Newspapers / The Durham Recorder (Durham, … / March 7, 1866, edition 1 / Page 1
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' W 1 M W - A III! Til A. A. A . XX X ' 'A 1 3 i '" irZ 1 -i . ' i J i t Oj YJJl j. 6 b,.i. r ' a . a 'M sd cj li!;'i;0 ' " ' THE CONSTITUTION. AND tT 11 E L A W S -Til E GUARDIANS OF ODIl LIBERT T'.f v ; .filti w Vol. XLVI. I';'.,. fnCiLSBOROUGH, N. Cv MARCfl 7, I860 . I.- . ; ; v AKoV 2326;; , Jl W . ! ... ,i. .... . . - '-' ' ':. A m mum m mr J m m m. " lr the immense csecM crowd From lh National Inieiligenccr, Feb. 23J. SPEECH OF PKESIDENT JOHNSON, (n other column! we publish a full re port of the peetmg jettTUav, Ua me procinu rracnin tive maniion," where an imi had preceded it, Mf. Kendall, the IVettden: of the meeting, presented to the President the resolutions which had parsed the meet ing, with a brief and .pertinent address, in which he informed him that the assembly had adjourned to. the presidential mansion to pajr their respects to him. The Presi dent wai then lurmallr conducted to the front portico, froni w hence silence ha ipj been obtained in the vaktastemblage he addressed them substantially as follows: After returning his thanks to the com utittte which hid waited vpon him ami pre tented hits with the retolations which had bern adopted, the President said: The retoluliwus, as 1 understand them, art complimentary to the polirjr which has been adopted and pursued b? the adminis tration mce it came into power. I am f rue to sajr to jou on this occasion that it is extremely gratifying to ine to know that no large a portion I our lellow-citi7.en endorse the policy which has been adopt ed and which is intended to be carried nut Ureat applause. . litis policj ha been one which was in tended to restore the glorious Union lb bring thoe great State, now the subject of cunirocry, to their original ieUtiu with the government ct the tnited hute. And this nerius to be a dajr peculiarly ap propriate for such a manifestation as this tht da that ge birth to him who leund the goernmeut that gave birth to the lather f nor country that gate birth to him who stood at the portal when all these .Sutts entered into thi glorious confeder acy. I ay that the day is peculiarly ap propriate to the endorsement of measures tor the realoration of the Union that was founded by the father of his country. Wash ington, wlioe name this city beats, U em balmed in the hearts 'of all h love their government. A voice, o is Andv John- tu," and applause. Wiltingtuu, in the lanjjje of his eulogist, a first in peace, first in war, aad tint in the hearts of hi countrymen. No people can claim him iio nation can appropriate him. His euii ueice is acknowledged throughout the civ ilized world by all those who love free go vemmrtit. I have lad the pleavure ufa visit fiom the association which has been directing its efforts towards the completion i.f a monument errf ted to hi name. - I was prrpred to meet them and five t'em my humble influence and countenance in ad of the work. Let the monument be erect ed to him wht) founded the government, and that aloot within the throw of a atone from the spot from which 1 now address v,u, Let it be completed. Applause. Let the pledges which all these States an J corpoiations and aociationi have put.m that monument be preserved as ua earnest of our faith in aad love of this Union, an I let the monument be completed. And It) connection with Washington, in speak Hi f the pledges t,hit have been placed in t!u monument, let me refer to one from m own State God blest her! which has snug gled lor the preservation of this I'mo'i i t the field and in the c luntels of die nation. I.et me repeat, that she is now straggling in consequence ol an ionoation thai ha taken place id regard to iter relation with the federal government, growing out of the rebellion ite is n struggling to renew her relations with this government, and take the stand which she haJ occupied since 17U5. Let me repeat the sentiment which that State inscribed upon her stone thit Is deposited within the monument of freedom and in commemoration of Washington; ahe is struggling to stand by the sentiment inscribed oa that stone, and she is bow wil ling to maintain that sentiment. And wlnt is tne sentiment r It is the sentiment which was enunciated by the immortal and illus trious Jackson the Federal Union it must be preserved." Cheers. Were it timsible for that old man, who la statue is before me and in portrait behind me, te be caucii lorin were it possible to coinmu nicate with the illustrious dead, and he could be informed of the progress, in the work of faction, and rebellion, and treason that old man would turn over in his cof fin, he would rise, shake off the habiliments of the tomb, and again extend that long a I'm and finger and reiterate the sentiment before enunciated, "the Federal Unions-it must be preserved." Cheers.. But we witness what hai transpired since his day. We remember what he said in 1833. When treason and treachery and infidelity to the government and the Constitution of the United States stalked forth, ii was hi pow er and influence that went f rth and crush ed it in its incipiency. It was then stop ped. But it was only stopped for a time, and the spii it continued. There were men disaffected towards the government in both the North and South. There were pecu liar institutions in the country to which setre were adverse and other attached. We find that one portion of our country men advocated an institution in the Mouth which other opposed in the North. This resulted in two extremes. That in the South reached a point at which the people there -were disposed to dissolve the gov. eminent ol the United State, and they ought to preserve their peculiar institu tions. (What I sajr on this occasion I want lobe understood.) 