The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-02-27

Washington, to endorse the sreconstruetion
policy of President JOHNSON as set forth in
his veto message. A committee Was ap.
pointed to convey to Mr.. JOHNSON the senii-
ments Of the meeting. The committee at.
tended by large crowd proceeded to the
White Honse. The President appeared, and
spoke as follows.
FELLOW CITIZENS, for presume have q
right to address You ae soch Il come to ten.
der to you my sincere thanks for the approba.
ton expressed by your committee in their
personal addresses, and in the resolutions
submitted by them as having been adopted
by the meeting which has been held In this
city too day.
These resolutions, as understand them,
are complimentary to the policy which has
been adopted by the Administration, and has
been steadily pursued since it came into pow
er. | am free to say to you on this occasion,
that it is extremely gratifying to me to know
that so large, portion Of my fellow citizens
approve and endorse the policy which has
shall be carried out. [Great applause That
policy is one which is Intended to restore all
the States to their original relations TO the
Federal Government of the United States.
CRenewed applause. This seems to be .
day peculiarly appropriate for sach manifes-
tation; it is the day that gave birth to that man
who, more perhaps than any other, founded
this Government; it is the day that gave birth
to the father of our country; il is the day thvt
gave birth to him who presided over thst body
which formed the Constitution under which all
the States entered into this glorious confede-
racy. Such . day is peculiarly appropriate
for the Endorsement of a policy whose object is
the restoration of the Union of the States as
it was desi med by the father Of his country.
[Applause. Washingtun. whose name this
city beam, is embslmed in the hearts of all
who love free government. Washington, in
the language Of his eulogist, was first in war,
first in peace, and first In the hearts of his
countrymen. No people can claim him. No
nation can appropriate him. His reputation
is commensurate with the civilized world, and
his name is the common property Of all those
who love free government To-day, had the
pleasure of visiting an association who have
of the monument 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 un-
dertaken. That monument which is being
erected to him who, may say, founded the
Government is almost within the throw Of q
stone of the spot from which l address you.
Let it be completed (Applause.l Letthose
various blocks which the States, and individ-
uals. and associations, and corporations have
pat in that monument, rs pledges of love for
this Union. be preserved; and let the work
be accomplished. In this connection, let me
refer to the block from my own State-God
bless her Applause which has struggled for
the preservation Of this Union in the fields
and in the councils of the nation, and which
is now struggling TO renew her relations with
this Government that were interrupted by q
fearful rebellion. She is now struggling TO
renew those relations, and 10 take ker stand
where she had ever stood since Iso, until
the rebellion broke out. Great applause. |
Let me repeat the sentiment that that State
has inscribed upon the stone which she has
deposited in that monument offreedom which
is being raised in commemorative Of Wash
ington. She is struggling to get back into the
Union, and TO standby the sentiment which is
there inscribed, and she is willing to sustain
it. What is,t 1t is the sentiment which was
enunciated by her distinguished son, the i'm
mortal, illustrious jackson: "The Federal
Union; it must be preserved" Great ap-
plause.
If it were possible for that old man, whose
statue is now before me, and whose portrait
is beside me in the Executive mansion, and
whose sentiment is thus preserved in that
monument in your vicinity to be called forth
from the grave; or if it were possible to com.
municate with the spirit of the illustrious
dead and make him understand the progress
of faction and of rebellion and treason, he
would turn over in his coffin, and he would
rise, and shaking of the habiliments of the
tomb, would again stand erect, and extend
forth his long arm and finger, and reiterate
that sentiment once expressed BY him on q
memorable occasion THE Federal Union :
it must be preserved" [Great applause. ]
We have witnessed what has transpired since
his day; in 1888. When treason and treach-
cry and in6delity to the Government and
Constitution of the United States stalked
forth in the land, it was his power AID infu-
ence that crushed the serpent in its iacipien-
cy. 1t was then stopped, but only for atime.
The same spirit Of disaffection continued.
There were men disaHected TO the Govern
nent both in the North and IA he South.
There was, in portion of the Union, pc
culiar institution of which some complained,
and to which others were attached. One
portion of our countrymen in the South ad-
vocated that institution, while another pOr
ton in the North opposed it. The result was
the formation Of extreme parties-one espe-
cially in the South, which reached point at
which it was proposed to dissolve the Union
Of the States, for the purpose, as was said,
of securing and preserviog that peculiar insti-
tuition. There was another portion of our
countrymen who we're opposed to that insti
tuition, and who went to such an extreme that
they were willing to break up the Govern
ment, in order to get clear Of that peculiar
institution Of the South. I say these things
because desire to talk plainly and in familiar
phraseology. ! assume nothing here to-day
beyond the position of a citizen, one who
has been pleading for his country and the
preservation Of the Coustituhon. Immense
cheering. These two parties, say, were
arrayed against each other, and stand here
before you for the Union to day, as / stood in
the Senate in 1860 and 1861. / met there
those who were making war upon the Consti-
tuition, those who wanted to disrupt the Gov
ernment, and denounced them in my place,
then and there, and exposed their true char
acter. / said that those who were engaged
m the work of breaking up the Government
were traitors. have never ceased, on all
proper occasions, to repeat that sentiment,
and SO far as my efforts could 20. have en-
deavored to carry ii out. [Great applause,
4 have just remarked that there we're two
parties, Que Of which was for destroying the
Government and separating the Union, in
order to preserve slavery, and the other for
breaking up the Government in order to de-
stroy slavery. True, the objects which they
sought to sccomrkAfwere different, 90 far as
slavery was concerned but they agreed in the
desire TO break up the Government, the pre-
else thing to which have always been op
posed; and whether disunionists come from
the South or from the North. stand now as
did then, vindicating the Union of these
States and the Constitution of my country.
Tremendous applause. When rebellion