Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet., 1866-04-24
Another Presidential Speech.

doctrines of his restoration policy.
Squaring his actions aud convic-
tions BY a just conception OF duty
the President has cut loose from the
restraint and pressure Of a wrong
headed partisan tribe who would
fain have moulded him to suit their
purposes, and comes before his
country and fellow-citizens eliciting
and meriting their sympathies and
endorsement. Soaring far above the
sordid arms of the radical and selfish
politicians who beset him, he remains
firm in the conscious rectitude of his
course, plainly demonstrating that he
would "rather be right than Presi-
dent" Feeling sure that he is in
the right, like David Crockett he
"goes ahead" nor stands upon the
order of his going.
His speech in reply to the crowd
of soldiers and sailors assembled at
the White House ON the evening of
the 18th, to pay their respects to
him, was a noble vindication of his
position before the people as the ad-
yocate and defender of their rights
and interests, whether as citizens,
soldiers or sailors. He was most
emphatic in his denial of the doctrine
of State disintegration, and in his de-
nunciations of treason in whatever
section found. The whitening sar-
casm and rebuke which he admins
tered to his traducers, falsifers and
calumniators, who during the perilous
days Of the rebellion, kept themselves
comfortably out of harms way,
while egging on others to fight their
battles, was a salient feature in the
Presidents speech.
The President contended for the
unity of the States. The sacrifice
made and the treasure expended,
were for the maintenance and perpe-
tuity Of the Union. By way Of cor
oIlary to his views and opinions on
this subject, he INDUCES the peril,
nent inquiries
when the rebellion in Massaehu-
setts was put down, did that put
Massachusetts, out of the Union and
destroy the State? When the re-
bellion in Pennsylvania was put
down did that destroy the State and
put it out of the Union? So, when
the great rebellion was put down and
the constitution and laws of the
country were restored, the States en-
gagged in the rebellion being crushed,
the law restored, and the constitution
acknowledged in them, stood in the
Union and constitution a portion of
this glorious bright galaxy Estates. :"
The ordeal of the national exist
ence was passed when the rebellion
closed. Il then proceeded" says
the President, "as / had done in
my own State, in reconstructing the
government, to restore the other
States" He then enters into a re-
view of the course adopted and fol-
lowed by him in his policy of recon-
struction and restoration, under the
principles and guidance Of the Con-
stitution, the details of which policy
are familiar to the popular mind.
The odious principle of taxation
without representation received its
full share of condemnation in the
Presidents speech. That principle
Of oppression was one Of the great
causes of complaint by our fathers
while contending against British
power in the days ofthe old ldrevolution.
The consolidation of power aimed
at by the radical majority in Con-
gress, was reprobated by the Presi-
dent as equally dangerous with sep
aration. The one would run into
anarchy, while the other would end
and concentrate in anarchy. He has
been contending against them both,
"But," says the President "there is
on ;da. abroad that one man can ha