Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-01-25
Speech Of Governor Johnson,
AT THE CAPITOL
IIIOL.
THURSDAY EVENING, JAN. 18th,
On the Proposed Amendments TO TIE Constitution.

with his friends the present condition of the State
He forewarned them that he had no prepared speech
TO make nor any design to address them in the ca
pacty of member Of the Convention His hole
purpose was to tender them few words of .ind.re.
affectonate advice, which might possibly profit them
in their deliberations on the great work beforstSaa
He addressed them primary assembly 3 e.
nesseeans feeling that he could now approach em
without being suspected of having an ulteridf OBJ
ect to accomplish and therefore the better prepared
to express freely his sentiments in reference to- the
pending difficulties He would say, in no defiant
spirit in the beginning, what had he to ask Of the
people before him? Was there any favor for them
to grant more than they had already Bestowed in
times gone by? You have conferred on me every
honor and distinction you have the power to bes,ow
and why should seek to play the sophist with you
now? Though you may reach a different corclu-
sion, beg you to think that my reasons and argu-
ments are offered with sincerity.
If ever country involved in perilouA and
trying conflict, this Nation is at the present. vast
and bloody revolution convulses the land and civil
law is overthrown in Tennessee To relieve the
country Of her troubles, must meet each otherin
proper spirit. My interest is the same as yours l
beg you to lay aside all the old animosites and
JUDGES which have been kndled in the boseas of
some, and endeavor to preserve the country and per-
petuate her free Institutions This is representa-
tive democracy-a refablic-2nd if we adherStdrm-
ly to its principles shall have the strongest gov
eminent in the world-a democracy based Oh the
affections and sef-interest. Charles James Fox the
ilustrious British orator and statesman, once paid
this tribute to popular government in Parliament
! in. 1897: 1--WE are compelled to admit that the
! democratic form Of government gives a power of
which no other form is capable. Why? Because
it Incorporates every man with the State. Because
it arouses everything that belongs to the soul as well
as to the body Of man. Because it makes every in
dividual feel that he is fighting for HIMSELF that it
is his cause, his safety, his own dignity on
I n g ~ o.u4l, = h.,
| Had this government been monarchy it never
would have been able to grapple with the rebellion.
This proposition is not more strange than true The
! British government would have been overthrow
long ago had it not been for the democratic princi-
plies Incorporated in it. The people charged with
! being ickle yet is there any administration which
changes oftener than that Of Great Britain, We
change Administration every four years while
the British administration changes whenever there
is change in the Ministry, which is much more
frequent than in the United States. This is pow
erful government. Why, how has the President
conducted the present war? He has not conducted
it at all. The people by their innate strength have
upheld their government prosecuted the war, and
are crushing out this wicked rebellion Applause.
1t is the popular heart, the democratic sentiment
which is fighting the rebellion. Not the spurious
Vaandigham democracy. Not the Mcclellan de-
mocracy, but the living active, energetic spirit of
universal democracy. 1t is this which has spoken
out; and need not mistake its meaning. The
American people have decided that their nation shall
live, and treason be put down. Mr.. Lincoln or Mr..
Anybody-else individually, is powerless, and the
! Administration would be overthrow but for the
impulses and throes of the nations heart.
1t is objected by the enemies of the Government
or rather of the people, that the Constitution has
been violated and great principles violated. In this
| war people compelled to do irregular things to
restore the law, and save the Government just as
man. pursued by his moral enemy and driven to the
do vi
Now this nation is an aggregation of individuals
and when the traitor raises his arm to stab the Gov
eminent to the heart, are you not justified in strk
ing him down without regard to fss ziAxeA 6aause
) The American mind is so fertile, tnat it pyrhaps
devOtes too much time to invention and too little tC
discovery. If we would cease inventing theories
for time, and revert to great cardinal prfnc
pies it would be better for the general welfare We
have laws enough, perhaps, already. And if we re-
fer to the genius of our government, will find III
it great principles to which if we conform our &C
ton, the machinery of government will move for.
ward without jar There certain Fundamental
principles existing in nearly all State Consttu
tons. We find that mOnOpoies, perpetuities, entails
and class Legislation are forbidden in violation Of
the principles of free government. Entails by which
in Europe great estates are handed down through q
long line of descent forbidden and at the article
of death estates divided pass into the hands
of strangers Yes, death is the great agrarian q
word Of which so many stand in dread. So is elias.
legislation forbidden, by which one class is to gov
ern, and the other bear all the burdens of govern
ment and so on of the rest. Now the greatest mo-
nopoly that the world ever saw, is the monopoly o.
slaves and slave labor. Applause. 1t is in direct
war with free government, and has come to ISSUE
at last 1t has reared its head against the Govern
ment, and either it or the Government must perish
The great heart of freedom says that this monopoly
of negroes must go down TApplause.1 1t must e
down first, because it is in conflict with the Govern
ment. But more than that, it must go down because
1t is sLGrery
Slavery aud monopoly combined have caused thi.
mighty struggle. Now the time was, when argued
these great principles of monopoly, that said
"He is ID demagogue, and wants Office NJ
such charge can be preferred now, and I may say
perhaps with vanity, yet without suspicion, that
have loved and lived and labored for the people
And now that | feel above suspicion, l Will make
my last effort in their vindication and in aiding
them to get back to law and order. Now YOU can.
not get back in the present chaos and disorder with
out some irregularity. Some saythat if you are ir
regular the people will not sustain YOU. Are YOU
not the people or a portion of them? Is this not
primary meeting Of the people? Talk Of violating
constitutional rules. Why how much law and con
stitutOn have YOU got now In the absence of both
if you act irrcgularly, who dare say aught agans
it Where is your law now? Lincoln may b.
charged with irreguarity but if he saves the Gov
eminent by it who can find fault? You can place
your hands Jour bosom and satisfy your con
science ana all the people Will say amen may
refer to the case of the Roman Consul used BY Mi
rabeau before the French Assembly, to illustrate
In preserving the State from dangerous conspiracy
the Consul had to overstep the law. Afterwards
when he appeared before the tribunes, one of them
an enemy of his, wishing to embarrass him, said
"Will you that you have observed the law ?
The Consul replied 81 swear that have saved the
RepublcT
He swore, not that be had observed the law, but
that he had saved the Republic May not you eI
claim, after having discharged your duty when yos
60 home, We have saved the Republicr Away
with these petty aspirations, and unite to save the
country. DO this, and l may repeat with Mirabaau
II swear that you have saved the State. Where
are we? In the midst Of a civil war. We stand
on fields of carnage in the midst of sepulchres moi
whited but putrid, amid the graves of dead men,
We have been seeking for three years to get the
State back to her moorings, amid the opposition and
jeers Of set Of croakeTs, who have had sig
gestion to offer how the great work should be dene
Since | came here in the capacity Of Military Gov
ernor, three years ago, there has not been hour