red wan, or that he
ever made a promise which he viola
ted? None.) Point me to a man who
can say that Andrew .Johnson over ac
ted with infidelity to the great mass of
the people? [<treat applause.;
Men may talk about- beheading and
about usurpation, but when lam be
headed I want the American people to
!>'• the witnesses. Ido not want it, by
inuemloes and indirect remark-in high
places, to be suggested to men who
have assassination brooding in tiieir
bosoms,'-there is a lit subject." oth
ers have exclaimed that "the Presiden
tial obstacle must be gotten out of the
way." What i-that but—L make use
of a -trong word—inciting to assassi
nation ? No doubt, 1 say, the intention
was to incite assassination, so that the
obstacle whic-h the people had placed
here could lie got out of the way. Are
the opponents of this Government not
yet satisfied ? Arc those who want to
destroy our institutions, and to change
the character of the Government, not
satisfied with the quantity of blood
that lias been shed ? Are they not sat
isfied with one martyr in this place?
Does not the blood of Lincoln appease
tiieir vengeance? Is their thirst still
unslaked? Have they not honor and
courage enough to seek to obtain the
end otherwise than through and by the
hand of an assassin ? lam not afraid
of an assassin attacking me where one
brave and courageous man will attack
another. Ponly dread him when in
disguise, and where his footstep is
noiseless.
If they want blood let, let them have
the courageto.-trike like men. I know
they are* willing to wound but are a
fraid to strike. If my blood is to be
.-bed because 1 vindicate the 1 *nion. and
insist on tiie preservation of this Gov
ernment in its original purity, let it be
shed; but let an alter to the Union be
fir-t erected, and then, if necessary,
take me and lay me upon it, and the
blood that now warms and animates
my existence -hall be poured out as a
last libation, as a tribute to the Union
of these States. But let the opponents
of this Government remember, when
it is poured out, that the blood of
martyrsistheseedof thecliurch. This
Union will grow, and it will continue
to increase in strength and power,
though it may be cemented and clean
sed in blood.
1 have already spoken to you longer
than 1 intended when I came out. (Go
on.) 1 merely intended to make my
acknowledgement- for the honor you
have done me; but before I close allow
me to say a word in regard to the ques
tion of amendments to the Constitution
of the United States. Shortly after I
reached Washington for the purpose of
being inaugurated as Vice-President of
the United Stats. 1 had a conversation
with Air. Lincoln in regard to the con
dition of affairs. We talked particular
ly in reference to matters in my own
State. I told him that we had called a
| convention, that we had amended the
constitution, and that we had aliolished
slavery in that State, which was not
included in his Emancipation Procla
mation. Ali these things met his ap
probation and lie gave me words of en
couragement. We talked then about
affairs generally, and upon the subject
! of amendments to the Constitution of
the United States; hes-aid tome, 'When
the amendment of the Constitution now
proposed is adopted by three-fourths of
the States, 1 am pretty near done, or
indeed quite done in favor of amending
the Constitution, if there was one other
adopted.' 1 asked him, "What is that,
Mr. President?" Jlesaid, "1 have la
bored to preserve this Union ; i have
toiled during four years; I have been
subjected to calumny and misrepresen
tation; my great and sole desire ha-
been to preserve those States intact un
iler the Constitution, as they were be
fore." I asked him again, ".Mr. Presi
dent, what amendment is that which
you would propose?" "W iiy," said he,
"it is that there should be an aniond-
merit added to the Constitution which
would compel the States to send their
Senators and Representatives to the
Congress of the United States." [Great
applause.] The idea was in his mind
that as a part of the doctrine of seces
sion, one of the means to break up this
Government was that the States, if they
saw proper, might withdraw their Sen
ators and Representatives, or refuse to
elect them. He wanted even to remove
that difficulty by a Constitutional a
inendmcnt, compelling the States to
send Senators and Representatives to
Congress.
But what do we now find? The Con
stitution of the country, even that por
tion of it which allows amendments to
the organiclaw, expresslv provides that
no State, without its consent, shall be
deprived of its equal suffrage in the
Senate, and it also provides that each
State shall have at least one Represen-
VOL. 61.—WHOLE No. 5.338
but yet the position is taken that certain
States shall not be represented. Wo
Impose taxes upon them; we send our
tax gatherers into every region and por
tion of the States. Their people are
tit subjects of Government for the col
lection of lakes, but when they ask to
participate in the legislation of fhecoun
try, they are met at the door and told
no, you must pay tax>-, you must bear
burdens of Government, but you can
not participate in it- legislation which
is to affect you through all time to come.
Is this just ? Is it fair? i"Xo. , b"No." :
I repeat lam for the Union. lam
for preserving all the States, fam for
admitting into the councils of the na
tion all the representatives who are un
mistakably and unquestionably loyal.
