The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-04-27
President JOhnsOn's Reply to The IllinON
WASHINGTON,

% IS IN Mr.sJ 0hnSOnS abilities TO- conduct the
e g affairs of the nation, and pledged him the
earnest support Of his State and the coun-
e5 try. a5as tg51a IS I'll 81 81 s as5
2sl President johnson replied: 81 have lis
o tened with profound emotion to the words
you have addressed me. / had not antici-
sa pated in the midst of the saddening circum-
-" stances which surrounded, and the immense
responsibilities that crowd upon me, the ex-
sao preston of confidence of Individuals and
still more of an influential body like that be-
fore me, representing great common
wealth. 1t strengthens my heavily burdened
mind in an hour like this of deepest sorrow.
Were it possible to embody IN words the
feeling of my bosom, | could not command
my lips to utter them. Perhaps the best
reply / could make, the one most appropri-
ate to your kind assurances of confidence,
a. would be to receive them in silence. The
throbbings of my heart since the sad catas-
trophe which has appalled, us, cannot be re-
duced to words, and oppressed as am with
sg1 the new and great responsibilities winch have
devoved upon me, and saddened with grlet
can with difficulty respond to you at all, but
- Icannot permit such expressions of conf
dence Ieposed in me by the people to pass
without acknowledgment. To an individu
s-.s, al like myself who hes never claimed much
but who has, it is true, received from gen
erous people many marks of trust and hon
"a manifestation of public feeling 80 well
timed, are peculiarly acceptable. Springing
from the people myself every pusatlon OF
the popular heart finds an immediate an
swer in my own. By many men in. public
s8gS life such occasions are often considered
~ merely formal To me they real Your
words of countenance and encourage cement
sink deep in my heart, and, Ieven a
coward, could but gather from them
-.a' s.. strength to carry out my convictions of
right. ...- ,--gr 6a..1
Thus feeling, shall enter upon the dis
charge of my great duty firmly and stead
lastly, if not with the signal ability exhibit
- tied by my predecessor, which is still fresh
in our sorrowing minds. And | repeat
that no heart feels more sensibly than
> mine this great affection In what | say
lfg 81 on this OCCASION / shall indulge in no petty
q g = spirit of anger, no feeling OF revenge. But
e.o we have beheld notable event in the his,
tory of mankind: in the midst of the Amer
iban people, where every citizen is taught
s to obey the law and observe the rules of
gas a4 Christian conduct our Chief Magistrate, be-
l loved of all hearts, has been assassinated;
..s. T. and when we trace the crime to its cause
o. when we remember the source whence the
assassin drew his Inspiration and then look
81, d. at the result, we stand yet more astonished
at this most barbarous most diabolical as
sassnation. Such crime as the murder
iiG yered beloved and the hope of the people,
5i@ springs not from a solitary individual of
even SO desperate wickedness. We can
trace its cause through successive steps,
without enumerating them here, back to
that source which is the spring of our woes
No one,can say that, if the perpetrator of
-z~ this hendish deed should be arrested, he
'5'~ should not undergo the extreme penalty
.sss which the law provides for crime.
.a- US eHa "While we strain our minds to compre
s bend the enortnity of the assassination, shall
we allow the nation to be- assassinated |
speak in no spirit of unkndness | leave
the events of the future to be disposed of as
they arise regarding myself as the humble
s~@- 1nstrument OF the American people. In this
as in all things, justice and Judgment shall
be determined by them | do not harbor
bitter or revengeful feeling towards any
t.as-- In general terms would say that public
morals and public opinion should be estab-
lished upon sure and infexible principles of
justice. When the question of exercising
mercy comes before me, it will be consider
ed calmly judicious y-remeynbern that
rtf am the Executive Of the nation | know
men love to have their Danes spoken in
connection Win acts OF mercy, and how
easy it is to yield to this impulse, but we
.- must not forget tha.C what may be mercy to
individuals IS Cruelty to the State In the
exercise OF meIcy there should be no doubt
p to relieve the few at the expense of the
many. =
BE assured shall never forget that /
am not to consult my own feelings alone,
but to give an account to the whole peo-
pie. In regard to my future course. I will
now make no pledges. | have been connec-
ted somewhat actively with public affairs,
and to the history Of my past public acts,
which is familiar to you, [ refer for those
principles which have governed me hereto
fore, and win guide me hereafter.
In general will say have long la
pored tor the elevation OF the great mass of
"a mankind. My opinions as to the nature of
slal popular government have long been cherish
ed, and, constituted l. am, it is now too
late IN life for me to change them. | be-
heVe that Government made for man.
not man for government. This struggle of
the people against the most gigantic rebel
lion the world ever saw has demonstrated
that the attachment of the people to their
Government is the strongest natural defense
human wisdom can devise So long as the
rich man feels that the interests of the Gov
efnmenG are MS interests /; So long as the
public heart turns In the ri CHIT direction, and
the people understand and appreciate the
a. i theory OF our government and love liberty
r. u our constitution will be transmitted unim-
pared. If the time ever comes when the
people shall fail, the Government will fail
and we cease to be one of the nations of the
earth. 1t may be that it was necessary for
us to pass the last ordeal of strife to prove
that the Government will not perish from
m internal weakness, but will stand, able to
defend itself against all foes and punish
treason
srsss.s gssae4s. saaa WASHINGTON, April Is. i.
~ '' To an address by a number of clergy
men who called on him to-day, the Presi.
dent replied thanking them in the warmest
a@ terms for their very kind mention of him.
and for their rendered support and eDcour,
agement. He.spoke with feeling of the GREAT
personal and public worth of his lamented
- Predeeessor In assuming the great respop
sIblIltes imposed upon him in obed ence 10
she requirements OF the Constitution in CON
sequence OF this sad dispensation of Provi-
oence, he felt his own individual insufficien-
cy, and the necessity of the kind counsel
ana cooperation of all friends OF their conn. |
try This support he should endeavor 10
deserve BY shaping his course to those i'm.
nutapie principles of right which underIie |
our government He said he had a snre
Ialth that five adhered to those princ;nIas
sne g. Almighty would save the nation. lie /
DsiIeved That the nation had {. mission -
Iuinii and that God would not allow if 70
perish before its work was done. They had