The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-02-24
RECONSTRUCTION IN TENNESSEE
SPEECH OF GOVERNOR JOHNSON.


At the great meeting in Nashville on
the 2lst ult., to consider the question Of
breathing anew into Tennessee the breath
of loyal life, Hon. Andrew johnson made
an able speech. from which we extract so
much as pertains to the question Of eman
cipation.
EMANCIPATION.
Now, nv countryman it is not worth
while to try to deceive each other, and
thus play hypocritical part as the people
Of the olden times: while practicing de
ceit upon the people. when meeting each
other, there was significant smile upon
their faces. / know where there is going
to be division i'm Tennessee: and / will
tell them now, politically speaking, that
my sword is unsheathed, and il is never
to be returned until l fall, or until this
great principle of free government has
triumphed. Cheers. Now it is time
to settle it. This question of slavery has
been the disturbing element in this Gov
ernment, and the time has come now to
settle it, They commenced the destruc
ton of the Government for the preser-
walton of slavery, and the Government
is putting down the rebellion, and in the
preservation of its own existence has put
slavery down, justly and rightfully, and
upon correct principles. 1t attempted to
raise above the Government, and had it
succeeded, negroes or their masters
would have controlled the Government
but in making the attempt to control the
Government, the mighty car of State has
moved forward, and the institution has
been crushed, and thank God for it. Ap-
piause.
Now upon this negro question, and j
know the saying is something banded
about that you are always prating and
saying the negro is dead--if he is dead,
why repeat it so often? Is there n man
here that has observed this thing but
what knows that the institution of Slavery
in Tennessee is dead? / have had some
come to me and say, "Gov. Johnson, are
you in favor ofimmediate emancpation?'
i tell them yes. '.Do you want to turn
the negroes all loose upon us? What will
we do with them?' Why sir, I reply. as
far as emancipation is concerned, that
has taken place. Where are your ne
groes? '.They are running about some
where" Says / ..what do you call that?''
Laughte They seem to be turned loose.
The institution of slavery is turned IL
to n travelling institution, and goes just
where it pleases. Now it is said the
slaves never can he free, and the argu-
ment is, that because they have been in
slavery 200 years they are untitled to be
freemen, and shall not be permitted To
enjoy the privileges of freemen; but BY
way of making them competent it is pro
posed to keep them in slavery fifteen or
twenty years longer In the first place,
it would not do to have them free, because
they have been slaves; and in tho next
place, they should be kept in slavery 70
fpr I'm |
Fellow citizens, let us be practical.
We were proceeding to put up the State
government--to elect clerks, Justices,
trustees, convention, Legislature, Cover
nor, and other things, that constituted
the State heretofore but the institution Of
slavery. There it lies out there; W i'll you
take il back? Leave the disturbing ele-
ment there, | say. 1t is now out, and to
put the State in motion, start the machi
merry and leave negroes out of the ques-
ton. Applause. Then the conclusion
is. that in fact negroes are emancpatcd
in Tennessee to day; and the only re
naming question for us to settle, as pru-
dent and wise men, Is in assigning the
negro his new relation. Now, what will
that be? There are no more negroes to.
day than there was yesterday-the.e be |
ing no more negroes free than there were /
nc S:ifnc space Will contain
them in one condition as in another. and I
the STAKEHOLDER need not be alarmed with 4
the fear that negroes will be increased \
faster than they were before. Then the /
negro will be thrown upon society. gov \
erned by the some laws that govern com
munities, and be compelled to fall back
upon his own resources, and these re
sources that all other human beings do.
The God of Nature has endowed him
with faculties that enable him to enjoy /
the result of his own labor. Political /
freedom means liberty to work. and Mt \
the same time enjoy the product of ones |
labor be he white or black. blue or gray. /
red or green. laughter, and if he can \
rise by his own energies. in the name of
God let him rise. In saving this, / do 1
not argue that the negro race is equal to
the Anglo SaNon-not at all. There are
degrees among white men. some are
industrious. others are not, but because
We find interiors among ourselves, shall
every inferior man be assigned to slavery
If the negro is better fitted for the in
ferior condition of society. the laws of
nature will assign him there. NV own
conviction is that in less than five years
after this question is settled upon the
principle of hired labor. the negro's la
Dor will be more productive than it ever
was. y
How is the thing to be done? l am
free to say that l am for Convention,
after adopting some rule that viii exclude
disloyal and admit loyal men. Under the
Constitution, the people have right to
to meet and appoint delegates. On the
other hand. the President of the United
States, through his agent, has the right
by proclamation to say to the people:
ION such day. elect so many delegates
to take into consideration the reconstruc-
ton of the State AsI remarked be-
fore; some times we NAV do irregular
things for the sake of getting back law
and order Ii might be irregular in
starting. but when the Convention get to
gether. they have the right to change.
alter, or abolish, their Government in
their own way. l am disposed to think
that the people. if they were together.