The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-05-03
President Johnson.
The Record Of His opinions.
A SPEECH By HIM mi 1889.

The following are extracts from a speech
delivered by Andrew johnson, in the senate
of the United States, on the 18th of Decem-
Der, 1889:
In the discussion on Thursday last. the
senator from Illinois attempted 20 lay down
the doctrine OF the republi party and to
| give his construction of that doctrine. In
doing so he called our attention TO their plat
| form, which, h. says, Is a mere reiteration of
the declaration of Independence lat least,
| that is his idea) as it was formed By our faith
ers. To make myself Ineligible and dis
tiuctly understood, l will read that portion of
of the platform which he quoted:
"Resolred, That, with our republican faith
| ers, we hold it 10 be a self evident truth that
all men are endowed with the inalienabe
right of lite. liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ness, and that the primary object and utter
Tor design of our federal government is 10
grant these rights TO all persons under its
excellent jurisdiction"
As the discussion progressed, drawing de
auctions from this part of the platform, the
senator seemed to tiink-tha was the tenor
of his argument-that by reiteratng the dec
laration of independence In this platform,
they were embracing the doctrines laid down
by Mr. Jefferson, and showing that he really
meant to include persons of color in the dec
laration, and that such was the understand
ing OF our revolutionary fathers. | know
that sometimes it has been said, and changes
have been rung on 1t, that Mr.. Jefferson, the
apostle OF democracy and liberty, laid down
the doctrine that all men were created equal.
that they had certain inalienable rights that
among these were life, liberty, and the pur-
suit OF happiness.
Now IL seems to me that party, an intel
ligent party that understands all the doc
trines and principles of our government, IN
this does great I'M Justice TO that instrument
and to the trainers of the constitution of the
United States. When we take the declara-
ton If independence and connect il with the
circumstances under which i; was written, is
there a man throughout the length and
breadth of this broad republic who believes
| for one instant that Mr.. jefferson, when he
penned it, had the negro in his mind? Not
| withstanding ho says that "all men are crea-
ted equal, and that they are by their creator
| endowed with certain inalienable rights !;
| that among these are life liberty and the
| pursuit OF happiness" is there an intelligent
man throughout the whole country I; a sena
tor. when he has stripped himself of all party
pred Iudice. who will come forward and say
| that he believes that Mr.. Jefferson, when he
! penned that paragraph of the declaration of
independence. intended il to embrace the at
I
the senate who believes any such thing? Is
| there any one who will stake his reputation
| on the assertion that that is the correct inter
probation of the declaration of independence
| There is not man of respectable intelligence
who will hazard his reputation upon such an
| assertion.
Why then indulge in this ad captandum
discussion? Why try to delude aud deceive
the great mass of the people by intimating
| that Mr.. Jefferson meant Africans or the AT.
rcan race? How were we situated when
| Mr., jefferson penned the declaration of indie
| pendence? Did he not own slaves? Did
not the most of the persons in the congress
which adopted the declaration own slaves,
and, after the declaration was adopted, by
way of giving correct Interpretation TO it,
| what do we fud Incorporated in the constitu
ton OF the United States? We're negroes
then considered the persons who are en-
braced in the declaration of independence
Were they not considered as property? In
fixing the representation, slaves were regard
ed as property, aud only three ffths of them
were to be counted, clearly recognizing that
they were one of the forms Of property, aud
not persons intended TO be embraced in the
! declaration of independence. a. coDtended by
some. / think it clear.
What more was provided in the constitu-
ton oil the United States, by way of giving
! clear construction to the declaration of indie
| pendence? 1t was provided that fugitives
| from labor should be restored to the states
from which they escaped upon demand being
made. Does that look as il this description
| of persons were embraced in the declaration
of independence, and were considered equal
to the white race? 1t is evident to my mind
and 1t muat be so to everybody else, that Mr.
| Jefferson meant the white race, aud not the
| African race. The constitution gives il that
Interpretation. And his own acts aud those
of his associates, when they were framing the
declaration of Independence, owning slaves,
and afterwards passing laws and making
wills which provided for their regular descent
as property, confirm IL. Then it seems to me
that this does not avail the senator much.
Mr.. JOHNSON DIsCLAIMs BEING. AN ALLY OF
SENATOR WADE, OF OHIO.
] am charged with being IAN ally" of the
senator from Ohio l who. from my earliest
infancy, or from the time first comprehend
cd principle, down to the present time, have
always stood battling for the Same great prin-