Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-04-28
PRESIDENT J0HHsOE-- IMPORTANT EXPRESSION
lF HIS VIEWS
WAsHINaT0N. April j..

passed at meeting OF the citizens of H.
lnols, held at the National Hotel yester.
day, the citizens of that state assembled
at WIIlads, preparatory to paying Their
respects to his excellency, Andrew john
son, President of the United States
| Governor Ogiesby, accompanied by Sen
ator Richard Yates, General Isham. EX-
Senator o. II. Browning, and large con
course of citizens, repaired to the room
OF President johnson, in the Treasury
Building, Gov. Oglesby presented the
delegation and addressed the President.
Governor Oglesby, of Illinois, in intro
| duclng the Illinois delegation, spoke in
high praise of Mr.. Lincoln and EXPIRES -
ed, in behalf of the delegation, the full
est confidence in Mr. Johnsons abilities
to conduct the affairs of the nation, and
| pledge him the earnest support Of his
/ Saate and the country.
President johnson replied:
Il have listened, with profound em,-
ton, to the kind words you have ad-
| dressed to me. The visit OF this large
delegation to speak to me- through you,
these words OF encouragement had no
anticipated. In the midst of the sad
dening circumstances which surround u.
and the immense responsibility thrown
upon me, the expression of confidence #
individuals, and still more Of an inhuer-
tlal body like that before me, represent
ing great commonwealth. cheers and
strengthens my heavily burdened mind IN
an hour like this, Of deepest sorrow -~
Were it possible to embody in words the
feelings Of my bosom, L could not COM
mand my lips to utter them. Perhaps
the best reply 1 could make, and the one
most readily appropriate to your kind
ass urances of confidence, would be to re-
ceiVe their assurance. The throbbine-
OF my heart since the sad catastrophe
which has appalled, US, cannot be 10
duced to words, and oppressed as I am
with the new and great responsibilities
which have devolved upon me, and sad
dened with grief, ] can with difficulty re-
spOnd to you at all; but | cannot permit
such an expression of the confidence re
posed in me by the people to pass with
out acknowledgment
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 q
long time, an occasion like this. and the
manifestation of public feeling so well
timed, are peculiarly acceptable. Spring
ing from the people myself. every portion
Of the popular heart finds an immediate
answer In my own. By many men in
public life, such occasions are considered
merely formal. To me they are real -
Your words of countenance and encour-
agement sink deep into my heart, and
were l a coward, l could but gather from
them strength to carry outmy convictions
of right.
Thus feeling, shall enter upon the
discharge of my great duty, firmly and
steadfastly, if not with the signal ability
exhibited by my predecessor, which is
still fresh in our sOrrOWing minds. Need
| repeat that no heart feels more sensibly
than mine in this great af1iction. In
what l say on this occasion, | shall in
duIge in no petty spirit of anger, no feeI-
ing of revenge; but we have beheld a nc
table event in the history of mankind, in
the midst Of the American people, where
every citizen is taught to obey the law and
observe the rules of Christian conduct
Our Chief Magistrate, beloved Of all
hearts, Las been assassinated, and when
we trace this crime to its cause, when we
remember the source whence the assas-
sin drew his inspiration, and then look at
the result, we stand yet more astonished
at this most barbarous, most diabolical
assassination.
Such crime-the murder of great
and good man, honored and revered, be-
loved and the hope of the people-springs
not alone from a solitary individal of eY-
er SO desperate wickedness. We can
trace its cause through successive steps
without enUmerating them here-back to
that source which is the spring of all
our woes. No one can say that if the
perpetrator of this fendish deed be az
rested, he should not undergo the ex-
treme penalty the law knows for crime
None will say that mercy should inter
pose; but is he alone guilty? Here, gen
tlemen, you perhaps expect me to present
some indication Of future policy One
thing l will say: Every era teaches its
lesson. The times we live in are not
without instruction.
The American people must be taught.
if they do not already feel, that treason i
crime and must be punished; that the
Government will not always bear with its
enemies that it Is strong not only TO pro-
tect, but to punish When we turn to the
criminal code and examine the catalogue
of crimes, we there find arson laid. down
as a crime, with its appropriate penalty;
we find there theft and robbery and muI-
der given as crimes, and there too we find
last and highest of crimes, treason
With other and inferior offenses our
people are familiar, but in our peaceful
history, treason has been almost unknown
The people must understand that this IS
the blackest of crimes, and will be surely
punished. [ make this allusion not to ex-
cite the already exasperated feelings OF the
public, but to point out the principles OF
public justice which should guide our ac-
ton at this particular juncture, and which
accord with public morals. Let it be en-
graved on every heart that treason is -
crime, and that traitors shall suffer lis
penalty. While we are appalled, and oyer
whelmed at the fall Of one man in our
midst by the hand OF a traitor, shall we
allow men-I care not by what weapons
to attempt the life of the State with iHupu-
nifty While we strain our minds to com-
prehend the enOrmity Of this assassina-
ton, shall we allow the nation to be as
sassinated? | speak in no spirit of un-
kindness leave the events Of the future
to be disposed of as they arise Regard
ing myself as the humble instrument OF
the American people in this rs in all
things, justice and judgment shall be de-
termined by them. / do not harbor a
bitter or revengetul feeling toward any.
In general terms l would say, that pub.
lie morals and public opinion should be
established upon the sure and infexibie
principles of justice. When the question
Of exercising mercy comes before me II
will be considered calmly, iudioiOusly. re-
membering that | am the Executive of
the nation.
[ know men love to have their names
spoken of in connection with acts of mer-
cy and how easy it is to yield to this im-
pulse, but we must not forget what may lie
mercy to the individual is cruelty to the
Sf1fp In fbe aNprfign of mercy fhpla