1 here was a portion of our countrymen opposed to this, and they went to "that extreme that they were willing to break up the government to de stroy this peculiar institution of the South. 1 assume nothing here to-day but the cit- sv i7.cn one of you who has been pleading for his country and the preservation of the Constitution. Cheers. These two par ties haw been anayed against each other, and 1 stand before vuu a 1 did in the Sen ate of the United States in 1600. I de nounced there those who wanted to disrupt the government, and I portrayed their true character. I told them that those who were engaged In the effort to break up the government were traitors. I have not ceas ed to repeat that, and, as far as endeavor could accomplish it, to carry out the seuu- ment, theors.j I remarked, though, that there were twn parlies. One would de stroy the government t preserve slavery ; the other would break up the government to destrov slavery. Uiiecrs.l The ob jects to be accomplished were diffttrcut, it i true, so fr as slavery was concerned. but thev agreed in one thins th destruc tion of the government, precisely what I was always opposed to: and whether the disonionists come from the South or from the Noilh, 1 stand now where I did then, vindicating the Tnion of these Stairs and the Constitution of our country. Great cheering. The rebellion manifested it self in the South. I stood by the govern ment. I (aid 1 was for the Union w ith sla very. Usaid I was lor the Union without slavery. In either alternative 1 was for the government and the Constitution. The government has stretched forth its strong .ii hi, and with its physical power it has put down treason in the field. That is, the section of the country that arrayed itself aaint the govern went lias been conquer ed by .'the lorce of the government itself. Now, what had we said to those people: We said: Nu compromise; we can settle this question with the South in eight and forty huura." 1 have md it again and again, and 1 re- Iicat it now. ' Disband yvur armies, ac itiowlcdge the lup.emacy of the Constitu tion of the United States, give obedience to the law, and the question is settled." Cheers. V hat Uas been done since r Their ar mies have been disbanded. They come now to meet us in a spini of magnanimity, and say, "We were mistaken $ we maile the eflort to carry out the doctrine of ac cession and dissolve this Union, and hav ing traced this thing to its logical and phy sical results, wc now acknowledge the flag of our country, and promise obedience to the Constitution, and theuprenucy of the lvv." Cheers. I say then, when you comply with the Constitution, when you yield to the law, when you acknowledge allegiance to the government, I say let the door of the Un ion be opened and the relation be restored to those that had erred and had strayed from the fold of our fathers. Cheers. , , Who has sufferred more than I (taveif 1 ask the question. 1 shall not recount the wrongs and the sufferings inflicted upon me. it is not the course to deal with a whole people in a spirit of revenge, , I know there bus been a great deal said about the exercise of the pardon power, as re gards the executive; and there is no one who has labored harder than I to have the principals, the intelligent aud conscious of lender, brought to justice, and have the principle vindicated that " treason is a crime." Cheers. Uut, while conscious and intelligent trai tors are to be punished, should whole, com munities and States be made to submit to the penalty of death? 1 hae quite is much asperity , and perhaps as much resentment, as a man ought to have; but we must rea son regarding man as he is, and must con form our action and our conduct to the ex ample of Him who founded our holy religion.-- - j ! . 1 came into power under the Constution of the country, and with the approbation of the people, and what did 1 find i I found eight millions of people who were convict ed, condemned under the law, and the pen alty was death; and through revenge and resentment, were they all to be annihilated: Oh! may 1 not exclaim, how different would this be I ruin the example et by the found er ol wur holy religion, whose divine arch rests its extremities on the horizon, while its span embraces the universe!,. Yes, He that founded this great scheme came into the world and saw man condemned under the law, and the sentence was death. What was His example ? Instead of putting the world or a nation to death,. He went forth on the cross and testified w ith His wounds that He would die and let the world live. Let them repent; let them acknowledge their rashness; let them become loyal, and let them be supporters of our glorious tripe and stars, and the Consiitutioo ol our country. I say let the leaders, the con scion, intelligent traitors, meet the pen alties mf the law. Hut as for the great mass who have been forced into the rtbellion misled in other instances le: there be clemency and kindness, and a trust and a confidence in them. Hut, my countrymen, after having pissed through this rebellion, and having given as inucn evidence of en mity to it as some who croak a great deal ab-ut the matter -cheers when I look back over the battle-field and see many of lhoe brave men in wh.ise company 1 was, in localities of the rebellion where "the cou test was most difficult and doubtful, and who yet were patient; when 1 took back