A man who acknowledges allegiance to
the Government, and who swears to
support the Constitution, must neces
sarily be loyal. A man cannot take
that oath in good faith unless he is loy
al. A mere amplification <jf the oath
makes no difference as to the principle.
Whatever test is thought proper a- ev
idence and as proof of loyalty, is a mer
mutter of detail, about which 1 care
nothing; but leta man be unmistaka
bly and unquestionably loyal, let him
acknowledge allegiance to theConititu
tion of the U. .States, and be willing to
support tlit* Government in its hour of
peril and it- hour of need, and I am
willing to trust him. [Applause.]
I know that some do not attach as
much importance to this point as I do,
luit I regard it as a funderriental one.
One principle that harried us through
the revolution was that there should be
no taxation without representation. T
hold to that principle, which was laid
down as fundamental by our fathers.—
If it was good then it is good now. If
it was worth standing by then, it i
worth standing by now. It is funda
mental. and should be observed a- long
as free government lasts.
lam aware that in the midst of the
rebellion it was said by some that the
Constitution had been roiled up as r.
piece of parchment and laid away; that
in time of war and rebellion there wa
rn* Constitution. We know that some
rime-. in great necessities, under great
emergencies, unconstitutional things
must sometimes necessarily be done,
in order to preserve the Constitution
itself; hut if, while the rebellion was
going on the Constitution was rolled up
and laid away, if it was violated in some
particulars in order to save the Govern
ment which may be excused and jus
tified, because in saving the Govern
ment you really saved the Constitution
—now that peace has come, now that
the war is over, we want again the ben
efit of a written Constitution, and I say
the time has come to take the Constitu
tion down, to unroll it, to understand
its provisions thoroughly, and now, in
order to save the Government, we must '
preserve the Constitution.
Our only safety is in a strict-adher- !
ence to and preservation of the Consti
tution of our fathers. It is now unfold
ed. It must now be read, it must now |
he digested and understood by the A-1
meriean people. lam here to-day, then, !
in making these remarks, to vindicate i
the ('onstitution, and to save it. a- I be
lieve, for it does seem as if encroach-j
ment after encroachment is proposed ,
upon it. As far as i can. I have ever
resisted encroachments upon the Con
stitution, and ! stand prepared to resist.]
them to-day, and thereby preserve the j
Constitution and tiie Government of,
the United States. (treat applause, i
It i- now a time of peace, and let u- j
have peace; let us enforce the Constitu- j
tion; let us live under, awl according to
its provision-: let it be published and,
printed in blazoned character-, asthough |
it wore in the heavens, and punctuated ;
by the stars, so that all can read and all ,
can understand. Let us consult that !
instrument and guided by it- pro-!
visions Lot u- understand them, and. i
understanding, abide by them.
I tell theopposers of thi-Government
I care not from what quarter they come.
East or West, North or South, "You
that are engaged in the work of break- ;
ing up the Government are mistaken.
The Constitution of the United States
and the principles of free Government
are deeply rooted in the American heart,
and the the powers combined, cannot
destroy that great instrument, that
great chart of Freedom." Their at
tempts, though they may seem to suc
ceed for a time, will ho futile. They
might as well undertake to lock up the
winds or chain the waves of the ocean
and confine them within limits. They
might as well undertake to repeal the
Constitution, and indeed it seems now
to be supposed that it can be repealed
by aconcurrent resolution, j Laughter.
But when the question is submitted to ;
the popular judgment, and to the mas- !
of the people, these men will find that
they might just as well introduce a res
olution to repeal thelawsof gravitation.
The attempt to keep this Union from
being restored is just about as feasible j
as would be resistance to the great law j
of gravitation, which binds all to a com-:
moil centre. The great law of political;
gravitation will bring back these States,!
and replace them in all their relations
to the Federal Government. Cliques
and cabals, and conspiracies, and ma
chinations, North or South, cannot pre
vent this great consummation. [Tre
mendous applause.] All that is wanted
is time. Let the American people get
to understand what is going on, and
they will soon manifest their determi
nation.
