The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-05-04
A Speech by President Johnson.
A committee of leading citizens of I

"A hComuittSc VI lcdulUS ClClZeuS OI III
including Gov. Oglesby, Senator Yatc
J ex-senator Browning, and number
other prominent men from that Stat
made formal call upon President job
son, in Washington, on Monday last,
express confidence in his ability to dire
the affairs of the nation throug Oh the pr
sent crisis, and to give him the assuranc
of the support of his administration
the people of that State. Gov. Oglesb
presented the delegation in a short speecl
to which President johnson replied a
follows:
Gentlemen-I have listened with prc
found emotion to the kind words yo
have addressed to me. The visit of thi
large delegation to speak to me, througl
you, words of encouragement, [ had no
anticipated. In the midst of the sadden
ing circumstances which surround us
and the immense responsibility throw
upon me, an expression of the confdenc,
OF individuals, and still more of an in
fiuential body like that before me, re
presenting great Commonwealth, cheers
and strengthens my heavily burdenet
mind. I am at loss for words to respond
In an hour like this, of deepest sorrow
were, it possible to embody in words the
feelings of my bosom. could not com
mand my lips to utter them. Perhaps
the best reply [ could make and the one
most readily appropriate to your kind
assurance of confidence, would be to re.
ceive them in silence. [Sensation i
The throbbing of my heart since the sad
catastrophe which has appalled, us, cannot
be reduced to words, and oppressed as l
am with the new and create responsibility
which has devolved upon me, saddened
by grief, [ can with difficulty respond to
you at all. But [ cannot permit such ex-
pressions of the confidence reposed in me
by the people to pass without acknowledge
ment. To an individual like myself, who
has never claimed much, but who has, it
is true, received from a generous people
many marks of trust and honor for long
time, an occasion like this, and manifesto
tion of public feeling so well timed, are
peculiarly acceptable. Springing from
the people myself, every pulsation of the
popular heart finds an immediate answer
in my own. BY many men in public life
such occasions are often considered merely
formal. To me they are real. Your
words of countenance and encouragement
sink deep in my heart, and were 1 even
a coward, [ could not but gather from
them strength to carry out my convictions
of right.
Thus feeling, I shall enter upon the
discharge of my great duty firmly and
steadfastly [applause], if not with the
signal ability exhibited by my predecessor
which is still fresh in our sorrowing
minds. Need l repeat that no heart
feels more sensibly than mine this great
affiiction :? In what I say on this occas-
ion shall indulge no petty spirit of an
ger no feeling of revenge but We
have beheld notable eveEt in the his
tory of mankind. In the midst of the
American people, where every citizen is
taught to obey the laws and observe the
rules Of Christian conduct, our. Ohief Ma
gistrate, the beloved of all hearts, has
been assassinated, and when we trace this
crime to its cause, when we remember
the source whence the assassin drew his
inspiration, and then look at the result,
we stand yet more astounded at this most
most diabolical assassination.
Such crime as the murder of a great
and good man, hon.Cred and revered, the
beloved and the hope of the people, springs
not alone from solitary individual of
ever so desperate wickedness. We can
trace the cause through successive steps
without my enumerating them here. back
to the source which is the spring of all
our woes No one can say if the per-
petrator of the fiendish deed be arrested,
he should not undergo the EXTREMIST
penalty the law knows for crime. None
will say that mercy should interpose !;
but is ne alone guilty? Here, gentle
men, you perhaps expect me to present
some idicatiou of my future policy. One
thing 1 will say. Every era teaches its
lesson. The times we live in are not
without instruction. The American peo-
pie must be taught, if they do not already
Il
feel, that treason is a crime, and must be
punished. [Applause.] That the Gov
ernment will not always bear with its
enemies. That it is strong, not only to
protect, but to punish. Applause. J.
When we turn to the criminal code and
examine the catalogue of crimes, we there
find arson laid down as crime with its
appropriate penalty. We there find theft,
and robbery, and murder given as crimes,
and there too we find the last and highest
of crimes, Treason. [Applause.] With
other and inferior offences our people are
familiar, but in our peaceful history trea-
son has been almost unknown. The peo-
pie must understand that it is the black
est of crimes and will be severely pun
ished. [Applause.] | make the allusion
not to excite the already exasperated
feelings of public justice which
should guide our action at this particular
juncture, and which accord with sound
public morals. Let it be- engraven on
every heart that treason is crime and trai-
tors shall suffer the penalty. Applause
While We are appalled,, overwhelmed at
the fall of one man in our midst by the