over these fields, and where ;he smoke has scarcely passed away ; where the blood that has been shed Uas scarcely been absorbed before their bodies have passed through the stages of decomposition whit do 1 find? The rebellion is put dowu bv the strong arm of the government, in th? Ii Id. But is this the only way in which we can have rebellions? This was a struggle against a change and a revolution of tho government, and uelore we fully get Iront the battle-field-wehn our brave men have scarcely returned to their homes ani renewed the ties of affection and love to their wives and their childieu we are now almost inau gurated into another rebellion. Cheers. U.ie rebetliwB wjm the effort of Elates to secede, and the war on the part of the gov crnment was to prevont them front accotn plishin that, aud thereby changing the character ol our government .and weaken ing its power. When the government has succeeded, there is an attempt n 'w to con centrate all power in the hands of a few at the federal head, and thereby bring about a consolidation of the republic. Cheers. We find t power assumed und attempted to be exercised of a most extraordinary character. We see now that governments can be revolutionised without going Into the battle-field ; and sometimes the revo lutions most distressitir to a people are ef fected without the sheddinz of blood. That is, the substance of your government may be taken away while- there . is hejd out to '; l-rill thi r.rnii ami U A: I . " ' I what are the attempts, and. what is being proposed? rWe find that by an irresponsi-, ble central directory nearly all the powers j of Consrreos are assumed without vn '.'- suiting the legislative and executive de- uaruueius 01 me government. ;( By a reso- , lution reported by a committee unon whm " and in , whom .the; the legislative power ot the government has been lodged, that great principle in the Constitution which author- ( izes and empowers the legislative depart ment. theSenate and House of Rtnrespn. tatives,; to be the judges of elections, re turns and qualifications of its own mem bers, has been virtually taken away from V the two' respective branches of the Nation al Legislature, and conferred upon a com- in i ice who must report oeiore me Dody y can act on the question of the admission of, members to their seats. Bv this rule thV assume a State is out of the Union, and to ' have its practical relations restored by that " rule before the house can judge of the'qual-'''. ifications of its own raerabers.r What po-'.; sition is that? You have been struggling " for four years to put down a rebellion., Tou ! contended at the besinnins of thit iru,"' gle that a State had not a right to so out. , oiu ik uau nciiocr me ngni nor me power; and it' has been settled that 'the"! States had neither the right nor the power ?u to go out of the Uuion. And when vou' determine by the executive, bv the milila-' I u nr. . . 1 j, tuu uj i:ic puunc juugmeni, mat tnese States cannot have any right to go out,1 . this committee turns around and assumes"! that they are out, and that they 6hall not 5, come in. ' 1 am free to say to you as your execu tive that I am not prepared to take anv . such position. Great cheering. I said' in the Senate, in the very inception ( the rebellion, that the States had no right to secede. That question has been settled. ins ucict milieu, i cannot turn rounu api give the lie direct to all that I profess to ' have done during the last four years. I say that when the States that attempted to secede comply withjthe Constitution, and give suiHcient evidence of loyalty, 1 shall extend to them the rirht hand of fellowship and let peace and union be restored. I am opposed to the Uavises, the Toorabses, the Slisells, and the long list of such. But when 1 perceive on the other men A voice, "Call them off" I care not by what name you call them still opposed to the Union, I am free to say to you that I am still with the people. I am still for the preservation of these States for the pres ervation of this Union, and in favor ol this great government accomplishing its desti ny. . . . . , Here the President was called upon to give the names of three of the menbers of Congress to whom he has! alluded as being opposed to the Union. The gentleman calls for three names. I am takling to my friends and fellow-citi- ' lens here. Cheers. Suppose I should name to you those whom I look upon as being opposed to the fundamental princi ples of this government, and as now labor ing to destroy them. 1 say Thaddeus Ste vens, of Pennsylvania; I say Charles Sum ner, of Massachusetts; I say Wendell Phil lips, of Massachusetts. Great cheering, and a voice, "Forney'." 1 do not waste my fire on dead ducks. Laughter. 1 staud lor the country, and though my enemies may traduce, slander and vituperate, 1 may say, that has no lorce. ..ft In addition to this, I do not intend to be governed by real or pretended friends, nor do 1 intend to be bullied by my enemies. Cheers. An honest conviction is my sus tenance, the Constitution my guide. I know, lay countrymen, that it has beta in sinuatednay, said directly, in high pla cesthat if such an usurpation of power had been exercised two hundred years ago, in particular reigns, it would have cost an individual his head. What usurpation has Andrew Johnson been guilty of? Cheers and cries of "none." My only usurpa tion has been cotninitteJ by standing be tween the people aud the cncroachmcuts
The Durham Recorder (Durham, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 7, 1866, edition 1
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