Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1865-09-22
PRESIDENT J0HNSON'S REPLY
To the Southern Delegation

A short time since adelegation from seven
Southern States waited upon President John
son, and addressed him through their Chair
man, Mr. Mcfarland, of Richmond, to which
the President replied as follows:
GENTLEMEN can only say, in reply to
the remarks of your chairman, that [ am
highly grati6ed to receive the assurances he
has given me- They are more than could
have expected under the circumstances, I
must say / was unprepared to receive so nu-
merous a delegation on this occasion; it was
unexpected: | had no idea it was to be so
large or represent 50 many States. When I
expressed as did my willingness to see at
any time so many of you as choose to do me
the honor to call upon me, and stated that I
should be gratifed at receiving any manifes-
tations of regard you might think proper to
make ] was totally unprepared for anything
equal to the present demonstration. am
free to say it exctes in my mind feelings and
emotions that language is totally inadequate
to express. When ] look back upon my
past actions and recall a period scarcely more
than four short years ago, when stood bat
Ting for principles which many of you OPP
posed and thought were wrong, was battling
for the same principles that actuate me to-day
and which principles, I thank God. you have
come forward on this occasion to manifest
disposition to support. I say now, as I have
said on many former occasions, that | enter
tain no personal resentments, enmities or an
imosities to any living soul South of Mason's
and Dixon's line, however much he may have
differed from me in principle. The stand [
then took I claim to have been the only true
one. Iremember how stood pleading with
my Southern brethren when they stood with
their hats in their hands ready to turn their
backs upon the United States how implor-
ed them to stand with me there and maintain
our rights and fight our battles under the
laws and Constitution Of the United States.
[ think now, as I thought then, and endeav-
ored to induce them to believe, that our true
position was under the laws and under the
Constitution of the Union with the institution
of slavery in it; but if that principle made
an issue that rendered a disintegration posi-
ble-if that made an issue which should pre-
vent us from transmitting to our children a
country as bequeathed to us by our fathers
[ had nothing else to do but stand by the
Government, be the consequences what they
might; [ said then, what you all know, that
[ was for the institutions of the country as
guaranteed by the Constitution, but above
all things | was for the union of the States.
| remember the taunts the jeers, the scowls,
with which was treated. | remember the
circle that stood around me, and remember
the threats and intinidations that were free
ly uttered by the men who opposed me, and
whom | wished to befriend and guide by the
light that led me; but feeling conscious in
my own integrity and that | was right, I
needed not what they might say or do to me,
and was inspired and encouraged to do my
duty regardless of aught else, and have lived
to see the realization Of my predictions and
the fatal error of those whom [ vainly essay
ed to save from the results could not but
foresee. Gentlemen, we have passed through
this rebellion. say we, for it was we who
are responsible for IT, Yes, the South made
the issue, and know the nature of the South
ern people we'll enough to know that when
they have become convinced Of an error they
frankly acknowledge it in a manly, open,
direct manner: and now, III the performance
of that duty, or. indeed, IN any act they I'M
dertake to perform, they do it heartily and
frankly and now that they come to me, [
understand them as saying that ave made
the issue. We set up the union ofthe States
against the institution of slavery; we selected
as arbitrator the God Of battles the arbitra-
ment was the sword. The issue was fairly
and honorably met. Both thequestions pre-
sented have been decided against us, and we
are prepared to accept the issue" I find on
all sides this spirit Of honor and candor pre-
vailing. It is said by all: The issue was
ours, and the judgement has been given
against us; and the decision having 5een made
against us, we feel bound in honor to abide
by the arbitrament. In doing this we are
doing ourselves no dishonor, and should not
feel Inundated or degraded, but rather that
we are ennobling ourselves by our action