Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-02-26
Full Explanation of His
- Policy.
Restoration OF the States.

.asRass btj 20 81
sss4aaf4 .slsil ~ Hsf-s i
Especial Dispatch to the Indianapolis JournaI.l
- as WAsHEeroE, February %
Mr.. iPA r.. Fendall introduced the
President as follows:
yellow CITIZENS !: am one, of the
com mittee which. on behalf of the
people Of the District of Columbia, has
Just waited on the President of the
United States to presentto him the res
olutions adopted by the meeting held to-
day The committee requested the
President to present himself to you TO
give expression to his sentiments, and
he has accordingly come out to do so.
The President, as he appeared, was
received with enthusiastic and long
continued applause. When it had sub
sided, be spoke as follows:
SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT.
FelIow-citizens, for presume have
a right to address you as such. l come
to tender to you my sincere thanks for
the appreciation expressed by your Com
mittes in their personal address, and in
the resolutions submitted by them as
having been adopted by the meeting to-
day. These resolutions, as under
stand them, are complimentary to the
policy which has been adopted by the
Administration, and has been steadily
pursued since it came into power.
/ am free to say to you ON this occa
sion, that it is extremely gratifying to
me to know that so large portion OF my
felIowcitizens approve .and indorse the
policy which has been adopted, and
which it is NJ intention shall be carried
out. (Great spplause.)
That policy is one which is intended
to restore all the States to their original
relations to the Federal Government of
the United States. Renewed applause.
This seems TO be a day peculiarly ap
propriate for such manifestation it is
the day that gave birth to that man who,
more, perhaps, than any other, founded
this Government; tits the day that gave
birth to the Father of our Country lit is
the day that gave birth to him who pre-
sided over that body which framed the
Constitution under which all the States
entered into this glorious confederacy !;
such day is peculiarly appropriate for
the Endorsement of a policy, whose OBJ
jeet is-the restoration Of the Union of
the States as it was designed by the
Father of his Country. [Applause.
Washington, whose name this city bears,
10 embiazoned in the hearts of all who
love free Government Washington, in
the language of his euiogist, was first in
war, first in peace, and first in the
hearts of his countrymen. No people
can claim him, no nation can appropri-
ate him; his reputation is commensu-
rate with the civilized werld, and his
name is the com mon property of all.
those who love free Government. To-
day had the pleasure of visiting an as
ISOLATION who have been devoting their
efforts to the completion of the monu-
ment which is being erected to his name.
was proud to meet them, and so far as
could to.give them my influence and
countenance in aid of the work they
have undertaken. That monument
which ia being erected to Kim who, Il
may say, founded the Government, is
almost within the throw of stone
OF the spot from which address you
Les it be completed. GApplause.] Let
those various blocks which the States
and. individuals. and associations and
corporations have put in that monument
as pledges of their love for the Union
belbere secured, and let the work be &C.
complished in this connection. Let nae
refer to the block from my own State,
God bless her, [applause, which has
struggled for the preservation of the
Union in the field and in the councils of
the nation, and which is now ttruggling
TO renew her relations with this Govern
ment, that were interrupted by fearful
rebellion; she is now struggling to re-
new those relations, and to take her
stand where she has ever stood since
1776, until this rebellion broke out
IGreat applause Let me repeat the
sentiment that State has inscribed on
the stone which she has deposited in that
monument Of freedom which is being
raised in commemoration of Washing
ton. She is struggling to get back into
the Union, and to stand by the sentiment
which is there inscribed, and she is will
ling to sustain it. What is it? The
sentiment WHICH was uttered by her dis
tinguished son, the immortal and the IL
lustrious Jackson "The Federal Union
lit must be preserved" Great ap-
plause. Ifsit were possible for that old
man, whosegtatue is now before me, and
whose portrait is behind me in the Elk.
ecutive mansion, and whose sentiment is
thus preserved in that monument, to be
called forth from the grave, or if it were
possible to communicate with the Illus
trious dead, and to make him understand
the progress of faction, and of rebellion
and treason, be would turn over in his
coffin and rise, and shake off the habit
ments of the tomb, would again stand
erect and extend forth his long arm and
finger, and reiterate that sentiment once
expressed BY him on memorable occa-
sion The Federal Union--it must be
preserved" [Applause
We have witnessed what has transpired
since his day In 1888, when treason,
and treacLery and inGdelity to the Gov
eminent and the Constitution of the
Unitee States started forth in the land,
it was his power and influence that
crushed the serpent in its incipiency. 1t
was then stopped, but only for time.
The same spirit of disaffection continued.
There were men disaffected to the Gov
eminent both In the North and in the
South. There was in portion of the
Union a peculiar institution, of which
some complained, and to which others
were attached. One portion of our
.eountrymen advocated that institution
while another portion 10 the North op-
posedit. The result was the formation
of extreme parties-one especially in
the South which reached point at which
it was proposed to dissolve the Union Of
the States for the purpose, it was said d
securing and preserving that peculia,
institntion. There was another portion
Of our countrymen who were opposed L
that institution, and who went to sucl
an extreme that they were willing t,
break up the Government in order 4
get clear of that peculiar institution O
the South. T say these things because
desire 10 talk plainly and in familia
phfaseoiegy. ] assume nothing here to
-. day beyond the position of 6 citizen
one who has been pleading for bis coun
try and the preservation of the Constitu