Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-04-10
10, 1. POORMAN.
AEFAIRS IN NASHVILLE.
ni,sh shsfsHECTI OF IN.
sG0Vy GEN. ANDREW JOHNSON /,
= pElIvERED oN eATuRDAysAT
steAsA THE CAPITOL. - ~

,rsAsN THE CAPITOL. - ~
~ ittrr.m the Ns.lvill. Pslrio,, aS,h uhl T
-TaAt the hour of III O'Clock, Governor
johnson took his stand at the Speaker 8
desk of the Representatives Hall, and spoke
rs follows /
LADIES AMI FELLOW, CrTrsENs: / DIP
bear before syou to-day under extraordinary
Erctim staiceso which i presume is under
Stbv6 ~ All. z Il am not in the hablt Of max
Ing ,loi1g sxordium; but; III my crude way,
/ desire to addreAs you in the spirit of one
mo eels o. deep iatsfsst in your dastinias
WhatI have 70 say, i will begin by calling
your attention to the time when made my
yaledictory address as Chief. Executive OF
gour State When i made that address, L
feel sure my fellow. citizens will testify to the
truth that the affairs Of the gubernatorial
,bfies had bssn faithfully administered, and
= Chat 4 Welded its honors in o state OF undis-
turbHd,reptne upon the bosom of Peace.
How have matters of State been dispos..
cd oss sfrfce that period2 ] surrendered all
the powers of the Executive, and laid them
down.. unlnipaired at your feet Peace
With al its Attendant happiness, pervaded
the commonwealth then How is it now 7
I have returned to address you, and ask
Your attention to the perilous and extraor-
dinary conditiunyofthings now. When l
Quilted the gubernatorial chair, prosperity
l6ignsd throughout your State. What con-
dition do We &hd the country In now? Look
out, and see what is to be found. When
You extend your vision over the vast boun-
dary ofthis beloved country, what do you
And11Y9u see men armed in oil the ap-
'polntments Of war you look upon BATTLE
fields, and see fellow-countrymen bleeding.
Why all this? And may notinquire what
sit,has been for2 Why isit that fathers are
s.disconsolate, that mothers and sisters bear
the impress Of grief and sorrowi Why Is
this disgrace brought upon .. contented and
happy peoplefa Why is our beautiful land
-----the asylum Of the oppressed of every
,celime--bathed in human blood? I hope
You will keep up the inquiry why all
Four years ago, left my beloved State
quiet and hsppy--her free sons and lovely
daughters had not dream of disorder.
return to-day in the midst of civil war and
the camp; in the sound Of cannon roar, and
in the view Of glittering bayonets. Again
hssk, why all this2 Sisters, mothers, faith,
'sfs--I intend to ask you something, and
,seall upon you to hold the guilty responsible
for shedding innocent blood.
-, You know that it, has been said-and said
Ito ase---that this is an unjust war--that the
United States is upjusti6ably prosecuting
. vsr against the -Soath. II 10 said, the South
is carrying on the war for rights-.Southerr
ssriahts. Who ever sought to abridge thei!
rights? The Government has never ceased
to respect and foster its national structure
Our, pride knows no East, no West. M
North, no South-it is purely national II
heinquiry runs along, and what is the
Conclusion reached? They complain o.
silost rights say they have been deprived O.
:s.just aud constitutional rights in the Terri
tories; and for their restitution, they have
gone TO war. Permit me to make an in
A squiry--in no offensive sense, but simply
THAT / may be nderstood-another inquiry
Sof mothers, whose hearts are bleeding fol-
the slaughter Of q dear son; OF sisters, who
pass their days in comfortless solitude, be
cause fond brother sleeps far away upoor
!. the battle plain. 1t is this. What righ
Jf tba South has been denied what priv
'sileee withheld? what prerogative lost, un
;ades the Constitution and laws of the Unitet
States? What ons2 Can you tell? Cal
: you point it out? Can you take the Con
As.Stitution, and call attention to any righ
there guaranteed, which you have lost 7
can you see it-smell it-taste it-feel it
You may tax all your faculties, and Canno
tell what right has been lost.
What excuse, then, is there for all thl
tarnoil Of ware What has the South lost
under the Constitution. that palladium {
Our liberties, framed BY the patriot father
sSf another century? Slavery, is the reply
where has the institution Of Slavery bee
Invaded? Can any one tell2 In what