Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-04-26
SPEECH by THE PRESIDENE

BeloR,: We present oqr readers Vith,
speech Of President JOHNSON, delivered in
Washington .onthe 18th instant, in response
to asailsr' aad soldier serenade. II will
be seen that The victory Of Congress qsef
bis recent veto, has not, ip the least, dimin- dim
ished the aedor Of this true friend Of tie
Constitution. :Mr. JOHNSON :asows the
same principles"and policy now. that he
euunciated in Washington, on the 22ud of
February. Ete trusts ip the vision, and
good sense of the. people 10 sustain him. in
i.s full establishment and permaneney.-
May the wisdom of his trust, be fully vim
| dieated. ..... ..... ....-...
After receiving the cougrasulationseofthe
party, Mr.. JOHNSON said: ~.a~
We are to-day involved i'd one of the
most critical and trying struggles that has
occurred since this Government came into
existence Nations, like individuals, must
have beginning-muss have BIRTH
Struggling into existence, nation passes
through its first trying ordeal. 1t is not
necessary for me now, to carry your minds
back to the struggle when this nation was
boru. It is not necessary for me to allude
to the privations and hardships of thosewho
were engaged 10 that struggle to achieve
the national birth. tits not necessary to
point to, the blood shed and the lives lost in
accomplishing that result The next ordeal
through which nation has to pass, is when
it is called upoa to give evidence that it has
strength, capacity and power to maintain
itself among the nations of the earth. In
giving suoh evidence, we passed through
the war of 1872 and through the war with
Mexico, and we have passed through all
the struggles that have since occurred up to
the beginning Of the rebellion. This was
our second ordeal Buta nation has auotb.
er test still to- undergo, and that is to give
evidence to the nations of the earth and to
its own citizens that it has power to resist
internal foes. That it has strength enough
| to put down trsachery at home and treason
within it's own borders. Cheers. We
have commenced that ordeal, and trust to
God We will pass through it successfully
[Cheers] I feel complimented by the al.
lusion of your representative, to the fact
that ( stood in the Senate in 1860 and 1861,
when the nation was entering on that third
ordeal, and raised my voice and hand against
treason, treaehery and traitors at home
| 1Cheers, and cries of "Good."] l stand
here to-day holding to and maintaining the
same principles which l then enunciated.
lCheers.] L stand here to-day opposing
traitors and treason, whether they be in the
South or in the North. { Loud Cheers.] I
stand here to-day as then stood, using all
my powers, mental and physical, topreserve
this nation in passing through the third
phase Of its existence. The organized
forces aud combined powers that recently
stood arrsyed against US, are disbanded and
driven from the field. But it does not fol-
low that there are still no enemies against
our present form of government and our free
institutions. [Applause.] then stood in
the Senate'of the United States denying the
doctrine of separation and secession. l de.
nied then, as deny now, that any State
has the right of its OWE will to separate it.
self from the other States, and thereby to
destroy the Union and break up the Gov.
ernment. And think I have given some
evidence that l have been sincere and in
earnest And now, I want to know why it
is that the whole train of slanderers and
calumniatoFs, and traducers have been bark
ing and swapping at my heels? [Cheers.] ]
Why is itthat they array themselves against
me ? Is it because 1 stand on the side of
the people? And when I say ''tbe people,"
1 include soldiers and sailors. [Cheers.]
Why is it that they are arrayed in traducing
and villifying and calumniating me! Where
were they during the rebellionf "A voice:
CAT home, in bed" Laughter. In the
Senate | raised my voice against it; and
when it was believed that it would be to
the interest of the nation, and would assist
in putting down the rebellion, did not
leave my place in the Senate place OF
emolument, ease and distinction !-aud take
my position where the enemy could be
reached, and where mems lives were in
danger? [Cheers, and cries of "Thars
so"1 While was thus exposedpersonally