The Portland daily press., 1863-03-19


johnson came forward to tell his tale of suf-
fering and sorrow, prosecuted, his hease des-
troyed, his wife and young children driven
to distant part of the country, and his two
oldest sons serving in the Union army, Gov.
johnson is above fifty-five years old, but in
appearance fresh and vigorous, his hair
black, complexion somewhat bronzed, and of
medium hight and form. He has not the
grace and ease of either of the other speakers,
and his language betrays the want OF early
educational advantages, of which he was al
most entirely deprived. 1t was by the innate
force of his character, that he has raised him
self from the lowest level of society to be
peer of the best, and an able and acknowledge
ed leader in the grand struggle which is laying
waste his native State, driving her Union-lov-
ing people to exile or the grave, and multiply
ing martyrs to the holy cause of justice and
freedom. He spoke like man in earnest;
he recognized no distinctions of party, there
were but two; in this quarrel there could be
no more-those who were for the govern
ment and those who favored treason he who
was not for the government was necessarily
against it-thcre could be no neutrals. Gov
eminent was one thing, the administration OF
1t another; one was u permanent institution,
the other changeable and short-ived. The
question was not now, who shall govern, but
shall we have any government? AS for my
SELF" he exclaimed, 81 stand by the institu-
tons ofmy country, and shall give myself and
all | have and hope, TO sustain it. II there is
any thing that stands in the way of government,
if there is any thing that claims to be higher
or stronger than the government, whether
banks or monopolies, or slavery, it must go
down. The government must be the highest
aud the strongest institution of the land. and
no power 1r institution whatever should be
greater than it," He emphatically declared
than it was not only justifable, but the duty
OF the administration to employ all the re-
sources at its disposal, negroes or any other,
which were needed to crush out the miserable
hydra of rebellion. In allus:on to his own
State, his remarks had painful interest; the
people here at the North, he said, could have
no conception of the sufferings, distress and
dismay, which the inhabitants ofEast Tennes-
see were now undergoing. He described 1t
as beyond any thing of which history has fur
nished an account Every man, woman or
child who was believed to be loyal to the Un-
ion was hung without mercy, imprisoned, or
driven to the mountains, perishing with hum
ger, with utter loss of property wantonly des-
troyed. And he could not but cast areproach
upon the Administration for its hardness in far
nj hing succor to these suffe ring people. He
affirmed that he had been Uniform and consis-
tent Democrat, that he had opposed the election
OF Lincoln; but when the issue came between
supporting the Union and the Constitution, or
destroying them by rebellion, he could not
and did not hesitate which to choose, and he
could not look upon any Democrat or any
other man, who would hesitate In his choice
or would by word or deed aid or encourage
those who are seeking to overturn the govern
ment aud break up the Uniop, as any better
than those who are in open rebellion. He gave
history of notification and produced the orr
ginal letter of General jackson, from copy
OF which Senator Doolittle had read an extract
to show that dissolution of the Union had
been for more than thirty years determined on
by Southern leaders, Calhoun, Rhett, Davis
and others, and that the slavery question Was
used only as pretext; that in South Carroll
ma they never lost their slaves by escape and
had no fears of it. This original letter he then
presented TO the Club, to be preserved as a
memorial OF the lameuted author.
Gov. Johnsons earnest, plain and sincere
manner made a deep impression on the audi
ence, which was manifested by repeated and
rapturous applause. 1t was now hai-past IL
o'clock, but Philadelphia had one of her own
sons, Mr.. Brewster, lifelong and leading
Democrat, even of the Breckenridge school,
whom she wished TO hear ON this great occa-
sion. He is slight in form. somewhat disfgur-
ed in the face, but his eloquent manner and
burning words told with great effect upon the
stilllunfagging attention after more than four
hours session. He was very severe upon that
class OF Democrats, who are constantly crying
peace and compromise, when there can be no
peace but in victory, and no compromise but
ia submission of rebels to the laws. He had
opposed the election of Mr.. Lincoln, but he
declared that he had conducted his administra-
ton with great ability, and il there were an
election tomorrow tor President, he would
cast his vote for Mr.. Lincoln. His speech was
brief, but pointed and eloquent, and contained
the true patriotic fire, which if it animated ey-
cry bosom, whether Republican or Democrat,
would fulfill MFR. Stewards prophecy, alas, not
fulfilled of crushing the rebellion in ninety
days.
The meeting was great success, and has
done honor to the city, and given sensible
impulse to the cause OF unity, freedom and de-
voted loyalty. The happy result Of a move
meiit so auspiciously commenced, was contin-
ued and strengthened the next evening, March
IL, on occasion of serenade offered TO Mr..
Wright, Representative in Congress from
Pennsylvania, and Gov. Wright of Indiana.
They both made stirring and patriotic speech
es, calling forth repeated cheers from the as
sembled crowd. / shonld have said in its
proper place, that Representative Wright made
most scathing speech against those Demo-
Gratis with whom he once associated, for their
croaking over all the movements OF our Gov
ernmeut, and lending all the aid to the rebels
short of overt reasonable acts, which it Is In
their power to give. lie said that what our
armies wanted, was sympathy, encouraging
words and loyal expressions from their friends
at home. He had been among the troops on
the Potomac, and he said nothing so paralyzed
them as the disloyal efforts of the peace patri-
OTIS and rebel compromises at the North. They
would rather have an enemy in front than In
the rear.
This National Union Club is extending its
numbers, its influence and its power over the
country; its effect will be not only to rally
strength to the Union cause, which will carry
success to the Union arms, but it will crush
out the secession spirit which prevails at the
North, although shrinking under the rebuke
which, from all quarters, has been administer
ed to it, Let the principles and the organiza-
ton of these patriotic and loyal associations
extend, until they shall heaven the whole mass
of our people with the true spirit of Nation
atty which shall weave an indissoluble bond
Of union and fraternity around our whole be-
loved country. w.
SEEDS FOR THE FREEDMEN are in
formed by the Rev. John Dudley, Secretary of
the National Freedmen's Relief Association,