Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-04-20
ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT JOHNSON.
serenade BY soldiers and sailOrs.

full Acknowledgements to the President LOT MS oIueI
lately issued directing the heads OF the departments
IN give nreference in appointments and promotions
TO the subordinate Offices to persons who nave reh'
dered honorable service in the army and navy, was
formed and marched to the Exec utive mansion Win
the Marine Band, to serenade President Johhson,
who signited to the committee tnat he "ouiu "OeeP'
the compliment.
A very large number of persons OF both sexes
were previously on the ground awaiting the demon
stration. At quarter past o'clock the Dand per
formed several patriotic airs, when the PRESIDENT
made his appearance and was greeted with huzzas
by the assembled thousands. He was addressed on
behalf of the soldiers and sailors by one OF their
number in highly complimentary terms.
ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT.
President Johnson said 1t is not affectation in me
to say that language is inadequate to convey the feel
ings produced by your presence here, and by the
presentation of your sentiments as expressed by your
representative in his address, and in the resolutions
which you have thought proper to adopt. | confess
that in the peculiar posture of public affairs, your
presence and address give encouragement and conf
dence to me in my efforts to discharge the duties
incumbent upon me as Chief Magistrate of the Re.
public. And in what have to say, shall address
you in the character of citizens sailors and soldiers.
We are to-day involved in one of the most critical
and trying struggles that have occurred since this
Government was spoken into existence. Nations
like individuals, must have beginning, must have
a birth. In struggling into eXistance nation
passes through its first trying ordeal.
The next ordeal through which q nation has to
pass is when it is called upon to give evidence that
1t has strength capacity and power to maintain it.
self among the nations of the earth In giving such
evidence we passed through the war of 1872 and
through the war with Mexico. This was our second
ordeal. But nation has another test still to under
60 and that is to give evidence TO the nations of the
earth and TO its own citizens that it has power to
resist internal oes-that it has strength enough to
put down treason within its own borders. We have
commenced that ordeal and trust in God we will
pass through it successfully. [Cheers.]
feel cOmplimented by the allusion of your rep
resentative to the fact that stood in the Senate in
1860 and 1861, when the nation entering on this
third ordeal, and raised my voice and hand against
treason, and traitors at home stand here to-day,
holding to and maintaining the same principles
which then enunciated. [Cheers. stand here
to-day opposing traitors and treason whether they
be in the South or in the North. Loud cheers.l !
stand here to-day, as then stood using all my
powers mental and physical, TO preserve this nation
in passing through the third phase of its existence.
The organized forces and combined powers that
recently stood aTayed against US are disbanded and
drawn from the field, but it does not follow that
there are still no enemies against present form
of Government and our free institutions APP
pause.
then stood in the Senate of the United States
denying the doctrine of separation and secession
denied then, as deny now, that any State has
the right of its own will TO separate itself from the
other States and thereby to destroy the Union and
break up the Government, and think have given
some evidence that have been sincere and in ear
nest
While was thus exposed personally and publicly,
and in every way, some of my present taducers and
calumnators were far removed from the war and
were enjoying ease and comfort Cheers and
laughter But | care not for them. | care not that
SANDER the foul whep of sin, has been turned loose
against me- care not for all that, and let me tell
you here to-day that although pretty well advanced
in life, feel that shall live long enough TO live
l. $50 ,I,,, .l,,a,
+ Applause. They have turned the whole pack loose
to lower me in your estimation. Voices" They
can't do it," Tray, Banch, and Sweetheart little
dogs and all, come along swapping and snarling at
my heels, but heed them not Cheers.
The American people, citizens, soldiers and sailors
know, that from my advent into public life to the
present moment, have always stood unyelding and
unwavcring by the advocates and defenders of their
rights and interests. Cheers
We are now in the nations third ordeal. We are
not vet through it. We said that States could not go
out ofthe Union. We denied the doctrine OF secession
and we have demonstrated that We were right. We
demonstrated by the strong arm. What followed
The Confederate armies were dispersed and dis
banded, and there a willingness on the part OF
the people of those States to come back be obedien
to the laws, and acknowledge the supremacy of the
Constitution of our fathers.
