Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1865-04-29
TsEE gSOs.rEN DE T9sE NEW aEs-
NsNaSTksa aEa0S.
TREASON TO BE MADE ANSWERA-
BILE TO THE Law
The Safety Of ftic State Lodged
Alone in iise .sustice which il
iis Strength.
The Punishment OF Traitors Essential to III
Security Of the Gonervment.

4 large number Of the citizens Of Illinois,
sojourning in Washington, Immediately
after the inauguration Of Andrew Johnson
As President of the United States. called on
His Excelcncy, and after a speech of con-
graduation from Gov. Ogesby, President
johnson replied as follows:
GENrLEMrN II have listened with pro
found attention to the kind words YOU have
addressed to me. The visit OF this large del
cgation to speak to me through YOU, sir,
these words of encouragement had not an
ticipatct.. In the midst of the sadAening
circumstances which surround us and the inn
mcnSc responsibility thrown upon me, an eX-
preston Of the confidence of individuals,
and still more, of an influential body like
that before me. representing great common
wealth, cheers and strengthens my heavily
burthencd mind. | am at loss for words
to respond. In an hour like this OF deepest
sorrow, were it possible to embody in words
the feeling Of my bosom, | could not com
manh my lips 10 utter them. Perhaps tie
best reply | could make, and the one most
readily appropriate to your kind assurances
of confidence, would be 10 receive them in
silence The throbhings of my heart since
the sad catastrophe which has appalled, the
country cannot be reduced to words, and
oppressed as am by the new and great re-
sponsihiity which has devolvcd upon me,
saddended with griet, can with difficulty
respond to you at all. But cannot permit
sucn expressions of the confidence rrposcd
ia lie by the people to pass without NC
knowledgemeut. TO an individual like my
self, who has never claimed much, but who
has, it is true received from generous peo-
pie many marks of trust and honor for a
long time, an occasion like this and mani
festation of public feeling so well-timed, are
peculiarly acceptable. Sprung from the pco-
! pie myself, every pulse, as one with 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 rcal--your words
! of countenance and encouragement sink
| deep in my heart and were | even q cow
ard could but gather from them strength
to carry out my convictions of right.
Thus feeling shall enter upon the dis.
cha ge of MY great duty, firmly and stead
| fastly, Eapplause,l 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 this great atilictiCEl
In what | say on this occasion I shall in
duge in no petty spirit of anger-no feel
| ing of revenge, But We have beheld a not
able event in the history of mankind. In
the midst CT the American people, where
every citizen is taught to obey law and OBJ
serve the rules of Christian conduct, our
Chief Magistrate, the beloved of all hearts,
has been assissinated and when we trace
his criMe to its cause, when we remember
the sourse whence the assassin drew his in
spira,ion, and then look at the result, we
stand yet more astounded at this most bar.
blrons, most diabolical assina,ion. Such
u crime as the murder of great and good
man, honored ana respected. the beloved
and the hope Of the people, springs rot
alore fem so!it.y ;ndiTi3ua. e eyer =,