The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-07-31
Gond Readlng FOR Jollnson Men.


capable of self-government L hold
with Jefferson that government was
made for the convenience of man, and
not man for the government. That
laws and constitutions were designed
as instruments to promote his welfare.
And hence from this principle | CON
clude that government can and ought
to be changed, amended to conform to
the wants, to the requirements and
the enlightened spirit of the age. =
Andreao johnson, Nashville, June 10,
1864, IN q speech accepting the noDei-
nation for Wee President
"As my honorable friend [Gov.
Morton knows, / long since took the
ground that this Government was
sent upon great mission among the
nations of the earth; that it had a
great work to perform, and that in
starting it, it was started in perpetui
ty. Now turn to the
Constitution; we find that amend
ments may be made by recommen-
dation of two-thirds of Congress, If
ratified by three-fourths of the States.
The instrument was made good IN
prosperity, and you can take hold OF
It, not to break UP the Government,
BUT TO GO ON PERI GETTING IT
MORE AND MORE, as it runs down
the stream of time. ~ President John
SON. IN q speech to the Indiana 1cleg0-
ton, Aprit q, 1865.
THE CONSENT OF TRAITORS NOT Ne
CEssARY.
"Shall the man who gave his infu-
ence and his means to destroy the
Government? Is he to participate in
the great work of reorganization?
Shall he who brought this misery upon
the State be permitted to control its
destinies? IF this be so, then all this
precious blood of our brave soldiers
and officers so freely poured out, will
have been wantonly spilled. All the
glorious victories won by our noble
armies will be for nought, and all the
battle-felds which have been sown
with dead heroes during the rebellion
will have been made memorable in
vain. Why all this carnage and de-
vastation? 1t was that treason might
be put down and traitors punished
Therefore | say that traitors should
take back seat in the work of resto-
ration. IF there be but five thousand
men in Tennessee, loyal to the Con-
stitution, loyal to Freedom, loyal to
Justice, these true and faithful men
should control the work of re-organi-
cation and reformation absolutely. -
Andreso johnson, june 10, 1864.
TREASON AND IT'S PUNIs HMENT.
Treason is the highest crime known
in the catalogue of crimes, and for
him that is guilty of it, for him that
is willing to lift his impious head
against the authority of the nation, [
would say: DEATH is TOO EASY
A PUNISHMENT V1ce P,eSt
dent johnson, Aprit Sd, 1865, on The
fall of Richmond.
when you ask what / would do,
my answer is, [ WOULD ARREST THEM :
wOULE TRY THEM; | WOULD COM
NIT THEM; AND WOULD HANG THEM
x We have
put down these traitors in arms; let
us put them down in law; in public
Judgment, and in the morals of the
world. = Vice President johnson,
april 3, 1865.
Il have always thought that theft
was crime, and should be punished
as a crime; that arson was a crime
and should be punished as such; that
murder was a dreadful crime and
should be punished as such, and that
TREASON WAS THE GREATEST OF. ALL
CRIMES, and should be punished as
such. "7President Andreev johnson.
April II, 1865.
With other and inferior offences
our people are familiar But in our
peaceful history treason has been
almost unknown. The people must
understand that it is the blacklist of
crimes, and will be surely punished
make this allusion not to excite the
already exasperated feelings of the
public, but to point out the principles
of public justice which should guide
our action at this peculiar juncture,
and which accord with sound public
morals. Let it be engrafted upon
every heart that TREASON Is A
CRIME, AND TRAITORS SHALL
y SUFFER IT'S PENALTY.
* BUT WE MUST NOT FOR
GET THAT WHAT MAY BE
MERCY TO INDIVIDUALS Is
CRUELTY TO THE STATE. y
President Andre,c johnson, Apra Is,
1866.
TREASON MUST BE MADE
ODIOUS; traitors MUST BE
PUNISHED AND IMPOVERISH-
ED, AND THEIR SOCIAL
POWER DESTROYED; AND
AFTER MAKING, TREASON
ODIOUS, EVERY UNION MAN
AND THE GOVERN MEM
SHOULD BE REMUNERATED
OUT OF THE POCK E4S OF
THOSE WHO HAVE INFL1CT
ED THIS GREAT SUFFERING
UPON THE COUNTRY. y an