Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-04-22
SPEECH OF PRESIDENT JOHNSON.

| SPEECH OF PRESIDENT JOHNSON.
| We referred yesterday 70 the able response
| made by President johnson 70 the address OF
the Indiana delegation.
| The following passage from his speech is cr
| no little interest and importance as unfolding
10 some degree his views upon the relation OF
the States to the General Government, and also
as indicating to some extent his purposes IN
regard to the treatment of leading traitors
| we were living at a time when The public
.o no had almost become obliyious OF what
men Us rs ne time has arrived my country
na,ns wn.n the American people should he ed -
caleo ana taught what is crime, and that :rea
son ls d crime, and the highest crime xnowu 20
the law and the Constitution. Yes treason
against a State, treason against All ~. 60.
treason against the Government of the IIn,,a,s
States, is the highest crime that can be conn,I,
ted, and those engaged in Il should suffer all
Its penalties.
know it is easy to get up sympathy An,
sentiment where human blood is atom 10 he
shed, easy TO acquire reputation for leniency
and kindness, but sometimes its effects and pra;-
teal operations produce misery and woe 20 The
mass OF mankind. Sometimes an individual
whom the law has overtaken, and on whom It's
penalties are about TO be imposed, will appeal
and plead with the Executive for the exercise
OF clemency. But before its exercise he ought
10 ascertain what is mercy and what is not
mercy. 1t is very important question, ana
one which deserves the consideration of tho.e
VINO moraliZe upon crime and the morals Of a
nation, whether in some cases, action should
not be suspended here and transferred 10 Him
who controls all There if innocence has ne n
,nvaGed, II wrong has been done, the Control
Ter and Giver of all good, one of whose a:trj-
butes is mercy, will set Ii right
1t is not prom ulgating anything tina. l have
Eot heretofore SAID TO say that traitors mus
be made odious, that treason must be made
oolous, tnat traitors must be punished and I'M
They must not only be punished, but their
social power must be destroyed. If not, thew
CT m n q nInr
again become numerous aud powerfuI: for, IN
the words OF former Senator of the United
States, when traitors become numerous
enough, then traitors become res pectable" And
say that after making treason odious, every
Union man and the Government should De
rsmunerated out OF the pockets of those who
country. (AppIauser"1t suffering upon the
me as saying this in spirit OF anger, for, II 4
understand my own heart, the reverse is the
case; and, while say that the penalties OF the
law, in stern and infexible manner, should
be executed upon conscious, intelligent and
influential traitors-the leaders, who have de-
ceiyed thousands upon thousands OF laborng
men who have been drawn into this rebellion
and while say, as TO the leaders, punishment,
! also say leniency, conciliation and amnesty
to the thousands whom they have mIsled and
deceived; and in reference to this, as l re-
marked, might have adopted your speech as
my own.
took the ground that this Government Was
sent upon great mission among the Nations
of the earth; that it had great work 20 per-
form, and that in starting il il was started IN
perpetuity. Look back for one single moment
TO the Articles of Confederation, and then come
down to 1877, when the Constitution was
formed-what do you find That we, "the
people OF the United States, in order 20 form a
more perfect government" &c. Provision is
made tor the admission OF new States. 20 be
added to old ones embraced within the Union.
Now, turn to the Constitution, we find that
amendments may be made by recommenda-
ton of two-thirds of the members OF Congress,
IL ratified by three-fourths OF the States. Pro-
vision is made for the admission of new States;
no provision is made for the secession Of Old
ones.
The instr ument was made TO be good in per-
petuity, and you can take hold OF IL, no. 10
break up the Government, but TO 60 on per-
fecting it more and more as II runs down the
stream Of time.
We find the Government composed OF inte-
grail parts. An individual is an integer, and n
number OF individuals form a State; and q
State itself is an integer and the various States
form the Union, " hich is itself an integer, thew
all making up the Government OF the United
States. Now we come to the point OF my ar
gument, so far as concerns the perpetuity OF
the Government. We have seen that the Gov
eminent is composed of parts, each essential 10
the whole and the whole essential to each part.
Now, If an individual part Of a State) declare
war against the whole, in violation Of the Con-
stitution, he, as citizen, has violated the law,
and is responsible for the act as an individual.
There may be more than one individual, il may
go on till they become parts of States Some
time the rebellion may 60 on increasing in num-
ber till the State machinery is overturned, and
the country becomes like a man that is paral-
yZed on one side. But we find in the Consti-
tuition great panacea provided. 1t provides
that the United States (that is the greatinteger)
shall guarantee to each State (the in tegers COM
posing the whole) in this Union a republI can
form Of government. Yes, ifrebellon has been
rampant, and set aside the machinery OF a
State for time, there stands the great law 20
remove the paralysis and revitalize it, and put
it on its feet again. When we come to under
stand CUR system OF Government, though il be
complex, we see how beautifully one part
moves In harmony With another; then we see
our Government is to be perpetui.y, there
being no provision for pulling IL down, the
Union being its vitaliZing power, impartinG
life to the whole OF the States that move around
itlke planets around the sun, receiving thence
light. and heat, and motion.
Upon this idea Of destroying States, nv po-
sitien has been heretofore well known, and
see no cause to change 1t now, and am glad
TO hear its reiteration on the present occasion.
Some are satisfied with the idea that States are
TO be lost in territorial and other divisions; are
to lose their character as States But their life
breath has only been suspended, and IL is a
high constitutional obligation we have 10 Sc
cure each of these States in the possession and
enjoyment of republican form Of Govern
ment. A State may be in the Government
with peculiar institution and by the oper-
alton of rebellion lose that feature; but il was
State when 1t went into rebellion, and when
It comes out without the institution, it is still
State. [Great applause.
/ hold 1t as solemn obligation in any one OF
these States where the rebel armies have been
Dedten Ddck OF eSpelleu, care not now small
the ship of State, hold it, say, high duty
to protect and to secure to them a republican
form of government This is no new opinion.
1t is expressed in conformity with my under
standing of the genius and theory OF our Gov
eminent. Then in adjusting and putting the
Government upon its legs again, think the
progress Of this work must pass into the hands
OF its friends. TApplause.j If State is TO be-
nursed until 1t again gets strength, it must be
nursed by its friends, not smothered by its
enemies. [Applause.I
Now, permit me to remark. that while ! have
opposed dissolution and disintegratlon on the
one hand, on the other am equally opposed
to consolidation, [applause, or the centrali2a-
ton of power in the hands of few.
Enough.
The New York World ad yances the idea that
Mr.. Seward ought to retire from the Cabinet