The rebellion has been put down, and for what
Was il to destroy the States Cries, " never,
For what have all these lives been sacrificed and all
this treasure expended Was it for the purpose of
destroying the States No it was for the purpose
of preserving the States in the Union of our fathers
TCheers 1t was for that you fought 1t was for
that toed. Not TO break the Government, but to
put down the rebellion and preserve the Union of the
States. When the rebellion in Massachusetts, was
put down, did that put Massachusetts out of the
Union and destroy the State! And when the re-
beiOn in Pennsylvania was put down, did that
destroy the State and put it out of the Union! SO
when the recent great rebellion was put down, and
the Constitution and laws of the country restored,
the States engaged in it stood part Of the Union.
The rebellion being crushed, the laws being restored
the Constitution being acknowledged, those States
stand in the Union constituting part OF the glorious
and bright galaxy of States. Loud cheers
In passing through this ordeal what has been done
In Tennessee, under the direction OF my lamented
alnnannad tho work nf restoration
We had succeeded before came here in restoring
the relations which had existed between Tennessee
and the rest of the Union, with one exception, and
that was the relation of representation. | came to
Washington, and under extraordinary circumstanc es
succeeded to the Presidential chair. What then the
Congress of the United States had adjourned without
prescribing any plan. | then proceeded as had
done in my own State, under the direction of the Gov
eminent TO restore the other States and how did
begin
We find that the people had no courts, and we said
to the Judges, the District Attorneys and Marshals,
9 go down and hold your courts. The people need
the tribunals of justice to be opened.
The courts were opened. What elsel We looked
been interrupted and cut off by the operations Of the
rebellion. We said to the Postmaster General, let
the people have mail communication, and let them
begin again to understand what we all feel and
think; that are one people. We looked ont
again and saw that there was blockade that the
custom houses were all closed. We said: "Open
The doors of the custom houses and remove the
blockade. Let trade commence and the pursuit Of
peace be restored" and it was done. We thus trav
eled on step by STEP opening up custom houses ap.
mint psta
restoring all the relations that had been interrupted
by the rebellion. Has there been anything under
taken to be done here that was not authorized by
the Constitution.
What remained to be done One other thing re-
manned to demonstrate to the civilized and pagan
world that we had passed successfully through the
third ordeal of our national existence and proved
that our Government was perpetual a great prln-
clple was to be restored which was established in
our Revolution, when our fathers were cOntending
against the power of Great Britain. What was their
complaints They complained of taxation without
representation. [Cheers.l One of the great princi
Piles laid down by our fathers, and which fired
their hearts, was that there should be no taxation
without representation.
How then does the matter stand Who has been
usurping pOwerl Who has been defeating the ope-
ration of the Constitution, and what remains to
be done to complete the restoration of these States
to all their former relations under the Federal Gov
eminent, and to finish the great ordeal through
which we have been passingl Ii is to admit repre-
sentaton. [Cheers. And when we say admitting
representation what do We meant We mean repre-
sentaton in the constitutional and law abiding
sense, as intended at the beginning of the Gov
eminent.
And where does that power lie The Constitu-
ton declares in express terms that each House the
Senate and House of Representatives, each acting
for itself shall be the judge of the returns Of cleo
ton and qualification of its own meWbers. 1t is
for each House to settle that question under the
Constitution, and under the solemn sanction of an
oath, and can we believe that either House would
admit any member into its body, to participate in
the legislation of the country who was not qualified
and fit to sit in that body and participate in its pro.
ceedngs. They have the pOwer-not the two
HOuses-but each House for itself.
The Constitution further declares that no State
shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate
of the United States without its consent. Then
where do we standl All that is needed to finish
this great work of restoration is for the two Houses
respectively to determine these questions. OH
but some will say, traitor might come in" The
answer to that is: Each House must be the Judge
and if a traitor presents himself, cannot either
House know that lie is traitor, Applause !; and if
he is traitor, can they not kick him out of the
door and send him back, saying to the people who
sent him, You must send us a loyal man."
fCheers, and voice, That's the logic"1 Is there
any difficulty about that [Cries of mo, nO."l
While have been contending against traitors and
traaSnn and sacaSsiOn and tha dissnlution of tho