Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-06-24

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UNION MEETING AT NASHVILLE
Speech Of Gov. Andrew johnson.
A Union mass meeting was held at Nashville
on the evening of the 10th inst, at which Gov
johnson was the principal speaker. The fol-
lowing report is from the Nashville Times:
Il The appearance Of Gov. johnson, on the steps
Of the st. Cloud Hotel was greeted by the vast
crowd with loud applause. All were anxious
to see and hear the next Vice President of the
United States. After thanking the assembly
for the compliment they bestowed on him, and
few other preliminary remarks, Gov johnson
proceeded to say that we were engaged in
great struggle for free government in the proper
acceptatiOn of the term. i Hisis
Sofar as the head Of the ticket is concerned,
the Baltimore Convention has said, not only to
the United States, but to all the nations of the
earth, that are determined to maintain and
carry out the principles of free government.-
| Applause. That Convention announced and
confirmed principal not to be disregarced. =
1t was that the right OF secession, and the pow
er Of State to place itself out of the Union, are
not recognized. The convention had declared
this principal by its action. Tennessee had
! ooen IN rebellion against the Government, and
waged reasonable war against its authority
lust as other Southern States had done She
had seeded just as much as other States had
and left the Union as far as she had the power
to do so. Nevertheless, the National Conven-
ton had declared that State cannot put itself
| from under the national authority 1t said by
its first nomination, that the present President,
/ take him altogether, was the man to steer the
/ ship Of State for the next four years. Loud
Iapplause.] Next it said-if1 may be permit
ted TO speak of myself not in the way of vanity,
but to illustrate prineiple-"We viii 90 into
| one of the rebelliOus States and choose candi-
date for the Vice Presidency" Thus the Uni
on party declared It's belief that the rebellious
States are still in the Union, and that their loy-
al citizens still citizens of the United States
And now there is but one great work for us to
do, that is 20 put down the rebellion. Our du-
/ ty is to sustain the Government and help it
with all our might TO crush out rebellion which
is in violation of all that is right and sacred.
Gov. johnson said he had no impassioned APP
peal to make to the people in his own behalf
He had not sought the position assigned him BY
the National Convention. Not man in all the
land can truthfully say that have asked him
| to use his influence In my behalf in that body!
for the position allotted to me, or for any other.
On the contrary l have avoided the candidacy!
/ But while have not sought it, still being con-
ferred upon me unsOught, / appreciate the more
highly. Being conferred on me without solic-
itation, l shall not decline il. TApplause. r
Come veal or wOe success or defeat sink or
swim, survive or perish, accept the nomination,
on principle, be the consequences what they
may / will do what l believe to be my duty.
l know there are those who professto feel acon-
tempt for me, and /, on the other hand feel nv
superiority to them. have always understood
II fharo enrf Of
Nashville which affects to contemn all who are
not within its little circle. Let them enjoy
their opinions. / have heard it said that
''worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow.
This aristocracy has been the bane Of the slave
States, nor has the North been wholly free from
its curse. It is a class which / have always
/ forced to respect me, for / have ever sci
it at defiance The respect Of the honest, INTEL
lligent and industrious class have endeavored
to win by my conduct as a man. One of the
lchief elements of this rebellion is the opposition
Iof the slave aristocraey to being ruled by men
who have risen from the ranks of the people
This aristocracy hated Mr.. Lincoln because he
twas Of humble origin, ral-splitter in early life
lone of them, the private Secretary of Howell
Cobb, said to me one day, after a long conver-
sation, "We people of the South will not submit
to be governed by man who has come up from
the ranks of the common people as Abe Lincoln
has" He uttered the essential feeling and spir-
it of this Southern rebellion. Now it has Just
occurred to me- if this arstocracy is 30 violently
Iopposed to being governed by Mr.. Lincoln,
what in the name of conscience will it do with
Lincoln and johnson? IGreat Iaughter.1 re-
Iiect with scorn this whole idea of an arrogant
Iaristocracy. | believe that naa is capable of
Iself-government, irrespectiveof his outward cir
Icumstances, and whether be be laborer shoe
maker tailor or a grocer. The question is
whether man is scapable of self-government
/ hold with jefferson that government was
fmade for the convenience of man, and not man
for government. That laws and constitutions
were designed as mere instruments to promote
his welfare. And hence, from this principle,
Iconclude that governments can and ought to-be
Hchanged and amended to conform to the wants,
to the requirements and progress of the people,
and the enlightened spirit of the age. Loud
Applause. Now if any of your secessionists
have lost faith in mans capability of self-gov-
lernment, and feel unfit for the exercise of this
igreat right, go straight to rebeldom, take jeff
Davis, Beauregard and Bragg for your masters,
and put their collars on your necks. p hi
And here let me say, that now is the time to
srecur to those fundamental principles, whilethe
land is rent with anarchy, and upheaves with
II the throes of mighty revolution. While So
iciety is in this disordered state and we are seek
ing after security, let US tix the foundations OF
the government on principles Of eternal Justice
which will endure for all time. There is an el-
Aement in our midst who is for perpetuating the
institution of slavery. Let me say to you Tenn
esseeans and men from the Northern States, that
slavery is dead. 1t was not murdered by me.
told youlong ago what the result would be if
you attempted to go out of the Union to save
slavery, and that the result would be bloodshed,
Hrapine, devastated fields, plundered villages and
Icities; and therefore | urged you to remain in
the Union. In trying to save slavery you killed
I it, and lost your own freedom Y our slavery is
ldead, but / did not murder it. As Macbeth
said to Banquos bloody ghost: - ''ai rs
''Shake not thy CORY locks at me,
Thou canst not say I did it." i.''' 9 ~
Slavery is Dead and you must pardon me If
/ do not mourn over its dead body; you can
lbury it out of sight. In restoring the State,
sleave out that disturbing and dangerous element,
and use only those parts of the machinery which
will move in harmony. -. -
Now in regard to emancipation l want to say
to the blacks that liberty means liberty to work
land enjoy the fruits of your labor. Idleness is
mot freedom. I desire that all men shall have
a fair start and an equal chance in the race Of
life, and let him succeed who has the most mer-
lit This think is a principle of Heaven ]