National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1866-11-09
ANDY JOIgNSON'2 SPEECH
Brevity the Soul of Wit.


Brvity the Soul of Wit
/. He who addresses you, is
Humble Individual.
=. / have filed the Offices which
the nation has bestowed, from al
derman up to President of the Uni
ted States. leave the Constitll-
tion in your hands.
3. am very much abused by a
subsizcd, corrupt and mcn,laciOus
press.
!. Pardon my allu'ling to myself,
but | beg leave to inform you that |
commenced as an alderman of one
of the small towns of this nation;
| went from that to mayor, from that
to the Legislature, from that 20
Senator ofthc State Legislature, from
that to the House Representatives
from that to the Senate of the Uni
ted States, from that to the Presiden-
tial chair.
D. | am no traitor; Mr.. Seward is
no traitor; nobody that supports
My Policy" is a traitor.
&. have no wish to he cyotistic.
but must say that | have occupied
all the places from alderman up to
the position | now occupy--Prsi-
dent of the United States.
! Z. The members of Congress who
oppose My Policy are all traitors;
every body who opposes "My Poll
cy" is a traitor. leave the Consti.
tuition in your hands.
$. 1t is not my intention to make
mention of myself, but it is perhaps
my duty to say that ! have been an
alderman, mayor, State Senator,
a Representative, IA Senator of the
United States Senate, and now | am
President. What more do | want 7
.. The Union party may gotO the
devil.
10. My ambition is satisfied. First
| was an alderman. then a mayor,
then a member OF a Estate Senate,
/ then Il member of the House of Rep
rcscntativeS, then IL member of the
! United States Senate, then at this
moment | am President of the Uni.
ted States.
IL. Seward is my friend and am
Seward friend; Seward likes me
and | like Seward Seward is a
good fellow and am a good fellow {;
we like each other. We leave the
Constitution in this town.
II. | have served my country in
Ill capacities. | began life as an al
derlnan, was Il mayor during my in
fancy, was a State Senator in my
childhood, became q Representative
in my early youth, attained my ma
jority as a Senator of the United
States, and now, in the prime of my
manhood, am President.
13. Who want, niggers to vote
If the Northern States want niggers
to vote, why don't they let them
vote at home Niggcrs shan't vote ;
desire them to have the same
chance as white men.
IA. Perhaps you are not aware
fellow citizens, that have been an
alderman, mayor, a State Senator,
Representative, Il United States
Senator and finally President of
the United States.
ID. The congressman who voted
for the Frccdmen's Bureau bill and
the civil rights bill are all fools. I'd
like to fight the whole one hundred
and cighty-two of them. | won't
leave the Constitution with nary one
of them.
lG. 1t is a matter of history that,
after being an alderman, Il mayor, u
State Senator, member of the
House OF Representatives, IA Uni
ted States Senator, | became Presi.
dent. Lincoln was assinated and
Seward butcllercd, and so | became
President.
II. have great confidence in the
American people, all except mem.
bcrs of Congress, UniOnists and
niggers they are all traitors, and
mean to fight them, with the help
of General Grant.
Is. Nobody ever held so many Of.
fees as have. ] have filed al the
various positions in life, such rs al
i, dcrman, mayor, State Senator, mem.
her of Congress, United States Sen
ator, and ut length l was made
, President.
|. 10. repeat that Seward is good
. fellow he stands by me and stand
, by him; | am not afraid of u sub
sidized and mercenary press all
loyal people may go to the devil /;
the Baltimore platform is my plat
form: Douglas was a friend Of mine ;
, | have been to erect n monument
, over him am not upon an elec.
tioncering tour; | haven't punished
: any Southern traitors, hut l mean
to take it up by punislIiDg lots Of
Northern traitors every man who
don't go for me is q traitor; l am
no traitor; | can't he traitor, he.
cause | have been an alderman, then
n mayor, then q State Senator, then
u Representative, then member Of
the United States Senate, and then
President.
20. | leave the Constitution In
. your hands, where ii Is safer than In
min, c,r bo ,;n,, l,oat, at, alderman.