Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-03-19
SPEECH OF
HON. JOHN JOHNSTON,
OF oLRRMoNT COUNTY.

OF oLHRM0NT COUNTY,
Delivered in The Ohio Senate, March 4h, 1865
on the amendment offered By Senator Kenny
the ,esolutions introduced By Senator Welsh
proposing to substituts the uOrd "eonstitution
d": for the ,oord "laudabIs."
Mr.. Johnston said:
Mr.. President: fully appreciate the i'm
portance OF the time of the Senate, and Sepa
tors will bear me witness that, as well at tb,
last as at the present session, / have Iaboret
assiduously to bring about an early adjourn
ment. l did not expect, when had occasion
to make some remarks on the pending amend
ment of the Senator from Ashland, to add any
thing further, but az seven speeches have been
made on tho opposite side, including that Of
our distinguished Lieutenant Governor, who
has come down from the chair to defend his
record, and give weight to the opposition. and
as charges, or rather covert insinuations. have
been made against the loyalty of those who do
not sustain the emancipation policy Of the Ad.
ministration, 1t 10 due to the Democratic party
under whose guidance the Government has At.
tained distinction and honor among the nations
Of the earth, to the loyal constituency renre.
sent, and to myself, to repel all such charQes or
insinuations. II seems to me, furthermore.
that charges of disloyalty come with verv had
grace from party whose representatives and
record on the score of loyalty are by no meana
clear and satisfactory. Il is, therefore, opnor.
tune that the Senator from Belmont has intro
duced the pending resolutions as test of loyal-
~, and propose to reply to some of the points
made in the speeches on the opposite aide,
avoiding as far as possible repetition oj
What has been 30 well said by Democratic Sem
ators.
The resolution under immediate considera-
tion reads &c follows:
Re8ol0ed, 6y the General Asse,ub1, NJ n. s,,,. =.
VNto That we deem 1t proper the representatives. ~
tne people 70 renew our pledges In the name OF he
people Of the State, to the General Goyernment ~ n
der all the aid within our power both moralIu
physically, In It's laudabe eoFs to put down The psbs
hon' preserve the o0nsututonand restore the Union
The amendment offered by the Senator f,om
Ashland proposes to strike ont the words "moT.
ally and physically 10 it's laudable' and inse,t
the words "in all constitutional" And Ger.
tainly the word cal" includes "morallv and
physically" and the word "coustitutionaln In.
cludes "iaudable," and the amendment relieves
the resolution OF an inferentisl Endorsement of
all the efforts OF the Administration as being
laudable. Besides, the word "constitntionai, ),
q a
uncertain signifcation. The word "laudahle -
In the estimation of Abolitionists and sh;nS,r
law saints," would include ell their fanaeicsi
schemes, howsoever unconstitutional. and vonId
certainly, and no doubt is intended. In tbs
mind of the author Of the resolution, to com.
prehend the emancipation policy of the Al.
ministrapon. What an act of mapnanimitv
and justice 1t would be on the part of The Seno,
tor from Belmont to accept the Amendment a na
thus have the moral force of the unapimous an
port OF the Senate, and give o clear and dsn;
ded Significance to the resolution. Partisan III
as and prejudice, however, forbid il. and tho
isaue Of loyalty or dlsloyalty must be met '
Mr.. President, 1t has at length come to this
that the Democrat who dares TO differ from tbe
Administration, however honestly. aa 10 tbe
true policy of conducting the war, is denounced
as sympathizer with treason. The abhorrent
sentiment OF tho old world, that "tbe KING can
do no wrong" is being revived In the moi less
unwelcome and un-Americsn phrase, "tbe
President can do no wrongs" or, as our Lien
tenant'Iovernor expresses 1t, "the loyalty of
that man who makes distinction between III
Government and the Administration. and nro.
fesses to support the former, but refuses 10 ans.
tain the policy Of the latter is, to say the least
OF o discount"
The Senator from Belmont save, as did CIV.
l|ohnson, that he would not have issned the
proclamation OF emancipation; but now that n
has been issued, he sustains it, "EIe knows the
wrong aud yet the wrong pursues." / choose
to oppose the wrong, and seek, by every rea.
eonaole effort, to have the wrong undone. He
is to be deemed loyal, and disloyal Il is a
contradiction in terms.
MT Welsh-I have no doubt of the consti-
tutionality of the emancipation proclamation.
l only doubted its policy.
Mr.. Johnston-"Person living in plaes
houses shouldn't throw stones" Ii | had even
reasonable doubt 40 to the policy of an Ad-
ministration, | would not support it. External
vigilance Ia the price of liberty" There Ia not
In the Constitution word that authorizes the
emancipation policy of the Administration, and
| neither the Senator from Belmont, nor any
other Senator, has cited any provision in that
instrument which sustsins Ii. The entire his
tory OF the Democratic, Wing and American
parties, is an emphatic denial OF the pretended
| claim that the Federal Constitution sanctions
| an interference by the General Government
with the institution of slavery in any of the
States, 4 's k-,' -tsc1 sTlG1 : N
Mr.. Sberrard-I thought the Whig party was
dead?
Mr.. Johnston--That may be 80, hut its prin-
ciples on the slavery question are eternal.
Even Secretary Seward, in one of his official
letters to Minister Adams, and President Lin
coin himself, in his inaugural address, express
ly declare that no such right of interference
with slavery exists In the Constitution,
The only plausible ground upon which to at.
tempt justification Of the emancipation policy
of the Administration ia that of military ne
cessity, which the Ohio State oJouraal--the cen.
tral organ of the opposite party--about year
ago denominated "the plea of tyrants only,
and hostile to free government" Necessity is
said to know no law. So With military neces-
ty. IL above the Constitution. It is "higher
law Its limit s the unbounded will of him
who acts upon it. A military dictator ia gov.
erned by that principle of action, will not
say that the President Of the United States ia
military dictator, butI will say that when he
exercises powers not Warranted by the Consti--
tuition, his will alone is the boundary of such
powers. Our Lieutenant Governor says he
"would justify slight infringements upon the
u Constitution to save the Government, and il
willing that the President shall be the Judge OF
the necessity therefor" Such g doctrine con.
fesses an Inherent weakness In the Govern
ment. gives the President boundess power, and
is of fatal tendency. ~ s5j ett, I
How different the teachings of the fathers oil
the country. Let the immortal Washington
as voice from the dead, speak in the language
Of his farewell address: at Is important like
wise that the habits Of thinking In free coun-
Itry should inspire caution in those intrusted
with its administration, to confine themselves