The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1866-02-28
e OF Pr EN- 4
JOHNSON.
He DenOunces stevens, Sumner
and Phillips AS Traifors!i


ecutive Mansion, and the Committee do.
to the President the resolutions
adopted BY the meeting The President
made bis appearance, and met with
an enthusiasm reception.
Unable to publish the speech IN full,
We give the following extracts. Read
1.-THE rebellion was put down by the
strong arm OF the Government but We
are scarcely out Of one rebellion before
we IRE almost in the midst Of another re.
bellion. There is an attempt to concen-
trate the power Of the Government in
the hands Of a few, and thereby bring
about a consolidation, which is equally
dangerous and Objectionable with separa.
ton. Sometimes revolutions are most
disastrous to the %people-are effected
without shedding blood. The substance
Of our Government may be taken away,
leaving only the formidable shadow. We
find that in fact by an irresponsible cen.
,ral directory nearly all powers Of gov.
eminent are assumed without even con-
sultiDg the Legislative or Executive de
partments Of the Government by the res.
o%lution reported by o committee upon
whom all the Legislative power Of the
Government has been conferred. That
principle in the Constitution which au
thorizes and empowers each branch Of
the Legislative departments to be judges
of the election, and qualifications of its
own members has been virtually taken
away from these departments and confer.
red upon q Committee who must report
before they can act under the Constitu.
ton, and allow members duly elected to
take their seats. By this rule, they as,
sumo that there must be laws passed
that there must be a recogniti n 10 70
srect TO a State in the Union, with all
its political relations restored, before The
respective Houses of Congress, undar the
Constitution, shall judge Of the election
and qualifications of its W members.
"You have been struggling. for four
years to put down the rebellion. You
denied in the beginning that any State
had the right to go out Of the Union,
and it has been settled that a State has
neither the right nor the power to 20 out
Of the Union, and when you have settled
that by the executive and military power
of the Government and by the public
judgment, you turn around and assume
that they are out and shall not come in.
| say that when these States comply
with the Constitution, when they. have
given sufficient evidence of loyalty, and
they can be trusted, when they yield ODE
dience to law. | say extend to them the
right hand of fellowship, and let peace
and union be- restored. But these gen.
tlemen, as we swing round their CIRCLE
| have fought traitors and treason in the
South /; / opposed. the Davises and
Toombes, the Slidells, and a leng list of
others whose names | need not repeat,
and row when | turn round at the other
end of the line, and find men-by what
ever namo you call them-[A VOICE
"Call them traitors,"] who still stand op-
posed to the restoration of the Union Of
these States, | ar free to say TO you, |
am for the preservation of this compact,
| am still in favor of tho restoration of
this Union, l am still in favor Of this
great Government going on and follow.
ing out its destiny.
IA VofcE-"Give US names y" A
gentleman calls for names; well, suppose
| should give them. IA voice, awe know
them."] I look upon them, I repeat it
as President or citizen, they arc as much
OPPOSED to the fundamental principles Of
this Government, and believe they are as
much laboring. to prevent or destroy
them as were tho men who fought against
US. IA voice, "What are the names ?"7
l say Thaddeus Stevens Of Pennsylvania.
Tremendous applause.] l say Charles
Sumner. [Great a%pplause.] l say Wen.
dell Phillips and others Of the same
stripe they are all amongst them. IA
voice, "Give it to Forney VI Some gen.
tleman in the crowd says "Give II to For.
ney." | have only just to say I don't
waste my ammunition upon dead ducks.
Laughter. l stand for my country, l
stand for the Constitution where l placed
my feet from my entrance into public
life. They may traduce, they may Sian.
der, may ~vituperate. But let me say il
has no effec: upon me, [cheers, and le
me say in addition that I do not Intend
to be bullied by enemies. [Applsust
and q cry "The people will sustain ycu.".
| know my countrymen that it has beer
insinuated, and not only insinuated but
said directly, that intimatiou has beer
given in high places that If such q usur
patton Of power had been exercised twt
hundred years ago in a particular reigr
it would have cost a certain individual
his head. What usurpation has Andrew
johnson been guilty off None. TIL,
usurpation | have been guilty Of hai
been my always standing between th,
people aud the Entertainments vf power
and because l dared to say in a converse
ton with a fellow citizen and q Senate
that ! thought amendments to the Con
stitutiou ought not to be so frequent
that their effect would be to lose all il
dignity; that the old instrument woul'
be lost sight Of in a short time ; becaus
l happened to say that lift was amends
such and such amendments should b
adopted, il was On u~surpation Of pows
that would have cost . king his head at
certain limo. Laughter and applause.