Here, byway of exclamation, lei me
say, that I would to God the whole A=
to-day, as you are. I wish there were
i a vast amphitheatre here, capacious e
nough to contain the whole thirty mil
lions, and they could witness the gr< at
struggle that is going on to preserve the
i Constitution of their fathers. They
would soon settle the question if they
j could once see how things are; if they
could seethe kind of spirit that is man
ifested it: tiK' effort to breakup the real
principles of free Government: when
they came to understand who was for
them, and who against them; who was
for ameliorating their condition and lor
elevating them by pre-ervingiheirGov
ermnent, if the combatants could stand
; bet wet 11 them, and there could be a reg
j uiar set to between the respective fclad-
I iators, in the first tilt that might Le
; made you would find that the enemies
of the country would becjrushed, and
the people would sustain its friends and
; tiie friends of constitutional liberty.—
j [Great cheering. ;
| My fellow-citizens, J have detained
; you much longer than I intended ["go
! tin; goon,", but wo are in a great strcg
; gle, and 1 am your instrument, and I
: have thought it best to express myself
frankly. When, J ftsk you, have 1 u
.-urped authority? Who is it in this
country that 1 have not toiicd and ia
| bored for? Where is the man or the
. woman, either in private life or public
| life, that has not always received my
attention and my time? Sometimes it
Jia- been said pardon me for being a
little egotist ical, but we are engaged in
a friendly and familiar conversation ,
"That man Johnson is a lucky man,
Laugh er. They can never deft at
him." Laughter.; Now I will tell
you what constitutes my good luck. It
is in doing right and being for the peo
ple. [Gnat applause.]
The people, -< m. chow or other alt hough
their sagacity and good judgment are
very frequently underrated, and under
estimated, generally, get to find-out aud
understand who is for them and who
is against them. They do it by instinct,
if in no other way. They know who
is their friend. They know in whom
they can confide. So far, thank God, I
can lay my hand upon my bosom, and
say with heartfelt -atisfactiou, that in
all the positions in which 1 have been
placed—and i have been placed in many
that were as trying a> any in which
mortal has been placed—l have never
deserted them, nor do 1 believe they
will desert me. [ No, no, and applause.]
Whom have I betrayed? What princi
ple have 1 violated? What sentiment
have I sv< rved from? Can those who
assailme. put their linger upon any one?
fNo. no. i In all speeches that have be en
made no one has dared to put his finger
upon a single principle I ever asserted
from which 1 have deviated. Have you
not heard some of them, at sometime,
attempt to quote my predecessor, who
fell a martyr to his'country's cause, but
they can give no sentiment of his that
is in opposition or in contradiction to
anything that I have done. The very
policy that I am now pursuing was pur
sued by me under his administration, I
having been appointed by him in a par
ticular position for that very purpose.—
An inscrutable Providence saw proper
to remove him from this to, I trust, a
better world, and I came into his place,
and there is not a principle of his, in
reference to the restoration of the Union,
from which 1 have departed. [None.]
Then the war is not simply upon me,
but it is upon my pr deeessor also. I
have tried to do my duty. I know that
some are envious and jealous and speak
of the White House as having attrac
tions for the President.* Let me say to
you, the charms of the While House
have as little influence upon me as up
on any individual in this country, aud
much less upon me than upon those who
are talking al out it. The littio that I
eat aud wear, doesnotaniounttomuch,
and the difference between what is e
nough to sustain me ai d my little fam
ily—K is very entail ; for 1 am not kin
to many folks by consanguinity, though
by affinity I am akin to everybody—
the difference between the little that
sufiiees lor my stomach and back and
uu TC than enough has no charms for me.
Th proudand conscientious satisfaction
having performed toy duty to my
c- mi try, to my children, and to the in
ner man. is all the reward that 1 ask.
I Great applause, i
J n conclusion, let nie ask this vast
concourse here to-day, this "sea of up
turned face-," to coiiie witlijne—or 1
will go with you—and stand around the
Constitution of our country. It is a
gain unfolded. The people are invited
to read and understand, to sustain and
maintain it- provisions. Let us star.d
hytheC 'onstitution ofonrfather.4, though
the heavens themselves should fall.—
Though faction may rage, though taunts
and jeers may come, though abuse and
vituperation may be poured out in the
niu.-t virulent form, 1 mean to bo found
standing by the Constitution of the
country. I beseech you to stand by the
Constitution its the chief ark of our
safety, ;ts the palladium of our civil and
our religious liberty. Yes, let us cling
to it as the mariner Clings to the last
plank when the night and the tempest
close around him.
Accept my thanks, my countrymen,
for the indulgence you have extended
to me while submitting to you extem
poraneously, and, perhaps, incoherent
ly, the remarks which I have now made.
Let us go away forgetting the past and
looking only to the future, resolved to
endeavor to restore our Government to
its pristine purity, trustingin Him who
is on high, but whojcontrols all here be
low, that ere long our Union will bo re
stored, and that we shall have peacenot
only with all the nations of the earth,
but peace and good will among all parts
of the people of the United States.
1 thank you for the respect you have
manifested to me on this occasion, and
if the time shall come during the per
iod of mv existence when this country
is to be destroyed and its Government
overturned, if you will look out you
will find the humble individual who
stands before you therewith you, en
deavoring to avert its final destruction.
The President then retired auiid a