The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-05-03
Andrew Johnson's Public Record.
OPPOSED TO WAR UPON THE SOUTH.
From Andrew JOnhson's Speech Feb 5, 'si

81 march down upon South Carolina
Did propose any such thing No. War
is not the natural element of my mind /;
and, as stated in that speech, my thoughts
were turned on peace, aud not on war. /
want no strife. want no war. la the Lam
guage OF denomination that is very pu.
merous in the country may say, hate war
and love peace ! belong 10 the peace party
thought, when | was making that speech,
that ! was holIing OUT the olive brsnch OF
peace. ! wanted 10 give quiet and recon
ciliation TO distracted and excited country
That was the object had in view. War,
repeat, is not the natural element of my
mind. would rather wear upon my gar.
mems the iinge Of ihe shop and the dust of
the field, as badges OF the pursuit of peace,
than The eaudy epauIef upon my shoulder,
or sword dangling by my side, with is
eiitering scabbard, the insignia of strife,
of war, Of blood, of carnage sometimes of
honorable sud glorious war. But, SIR,
would rather see the people of the United
States at war with every o:her power upon
tbO hoHitdOlC StOOC, tHdA Oc al VOL WIFI
each other. If blood must be shed let it
not be shed by The people of ihess States,
the one contending against the oiher."
The GEEERAL GOVERNMENT HAS NO RIGHT TO
CoERCE A STATE.
do not believe The
Federal Government has the power TO CO.
erce Siae for by the eleventh amend
meni of The Constitution of the United
States il il expressly provided that you can
not even put one OF The States of this Con-
federacy before one of the courts of ihe
country as party. a State, the Federal
Government has no power 10 coerce it ;
but il is member Of the compact to which
il is agreed in common with the other States,
and !his Government has The right TO pass
laws, and 10 enforce those laws upon indi-
viduaIs within the limits of each State.
While the one proposition is clear, the other
is equally so. This Government can, by
The Constitution Of the country and by The
laws enacted in conformity with the Con-
stitution, operate upon individuals, and
has the right and the power, not to coerce
a State, bu: te, enforce and execute the law
upon individuals within the limits of a
State.
] know that The term, ';to coerce State, ,"
is used in an nd enptondum manner. 1t is a
sovereignty that is TO be crushed How is
State in the Union What is her con-
nection with i; :! All the connection she
has with The other States is that which is
agreed upon in the connection between the
States. do not know whether you may
consider il in The Uniun or out of the Union,
or whether you simply consider ii con-
neclon or disconecrion with the other
States; but TO the extent Ihat State nulli-
ies or SETS aside any law or any provision
Of he Constitution, 10 that extent it has dis
solved its connection aud no more. ] think
the States ID at passed their personal liberty
bills. in violation OF the Constitution of the
United States. coming in conflict with the
fugitive slave law, TO that extent have dis
solved their coaueclion, and 10 that extent
il is revolution. But because some OF the
free States have passed laws violative oI
the Constitution because they have 10
some extent, dissolved their connection
with this Government, does thar justify us
of the South in following that bad example
Because they have personal liberty bills,
and have, 10 that extent, violated the COM
pact which is reciprocal, shall we turn
around, on The other hand, and violate the
49, bov 10 Mi
ance with II? Will we do 500
Then come back TO the starting poi1t
let US stand in The Union and upon the
Constitution, and if any body is 10 leave this
Union, or violate its guarantees, il shall be
those who have taken the initiative, and
passed their personal liberty bills. lam
in the Union, and intend TO stay in it.
intend to hold on TO the Union, and the
guarantees under which this Union has
grown and do not intend to be driven
from il, nor out Of il, by their unsonsiitu-
lional ensctments.
THE aBoLITIosIsTs ARE DIsUNIoEIsTs, sEcEs-
sIONIsTs ARE EULLIFIERs.
"But, Mr. President, recurring TO what
I said yesterday, there are two parties in
this country that want to break up the Gov
eminent. Who are they The nulifisrs
proper oi The South, the secessionisis OF
disunieEist-for use them all as synony.
NOUS terms. There is a portion of them
who, per Sc, desire The disruption of the
Government for purposes of their own ag-
graudizement. do not charge upon them
that they want TO break up the Govern
ment for the purpose of affecting slavery T;
yet charge that the breaking up of the
Government would have that effect the re-
sub would be the same. Who else is for
breaking up this Government? l refer 10
some bad mel in the North. There is q
set Of men who are called Aboitionisls