Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-03-27
SPEECH OF GOV. JOHNSTON AT
NASHVILLE.

0~~-~
Insosh Confirmed.
Gov. Johnston arrived in Nashville
on Thursday night, when, in response
to q serenade, he made q speech, OF
which the following is synopsis:
Mr.. Johnston said: l deeply and
truly appreciate this demonstration of
respect and confidence. / am affected
by the circumstances under which I re-
turn to you. which renders me all the
more sensitive to, and grateful for this
testimony from my fellow citizens. I
return to you with no hostile purpose,
with no new doctrine to avow, no
strange teachings TO inculcate. For
what do Ieome? leone with the olive
branch in one hand and the Constitu-
tion in the other. to render you what
ever aid may be in my power, in re-
erecting. upon her rightful domain of
Tennessee, the Star Spangled Banner
that flag borne by him who was "6rst
in war, first in peace, and first in the
hearts of his eountrymenS" borne by
him also. whose sacred ashes repose al.
most within the sound Of my voice. and
borne also BY many thousand of our
eountrymen, when the blood spouted
from their heel, and no covering shell
tered them but the stormy, pitiless
cloud; to aid you in re-establishing the
supremacy of this flag. SO dear to your
fathers and mine. l come to aid you
in the upholding and defending of this
the best Government that God ever
spokeinto existencel l have never de-
serted that Government. How could
I? The exiled-my wife driven hither
and thither. her servants stolen; my
house a rebel bospital-how could l
desert the glorious Government under
which l had been so richly and abund-
antly blessed, and under which SO many
of my fellow beings have enjoyed, and
do enjoy so bountifully, the boon Of
liberty and security? 'sa
The Governor then passed to the in.
quiry for what purpose is the war, and
pressed home with great zeal and force
the answer, for the maintenance of the
Constitution and the Government. He
then required to the wicked deception
that had been praetieed upon the peo-
pie 10 the canvass OF 1850. He refer
red to his own speech here at the time,
in which he contended in all sincerity
that the Breckinridge party was as
much the party Of the Union as any
other. Bell, Breckinridge and Doug
las men were all taught the doctrine Of
'fhe Union, the Constitution, and the
enforcement of the laws" Breckin-
ridge deceived him. He was dis
unionist at the time. His was q dis
union party. Notwithstanding all the
vieing with each other of these three
parties for the palm Of Unionism, eve-
ry one of their several leaders in this
State have become open rebels against
the Government in the United States.
He then laid bare with scathing Sc
verify the real cause of the war against
the Government, which be declared to
be disappointed ambition, and not Slave
ry. The latter was but pretext, pre-
dicted by Jackson. Look at the hypo-
crite Yaneey telling Great Britain now
that Slavery was not the cause of the
war. These men pretended that they
were protecting Slavery by withdraw
ing from the Union, while it was clear
to every candid mind that the only pro-
lection to Slavery was in the Constitu-
ton of the United States.
Tennesseeans, ] have taken part in
your politics since 18S8-have l ever
deceived you? Is there a man within
the sound Of my voice. or man, wo-
man, or child in the State who can say
that he or she has been deceivad by
Andrew Johnston? Why all this perse-
cution against me and mine? Why am
1 exiled, driven from my home, and my
hard earnings taken from me? Simply
because adhere to my Government and
yours, my flag and your flag. the Gov
ernment and the flag of our fathers
Because love them too well. Because,
having been born and bred under them,
l have determined to die under them.
An eloquent tribute was then paid to
the United States Government as the
government of the people by the peo-
pie.
He painted in telling terms the track
Of desolation that Secession left
Bridges. crops. dwellings destroyed;
brother srrayed against brother in dead.
ly conflict; families torn asunder; wild
. ows broken hearted, and orphans cry
ing for bread. All such scenes as these
are on the track of the demons tread.
He pointed the eyes of the Secessionists
present to this scene, and asked were il
not enough-had they not suffered
enough at the hands Of this accursed
monster? Had they not been duped and
deceived by such as Davis, Toombs
and the like long enough? Would they
not see their folly and crime, and re-
turn to their allegiance? He searched
them with the question-wss there a
man there who had lost a single right
or been deprived of single privilege
under the Constitution? They were
entreated to ponder and reflect upon
. their suicidal course; to remember that
"the soul of liberty was the love ol
law" that there was no hope for us
but in reverence for the Constitution
} and laws of the country.
The Governor closed by a most affec.