American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-04-26
Most Important Speech Made.

den treasures
Most Important Speech Made.
WASHINGTON, April 22.-Presi-
dent Johnson's speech to the Indiana
delegation on yesterday was more i'm
portant than any he has yet deliver
cd After thanking Gov. Morton
for his remarks, the President said
We are living at time when the
public mind has almost become OBJ
Iivious of what treason is. The time
has arrived, my ccuntrymen. when
the American people shc uld be edu-
Gated and taught what is crime, and
that treason is the highest crime
known to the Constitution. Yes,
treason against State, treason
against all he States, : cason against
the Government Of the United States
is the highest crime that can be com
mitted, and those engaged in it should.
suffer all its penalties. 1t is not
promulgat ng what | ha G not here
tofore said, to say that traitors must
be made odious, tha treason must be
made odious, that traitors must be
punished and impoverished. Ap-
p arse They must not only be pun
ished but their social power must be
destroyed. If not they win still
maintain on ascendency, and may
again become numerous and power
ful FIR in the words of former
Scn"tor Of the United States, when
traitors become numerous enough
treas II becomes respectable. And
| say that after making treason obi
Gus, every Union man and the Gov
crnmcnt should be remuncratcd out
of the pocket Of those who have in
hictcd this great suffering upon the
c untry. [Applause. But do not
updar tand me as saying this in
spirit of anger, for if l un crstand
my own heart the reverse is the case,
and while | say that the penalties Of
the law in stern and inhexible man
ner should be executed upon con-
cious, intelligent and influential trail
tors, the leaders who have deceived
thousands upon thousan Is of labor
ing men, who. have been drawn into
this rebellion, and while | say as to
the leaders punishment, | also say
lcne cy, conciliation and amnesty
tn thousands whom they have mislel
and deceived and in reference to
this, as | have remarked, | mi hit
have adopted your speech as my own.
In speaking of reconstruction, he
made the fol owing remarks : Upon
this idea Of destroying States. my
position has be n heretofore well
known and there is no cause to
change it now, and | am glad to hear
IS rc-iteration on the present occa-
sion. Some are satisfied with the
idea that the States are to be lost in
territorial and other divisions, and
are to lose their character as States,
but their life-breath has on Y been
suspended, and it is high constitu-
tional obligation we have to secure
each of these States in the possess
sion and enjoyment of republican
form of government. A State may
be in the governGent with peculiar
institution, and by the operation of
r r'belion, loose that featu G, put it
was u State when it mt into rebel
lion, and when it comes out without
the Institution it is still State.
[Greas applause. | hold it as a sol
emn obligation in any one of these
States where rebel armies have ben,
beaten back or expelled, care not,
how small! the number of Union men,
if enough to man the ship Of state,
| hold it, | say, u high uty to pro-
tect and secure to them republican
FORM of government. This is no new
OPT ion. tits expressed in conform
ity with my understanding Of the ge-
MUS and theory Of our government.
Then, in adjusting and putting the
government upon its legs again, |
thirlk the progress of this work must
pass into the hands of it's friends.
[Applause.l Ifa State is to be nurs-
ed until it again gets strength, it
must be nursed by its friends, not
smot eredby its enemeis. Applause1
Now, Permit me to remark, that
while | have opposed dissolution and
disintegration on the one hand on the
o.her | am equally opposed to con-
solidation, [applause, or the central
izstioD Of power in the hapds Of the few