New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-04-17
JOHNsON's SPEECH ~
THE FALL OF RICHMOND.

Upon the reception III ashlngtOn Of the news
zof the fall Of Richmond the 18th inst Vice President
johnson serenaded by the jnbiant people and
made speech to them Of great force and power In
(which he laid down the treatment be conceived 70 La
3proper for the Rebel leaders and In view q
Ar. Lincolns untimely DEATH and Mr.. Johnsons sue
cesson President Of the United States the remark,
then delivered have double interest and meaning Wa
Ereproducc the speech and the terms laid down in il will
gundoubtedly be the policy Of the new President. He
{ said:
lyon must indulge me In making one single remark
hin connection with myself AT the time the traitors in
the Senate of the United States plotted against the
aGovernment and entered into a conspiracy more sonr
more execrabe, and odious than that Of Catan,
against the Romans happened TO be member Of that
body and to loyalty stood solitary and alone among
the Senators from the Southern States. was then and
there called upon TO know what would do with such
gtraitors and want to repeat my reply here said II
we had an Andrew Jackson he would hang them as HIGH
Mas Haman. But be is more and sleeps in hs grave
Bin his own beloved State where traitors and treason
have insulted his tomb and the very earth that
pcovers his remains humble am, when you ask mo
swhat would do, my reply is would arrest them; I
I woud try them; j would convict them, and would
Chang them. AS humble as ] am and have been have
puIrutu Dul uuhtNldtlHE
Blfe limb and propertyhave been put at the dposalof
1.-THE country in this great struggle. have been in camp
have been in the field have been everywhere where
Hthis great Rebellion was; have pursued it until be-
slieye / can now see its termination. Since the world
lbegan there has been rebellion Of such gigantic
proportions, so infamous in character so diabocal
Elm motive entirely dIsregardful OF the laws Of
cyized war 1t has introduced the most savage mode
.rf.r .ha will
here remark for which have been in no small degree
Hcensured. What is IL. allow me to ask that has
tanned the nation in this great struggled The cry has
Sbeen you know that our Government was not strong
enough for time Of Rebelion that in such time she
Swould have to contend against internal weakness
: well as internal foes. We have now given the world
6evidence that such 10 not the fact and when The Re-
9beon shall have been crushed out and the nation shall
once again have settled down in peace, Government
will rest upon more enduring basis than before.
sBut my friends, in what has the great strength
of this Government consstedi Has 1t been in
man who held absolute government No thank God
have in my power to proclaim the great truth that
athis Government has derived its strength from the
American people. They have issued the edict they
have exercised the power that has resulted in the
throw of the Rebellion, and there is not another
Government upon the face OF the earth that could have
1wthstood the shock. We can now congratulate our.
selves that possess the strongest. the freest
land the best Government the world ever sew.
Thank God that We have lived through This
trial, and that, looking in your intelligent faces
here to-day 10 You the great fact that
Petersburg the outpost Of the strong citadel has been
occupied by our brave and gallant officers and our IN.
firing, invincibe soldiers And not content with that
they have captured the citadel itself the stronghold Of
the traitors. Richmond is ours, and is occupied
by the forces Of the United States Death the
spirators-clemency to their victims. One word more
and have DONE 1t is this in favor of leniency,
but in my opinion, evidoers should be punished
Treason is the highest crime known in the catalogue OF
crimes and for him that is guilty Of tor him that is
willing to lift mis- impious hand against the authority of
the Naton-I would say death is easy punishment.
Ny notion is that must be made odious that
traitors must be punished and impoverished.
their social power broken, though they
be made feel the penalty Of their crimes. Hence
say thisthe halter to intelligent influential traitors
But to the honest boy to the deluded man, VITO has
been deceived into the Rebel ranks. would extend
leniency | would say return 10 your allegiance.
your support to the Government and become good
citizen but the leaders would hang hold too that
wealthy traitors should be made 10 remunerse those
men who have suffered consequence Of their crimes
Union who have lost their property who have been
driven from their homes beggars, and wanderers among
strangers II is well talk about things here today,
i'm addressing the wellnforrned persons who compose
this audience You can very great extent aid 10
molding public opinion, and in giving it proper drec
ton. Let commence the work. W. hare pr dorm
these traitors let Us put them dorH in lar, in pub