Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-09-13
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Speech Of President j OhnsOn ITO
the Southern Delegation VA

States:
GENTLEMEN I'VE have passed through
this rebellion. / say we, for it was us who .
were responsible for it.. Yes, the South
made the issue, and l know the nature OF |
the Southern people well enough to know ,
that when they have become convinced of 4
an error they frankly acknowledge it in .
ar1anly, fopen,l direct manner; and now, in .
the performance Of that duty, or Indeed in .
any act they undertake to perform, they do /
it heartily and frankly. And now that they ,
come to me, I understand them as saying !
that "We made the issue. We set up the |
Union of the States against the Institution I
of slavery. We selected the arbitrator, the
God OF battles, the, argument was the
sword. The Issue was fairly and honOrably /
met. Both .tbe questions presented have
been settled against us, and we are pre-
pared to accept the ISSUE" find on all
sides this spirit of candor and honor pre-
vailing. 1t is said by all, the issue is ours,
and the judgment has been against us, and
the decision having been made against us,
we feel bound in honor to abide by the
arbitraiment. In doing this we are do
ing ourselves no dishonor, and should not
feel humiliated or degraded, but rather
that we are ennobling ourselves by
| our action; and we should feel that
the Government has treated us magnani-
mously, and meet the Government upon the
| terms it has SO magnanimously proffered
u.s., 50 far as Eamlconcerned personallyI 1
am uninfiuenced by any question, whether
| it affects the North or the South, the East
or the West. l stand where did of old,
battling for the Constitution and the Union
OF these United States. In doing so know
lsopp0sed some of Jyou,ot the South, when
the doctrine of secession was being urged
on the country and the declaration of our
right to break up the Government and dis
integrate the Union, was made. i stand
| to-day as l have ever stood, firmly in the
opinion that If amonopoly contends against
this country it must 60 down and the coun-
| try must 20 up. Yes, the issue was made
by the South against the Government, and
Che Government has triumphed, and the
| South, ,trueto, her ancient instincts of frank
ness and manly honor, cOmes' forth and eX-
presses its willingness to abide the result of
the decision ih good faith. While think
that the rebellion has been arrested and
subdued, and am happy in the consciousness
/ of duty well performed, want not only
| you, but the people of the world, to know
that while, fdreaded and feared disintFega-
tionyof the States, 4 am equally opposed to
i consolidation or concentration of power
here, under whatever guise or. name they
bear, and II the issue Is forced upon us /
Il shall still endeavOr to.pursue the same eff
II forts to dissuade from this doctrine of run
ming to extremes; but l say let the same
rules be applied.B Nts-l W ses ~
ASaAs.I have before remarked to you, am
grateful ro see so many of you here to-day.
1t manifests a spirit l am pleased to OBJ
II serve. l knowit has been said of me that
! my asperities were sharp; that had vim
\ dictiye feelings to crafty, and that should
not fail to avail myself Of the opportuni-
ttngt hot Nhn,. kS.
ify such ,despicable feelings. If my acts
will not speak for me and for themselves,
then any profession l might now make
would be equally useless, But, gentlemen,
/ IF know myself as think do, | know
that L am OF the Southern people, and |
love them and will do all in my power to
restore them to that state of happiness
and prosperity which they enjoyed before
tn madness of misguided men, in whom
they had reposed their confidence, led them
astray to their own, undoing,r If there is
, any thing that can be done on my part, on
correct principles of the Constitution, to
promote these ends, be assured it shall be
done. Let me assure you, also, that there
is no disposition on the part of the Gov
ernment to deal harshly with the Southern
9 people. There may be speeches published
from various quarters that may breathe a
different spirit. DO, not let them trouble
: or excite you; but believe that it is the
: great object of the Government to make
: the Union of the United States more COM
plete and perfect than ever and to main
> tain it and our constitutional principles, il
possible, more firmly than it has eyer be-
e fore been. '.foy'f ' '- '}"'4.sif'' .'.-.
! ~ Then why cannot we all, come up to the
Il let us look to the Constitution. The issue
@ has been made and decided. Then as wise
= men, asamers who see right and are deter
mined to follow as fathers and brothers,
y and as men who love their country, in this
8 hour fstriaf and Suffering, Why can't we
come upand helpto settle thequestions OF
y the hour and adjust them according to the
principles of honor and of justice? The
: institution of slavery is gone. The former
}. status of the negro had to be changed, and
!, we, as wise men, must recognize so potent
a fact and adapt ourselves to circumstances
Q as they surround us. [Xoices-"We are will
s ling to do so." "Yes, Sir, Weare williBg to
4 do'so."] believe you are. =. believe when
your. faith is pledged-when your con-
j. sent has been given, as / have al
: ready said. believe 1t will be main
J. tanned in good faith and every pledge
or promise fully carried out. [Cries-"It
. will."] All ask or desire of the South OIL
North, the East or West, is to be sustained
d in carrying out the principles of the Consti-
ri tuition. 1t Is not to be denied that we have
been great sufferers on both sides. Good
men have fallen and much misery Is being
endured as the necessary result of so gi-
gantic contest. Why, then, cannot we
come together and, around the common al
tar of our country, heal the wounds that
have been made? Our country has beer
F." Scared all over. Then why cannot we ap.
/ ! proach each other on principles which are
a. right In themselves and which will be pro-
= ductive ofgOod toall? The day lis not distant
u when weshall feel like some family that has
n had deep and desperate feud, the various
O. members Of which have come together and
compared the evils and sufferings they had
inflicted on each other. They had seen the
n influence Of their error and its result, an6
> will be governed by generous spirit o.
;, conciliation. They had become mutually
!. forbearing and forgiving, and return tC
~ their old habits of fraternal kindness and
. become better friends than ever. Then lei
l. us consider that the feud which elienated
: us has been settled and adjusted to mutual
satisfaetion; that we come together to be
bound by ylfirmer bonds of love, respect and
confidence than ever The North cannot
etalong without the South, nor the South
> without the North, nor the East without
u the West, nor the West without the East;
y and say it is our duty to do all that
within our power lies to perpetu-
d ate and make strong the bonds Of our
o Union, seeing that 1t is for the common
= good of all that we Should be united. /
feel that this Union, though but the crea-
| tion of q centurv IL tO he narnetuated for