The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-04-27
The New President.
speech of Senator DO,Olittle 40 the PeO-
pie of Racine

ed Senator, made speech IN Racine on oun- |
day evening, April 18th, on the GREAT
CRIME. After speaking of Mr.. Lincoln and |
Mr.. Seward in eloquent terms, he said:
You ask me to speak of Andrew johnson. |
Who is he ? what is he? and what will |
be his policy? And you insist that shall
give you, as neighbor and a friend, what
Inform alton may have upon that most inn
portant subject. | will answer you briefly, |
and from the best information | have.
He is think, a native of North Carolina |
He was an humble mechanic, a tailor by |
trade, and, it is said, received instructions
in The first rudiments of education from his
devoted wife. lie is man of full medium
stature. compact and strong built, of dark
complexion and deep-set black eyes. He is
of bilious temperament, of strong intellect,
indomitable energy and iron will In his
character / should say the strongest feature
of all is that of stern justice, and general
hatred of all forms Of aristocracy and OPP
preston, and patriotism so ardent that it
amounts to a passion-almost religion
He was the real author of the homestead
law, although it did not pass both houses
until after the rebellion began. On account
of his determined and constant support of
this measure of the people, and which, of
itself, would bar slavery out Of all the new
the south-Mason, Slidell, Toombs, Davis
and the like-Iong before the rebellion,
hated him with a perfect hatred.
| have occasion to know how much he re-
ciprocated their feelings towards him, for
when was occasionally, as young Senator
engaged in controversy with them, he al
ways took great pleasure in referring lie to
the necessary documents to enable Inc sue
cessfully to controvert them.
But you ask me- is he sober man Such
was certainly his character during all the
time he was in the Senate of the United
States. My best impression is that he did
not drink at all at that time. After his
leaving the Senate to go to Tennessee as
Brigadier General to act as Military Gov
ernor, |, of course, do not know whether
he did or did not, like great many officers
| in the army, indulge in drink. am in
formed that when he left Tennessee to come
on to Washington to attend the Inaugural
ton he was just recovering from severe ill
ness. That he came upon most urgent So
| licitations against his own preferences.
That he was sustained and kept up more
or less by stimulants, prescribed and recon-
mended by his physician. He was still suf-
fering from his malady when he ought to
have been under the charge of his physician,
on the day of his Inauguration. What oc-
Cured then has given rise to a thousand
criticisms and apprehensons. | shall not
go further into that than to say, | saw him
several times afterwards and before I left
Washington, at the house Of Mr., Francis
p. Blair where he was staying by invita-
ton in company with the Hon. Preston
King Of New York and found him recover
ing from his illness and so far as | could
judge, in all respects as he was i'll the Senate.
| do not believe that Andrew johnson,
who always lived a temperate and upright
| life until past fifty years Of age, now that
the great responsibilities of the Presidency
are thrown upon him, can or will permit
himself to indulge in the use of Intoxicating
drinks, and thus endanger that Repub
lie for which he has done and suffered so
much, and for which he would lay down his
life. would sooner believe that he would
forswear all intoxication whatsoever.
But you ask me again what policy he
will pursue?
As to the re- construction question, he will
undoubtedly pursue the same policy as Mr..
Lincoln. In his address when inaueu.
rated, speaking of the States, he said, ''They
are not dead, but sleeping" He is fully
committed in favor Of the reorganized free
States of Tennessee, Arkansas and Louis.
ana. AS to this affair of Gen. Weitzel in
Virginia he has not spoken, and of course
| cannot assume to speak for him.
But what course will he pursue towards
the traitors? We can only judge by his
record early in the rebellion, during the last
days of Buchanans administration. On the
I'd of March, 1861, in a speech, in reply to
Lane, of Oregon, speaking of the firing up-
ON the Star OF the West, and seizure of our
arsenals, docks, forts and navy yards, he
used the following memorable language:
"Show me who has been engaged in these
conspiracies, who has given instructions to
take our forts and custom houses our arse
nails and docks, and will show you trait
or" Applause in the galleries: When
order was restored, be continued. "Were
| President of the United States, would do
as Thomas Jefferson did, in 1906, with Aaron
Burr. would have them arrested, and, if
convicted within the meaning and scope of
the constitution, by the Eternal God ] would
execute them"
He is now President. Has anything since
occurred to make him repent that solemn
OATH or change his stern resolve2
His wife and children have been captured
by rebels, and are suffering all but DEATH
His property has been confscated by them;
his sons Imprisoned; his neighbors and
friends shot-murdered in cold blood-hung
gibbetted, for no offense but that of LOYALTY
to the United States Government. | see
nothing in all this calculated to change his
convictions or his purpose. On the other
hand, in his speech upon the fall of Rich
mond and Lees surrender, while most 9TH
ers in the delirium Of joy and exultation
over our success and the approach of peace.
spoke of amnesty, he alone did not forget
the sterner demands Of justice for he is
made of sterner stuff. Upon this subject
he said this : ''Ihe halter to intelK-
gent. influential traitors. To the hon
est boy, to the deluded man, who has been
deceived into the rebel ranks, would extend
leniency. l would say, renew
your support to the Government and be
a good citizen; and the leaders | would
bang"
And now, after the elimination of all the
wickedness of the rebellion in the assassina-
ton Of the President and Secretary of State,
as he lifts his hand upon the dead body of
the President to repeat the solemn oath adj
ministered by the Chief Justice, I see moth
ing to change his convictions When he
utters those words-'The duties are mine,
will perform them, trusting in God. !" /
think see the same patriotic indignation
beaming from his deep black eyes and
lighting up that iron face, which l saw four
years ago, when he uttered in the Senate
those words now so terrible to traitors
by THE ETERNAL GOD, | WOULD
EXECUTE THEM !"
In this respect, l think Mr.. Johnson's adj |
ministration may differ from that of Mr.. |
Lincoln.
Mr.. Lincoln would have dealt with the |
rebels as an indulgent father deals with err.