Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-04-20
Anil III
tFrom The New York Tribune. April III
Andrew JOhnson's speech ON ths
Fall Of Richmond.

< N Fall OF Richmond.
Upon the reception In Washington of the
news OF the fall of Richmond, on the Dtn
inst, Vice President johnson was serenaded
by the iubilant people, and made speech
Z to them of great force and power, In which
he laid down the treatment he conceived to
be proper for the rebel leaders and masses.
In view of Mr.. Lincoln's untimely death,
and Mr.. Johnson's succession as President
of the United States, the remarks then de-
livered have double interest and meaning.
We reproduce the speech, and the terms
laid down in 1t will undoubtedly be the
poiiey of the new President. He said:
"You must indulge me In making one
single remark in connection with myself.
At the time the traitors in the Senate OF
the United States plotted against the Gov
ernment and entered into conspiracy
more foul, more execrable, and more odious
than that of Cataline against the Romans,
7 happened to be member of that body,
and, as to loyalty, stood solitary and alone
among the Senators from the Southern
States. l was then and there called upon
to know WI at would do with such trait
ors, and want to repeat my reply here.
said, If we had an Andrew jackson ne
would hang them as high as Haman. But
as he is no more, and sleeps in his grave In
and treason have even insulted his tomb
and the very earth that covers his re-
mains, humble as / am, when you ask me
what would do, my reply is, i0outd ar
rest them aoould try them 4 aooutd con-
uict them, and toould hang them. AS num-
BILE as am and have been, l have pursued
but one undertaking course. All that lhaye
life, limb and property--have been put at
the disposal of the country in this great
struggle. | have been in camp, have
been in the field, have been everywhere
where this great rebellion was; l have
pursued it until believe can now see its
termination. Since the world began, there
never has been rebellion of such gigantic
proportions, so infamous in character, SO
diabolical In motive, so entirely disregard :
full of the laws of civilized war. 1t has in
troduced the most savage mode of warfare
ever practiced upon the earth. l will re-
peat here remark for whichI have been in
no small degree censured. What is it, al
low me to ask, that has sustained the nation
in this great struggle? The cry has been,
YOU know, that our Government was not
strong enough for time of rebellion; that
I'm such time she would have to contend
against internal weakness as we'll as inter-
nal foes. We have now given the world
evidence that such is not the fact; and
when the rebellion shall have been crushed
out, and the nation shall once again have
settled down in peace, our Government
will rest upon more enduring basis than
ever before. But my friends, in what has
the great strength of this Government con-
sisted? Has it been in one-man power!
Has it been in some autOcrat, or in some one
man who held absolute government! No!
thank God have it in my power to pro-
claim the great truth that this Government
has derived Its strength from the American
people. They have issued the edict; they
have exercised the power that has resulted
in the overthrow of the rebellion, and
there is not another Government upon the
face of the earth that could have withstood
the shock. We can now congratu-
late ourselves that we possess the
strongest, the freest, and the best
Government the world ever saw.
Thank God that we have lived through this
trial, and that, looking in your intelligent
faces here, to-day, / can announce to you
the great fact that Petersburg, the outpost
of the strong citadel, has been occupied by
our brave and gallant officers, and our un-
tiring. inyincible soldiers. And not content
with that, they have captured the citadel
itself, the stronghold of the traitors. Rich
mond is ours, and is now occupied by the
forces of the United States. Death to the
nspirators-clemency to their victims.
One word more and have done. 1t is this:
am in favor of leniency, but, in my opin-
ion, evil-doers should be punished. Trea-
son is the highest crime known in the cata-
logue of crimes; and for him that is guilty
of it--for him that is toillig TO ltt his ihptous
hand against the authority Of the Ndtion-I
to0uld say death is too easy a punishment. My
notion is that treason must be made odious,
that traitors must be punished and impov-
erished; their social power broken, though
they must be made to feel the penalty of
their crimes. Hence say this--the halter 10
INTELLIGENT, Influential traitors. But to the
honest boy, to the deluded man, who has
been deceived into the rebel ranks, would
extend leniency. l would say return to-
your allegiance, renew your support to the
Government and become good citizen; but
the leaders aoould hang. l hold, too, that
wealthy traitors should be made to remun-
crate those men who have suffered as con-
sequence of their crimes Union men who
have lost their property, who have been
driven from their homes beggars, and wan-
derers among strangers. 1t is well to talk
about things here to-day, in addressing the
well-informed persons who compose this
audience. You can, to very great extent,
aid in molding public opinion, and in giving
1t proper direction. Let us commence the
work. We haze put do,On these traitors IN
arms; let us put them dOtcn in lao, In pubHc
judgment and in the morals Of the toorld."
j. wilkes Booth.