Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-02-24
Speech of Andrew johnson.
THE DEATH OF SLAVERY IN TENNESSEE

The Nashville Times has the following
report Of speech delivered by Governor
johnson, on the 14th ult., ON the adjourn
ment of the State Convention which
abolished slavery in Tennessee:
Gentlemen: | came here TO night to
be listener, with the rest of you, to your
nominee for Governor; but, as there
seems to be disappointment, | shall try
to entertain you for brief time. Gentle
men, congratulate you in the sincerity
of my heart on the successful conclusion
Of your labors. 1t is the greatest work
of the age. In the great revolution
which is going forward, you have per-
formed your part nobly. This | say
without Aauery; your work has been
well done. In this momentous struggle,
in the development of the great prin-
ciples of human liberty you have diseharg-
ed your duty mantuly.
Who would have thought, three or four
years ago, that Tennessee would have
been permitted to assemble in this Capitol,
for such purpose, without being molest-
ed, or driven from its halls =? The mighty
principles of human rights and liberty
have been pitted against monopoly aud
slavery. Yesterday you broke the ty-
rants rod and set the captive free
Loud Applause. Yes, gentlemen, on
yesterday you sounded the deathknell Of
negro aristocracy, and performed the
funeral obsequias Of that thing called
slavery. You have opened the grave
and let the carcass down, and all that
remains is for you to seal the pit on the
22d Of February, the anniversary Of the
day which gave birth to the Father Of his
Country. Consecrate you work on that
day.
EMANCIPATION OF BLACKS AND WHITES.
feel heartfelt gratitude that | have
lived to see it done, and that | have been
permitted to perform my my little part
in this great drama. The blow has baen
struck, and slavery lies PROSTATE. An
insolent, insincere, ignorant, unfeeling,
hypocritical, ne(arious, diabolical slave
aristocracy has been tumbled o the
ground.
They who never learned that
'Worth makes the man, and want of it the fell
low"
who lived on the real or imaginary hon,
ors of buried ancestry, have at least
learned that an ignorant, corrupt aris-
tocracy, must 60 down. Your sessions
have been on the whole, harmonious, not
withstanding some little pickering, which
l think will all pass away with your ad-
journmeut.
While you think that you have eman-
cpated black men, tell you that you
have emancipated more white than black
men from the insolent domination Of the
Shareholder, Yes, the time was not long
ago when you dared not speak your SEN
timents. Even in East Tennessee, where
there were only few slaves, and we al
ways spoke more freely, do you not
remember the power which The slave
holder exercised, how many of our peo-
pie were compelled to live on barren
ridges and cultivate the stony spots,
while few Shareholders owned thous-
ands OF broad acres in the fertile valleys,
which they tiled with their bondsmen ?
Even you felt their power, and knew the
contempt they fell for you.
Because, many years ago, dared to
speak OF these thngs, / was denounced
as an agrarian and demagogue, who
appealed to the prejudiees of the people.
Thank God, ] have lived to see the day
when the people of my State have de-
cared themselves free. | must now
urge you to redouble your efforts to car
ry out your work when you go hence
II you consummate il with the same res
olution, the foul blot of human slavery
will be removed from the escutcheon of
the State.
l shall say nothing of the future con-
dition of the negro, nor Of the elective
franchise. First, reorganize time and
experience will regulate the rest. Let
Us first get rid of slavery and let there
be no pickering or conflict till we get
that out of the way. This being done,
we will take up other questions, aud dis
pose of them as they arise. Who would |
have anticipated, three years ago, that
we would have progressed thus far P
Let us, like wise men, hold ourselves in
readiness to manage the new questions
which may arise in the future. There
is no need of giving ourselves trouble 1