Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-08-28
The Presidents Speech to the Commit
tee from the Philadelphia Conve4-

iGlOus.
He Pronoiiaces the Platform a Seconz De
c1drdtiOn of Independence.
WASHINGTON, August 1s.-Theres was
great crowd to-day to hear the President in
response to Hon. Reverdy johnson, who pre-
sented the Official proceedings of the PhiIa-
delphia Convention. Referring with feeling
to the scene represented of South Carolina
and Massachusetts entering. the Convention
together, the President said he was overcome,
and could not but conclude that an over-rul-
ing Providence was directing us Alright. He
said:
Our brave men have. performed their du-
ties in the field, aud have won laurels imper-
ishable; but Cunning TO General Grant, he
continued,) there are greater and more i'm
portant duties to perform, and while we have
had their cooperation in the field, we now
need their efforts to perpetuate peace. Ap-
+ plause.l The Executive Department had
tried to pour oil on the wounds and. restore
the Union, but it had not entirely succeeded.
We have seen; he said, in one department of
the Government every effort to prevent the
restoration of peace and harmony in the
Union. We have Hanging upon the
verge of the Government, as it We're; body
called, or which assumes to be, the Congress
of the United States" while, in fact it is "A
Congress of only part of the States We
have seen this Congress assume and pretend
to be for the Union when its every step and
act tended to perpetuate dsunion and make
disruption of the States inevitable. Instead
of promoting harmony and reconciliation, its
legislation has partaken of the character of
penalties, retaliation and revenge This has
been the course and policy of one portion of
your government. The humble individual
who is now addressing you stands as the rep
resentative Of another department of the Gov
ernment The manner in which he was
called upon to occupy that position 1 shall
not allYde to on this occasion. Suffice it to
say that he is here under the Constitution of
the country, and, being here by virtue of its
provisions, he takes his stand upon that char
ter of our liberties as the great rampant of
civil and religious liberty: EProlonged
cheering Having been taught in my early
life to hoid5it sacred, and having practiced
upon that belief during my whole pubic ca
reer, shall ever continue to reverence the
Constitution of my fathers, and to make it
my Guide. Hearty applause.
The President proceeded, and denied the
charge that he had ever been tyranuical or a
despot. Such charges, he said, were simply
intended to deceive and delude the pubic
mind iuto the belief that there is some one
III power who is usurping and tramplIu:. upon
rights secured by the Constitution. 1t IS
done by those who make such charges for
the purpose of covering their own acts
[''That's so" applause. have felt it my
duty, in vindication of the PRINCIPLES and.
Constitution OF my country to call the atten-
ton 9 of my couptryrnen to these proceedings
When we come to examine who has been
playing the tyrant,, by whom do we find des-
potsm exercised AS to myself, neither the
elements. of my nature nor the pursuits of
my life have made me either in my feelings
or in my practice oppressive. My nature, on
the contrary, is rather defensive in its char
acter. But l will say that, taking my stand
upon the broad principles of liberty and the
Constitution, there is not power enough ON
earth to drive me from it ELoud and pro-
longed applause.] Having placed myself
upon that broad platform, l have not been
awed, or disuayed, or inundated, either BIZ
threats or encr6achments, but have stood
there, in conjunction with patriotic spirits
sounding the tOcsin of alarm when deemed
the citadel Of liberty in danger EGreat ap>
plausc.
L said on previous occasion, and repeat
now, that all that was necessary in this great
gle should be sufficiently audible for the
American people to hear and properly under
stand. They did hear, and looking OH and
seeing who the contestants were, and what
the struggle was about, they determined that
they would settle this question on the side
OF the Constitution and of principle. [ pro-
claim here to. day, as l have on previous oc.
casions, that my faith in the great mass of
the people in the darkest hour of the strug-
gle, when the clouds seemed to be most low
ering, my faith, instead of giving way loomed
up through the cloud, beyond which l saw
that all would be well in the end:
:, My countrymen, we all know that tyranny
and despotism, in the language of Thomas
Jefferson, can be exercised and exerted more
effectively by the many than by one. We
have seen Congress gradually encroach step
by step, and violate day after day aud month
after month the constitutional rights and the
fundamental principles of the Government.
We have seen Congress that seemed to for
get there was u limit to their sphere and
scope of Legislation. We have seen a CONGRESS
In a minority assume to exercise power which.
if allowed to be carried out, would result in
despotism or monarchy itself This is the
truth; and because others as well as mvself
have seen proper to appeal to the patriotism
and republican feeling of the country, we
have been denounced in the severest terms.
Sfander upon SANDER, vitupera:;on upon vitu-
peration. of the most violent character, has
mate its.way through the press. What, gen
tlen,2n, rvs been your and my sin? What
has been lie caC:Se of.our offending? will
tell you: Daring to stalsd by the Constitution
of our fathers!
consider the proceedings Of this CConvsut75
tion more important than those of any con-
ventiou that ever assembled in the United
States. [Great appiause.l When 1 look
with my minds eye upon that collection of
citizens, coming together Voluntarily, and
sitting in council, with ideas, with principles