Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-18
VOLUME XXXIII.

greSs in insisting upon having il, or ] in at
tempting 10 dissuade them from it," Here
again, the President distinguished between
the principle on which the bill is professed-
| ly based, and the bill itself; the former he
was anxious to see carried out, but the
means proposed he considered Objectionable
! and hazardous
Congress" the President further said,
represents the States, but the men who
voted for them individually all voted in my
election. | am like the Tribunes elected bv
| the Roman people, am TO stand and repre-
| sent their interests. And what other object
| can ] have but to represent those interests
interests Of my country? | have no party
! objects to serve-nO selfish interests to pro-
mote. II ! were a man Of ambition, do
not know what / could desire more than |
| have gained. j have gone the whole giddy
round, from alderman upward, and ! do not
value this Office there the President spoke
with great earnestness and feeling) except
for the good which it NAV enable me TO do.
] want but corner Of this house to live in,
and do not care a bawbee, as the Scotch
say, for all the rest. Let me see the country
at harmony and peace, and how gladly
would give up all
! suppose | may say that have done
enough to satisfy any reasonable ambition,
and feel that my race Is well nigh run.
These meE want power. | have enough,
and am Indifferent to what / have. We
think he said these words with a smile
"we think this a great position, with our
ideas-we are educated to do so; but / can
assure you that am often here twelve hours
a day without il ever occurring to me that
! am President" lie evidently meant
without the pride Of power occurring to
him.
"These men," he also said, "have raised
the cry Of mad dog at me, and the people
seem to be getting afraid. They will un-
derstand me better by-and-by, and under
stand these men, too. | could not expect
to get through without a struggle" Yet it
was most extraordinary, he continued, to
think Of the course which these men"
were pursuing. BY being united again, the
country would stand respected in the eyes
Of the world. 1t was now laboring under
the evils Of an inflated currency, and while
trade is restricted by the South being kept !
in uncertainty-an element Of danger in
the State-such evils could not be corrected. |
Yet there were signs that the people were |
beginning to be alive TO the truth. Look |
at Peoria and he mentioned several other |
towns where meetings in support Of the |
Presidents policy have lately been held |
since the passage of the Civil Rights bill. |
" 1t is like water trickling along the
ground - said Mr.. johnson. You can see |
the damp places here and there, and you /
know that it will gradually spread. 1t will |
take time but after all what good can be
accomplished without trial and difficulty. |
If fall, my regret will not be for myself
| will hope that some one wiser will rise mp |
to the work"
The President uttered these words in
somewhat weary and sad, but very earnest
tone. He continued with great anima-
ton My convictions are firm and strong,
aud strong convictions are a great source
the best sOurce-of courage 10 a man. |
fought disunion nearly all around the circle,
and if ] am called upon to complete the circle
| will. Then | could say most heartily that
| would that l could depart in peace"
Such, so far as | feel myself at liberty to
repeat them, were the remarks made by the
President. believe that / have repeated
his very words in most instances, but there
were many illustrations which he employed
which ] am unable TO recall, and in a con-
yersatiOn of nearly two hours there must
necessarily be a great deal which | cannot
pretend to remember with sufficient accura-
cy to repeat That the President is as firm
and unshaken as ever it was impossible to
doubt after listening to him. He relies up
ON the good sense of the people to bring the
present crisis to an end but it is clear that
he has no personal objects to serve. lie
old one ofthe most distinguished of Ameri-
,an politicians only Yesterday, as he told me
IN Thursday, that he will never consent to
De candidate for the Presidency again.
will only add that the President looked bet
er in health than when | saw him some
months ago, aud that he speaks with great
'learness, force, and ability, and brings to
,ear on the subject upon which he is talking
many very suggestive and felicitous figures
md Illustrations.