Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-02-26

tory which does mot even Acouncel the I
legis alive or the executive department
of the Government It. seems that
practically the legislative power of the
Government is now vested. That great /
principle Of the Constitution which en-
powers the Legislative Department--the
Senate and the House Of. Representa-
tives-to Judge for itself of the election
returns and qualifications Of its own
members, has been virtually taken away |
from the lower branches of the Legisla-
tive Department of the Government, and
conferred UPON committee who nust /
report before either House can act under |
the Constitution as TO respecting the |
members who are TO take their seatt as
complicit parts of the respective bodies
By this rule it is assumed that there
must be laws passed recognizing State |
as in the Union, or its especial relations
to the Union are restored, before the re-
speetive Houses can judge of the cleo
ton returns and the qualification of
their own members. What opposition
is that? You struggled for four years
to put down rebellion; you denied in
T. beginning Of the struggle that any
State could go out of the Union; you
said that it had neither the right nor the
power to go out Of the Unionss
With what consistency, after it has
been settled by the military arm of the
government and by the public judgment,
that the States had no right to go out of
the Union, can any one now tern round
and assume that they are out-that they
shall not come in? Lam free to say to
you, as your Executive, that | am not
prepared to take any such position. Ap-
plause / said in the Senate in the
very inception of this rebellion, that the
States had no right to go out. / said,
they had no power to go out That
question has been settled, and it being
settled, can not turn around nov and
give the lie direct to all thatI have pro-
fessed and all / have done for the last
FIVE years. Applause. Even those
who rebelled comply with the Constitu
ton when they give sufficient evidence
of loyalty when they show that they
can be trusted when they yield obe-
dience to the law that you and ac-
knowledge obedience to- say extend
to them the right hand of fellowship, and
let peace and Union be restored. I'M
menss applause I fought traitors aud
treason in the South; opposed the Da-
yises, the Toombs 20, the Slidells, and
long list of others which you can readily
fill without my repeating the nam es now
When turn around and at the other
snd of the line find men, / care not by
what name you call them, who still stand
opposed to the restoration of the Union
r. Al g..
that am still in the field. Applause.
/ am still for the preservation of the
Union am still in favor of this great
Government of ours going on and filing
out its destiny. Great applause,
"Give us the names arethe other end,
Mr.. President - -
am called upon to name those at the
other end of the line. am talking to
my friends and fellow citizens who are
interested with me In this Government,
and I presume ] am free to mention to
you the names of those to whom ]. look 1
upon as opposed to the fundamental
principles OF this Government, and who
are laboring to pervert and destroy it
You ask me who they are2 / say Thad- ]
Gus Stevens of Pennsylvania, is one /
say Mr.. Sumner of the Senate, is another,
and Wendell Phillips is another Long
and continued applause. ~
A voice: Give it to them The
President ID reply said, win simply
say do not waste my ammunition on
dead ducks. Great laughter and APP
planse. / stand for my country and
stand for the Constitution There have
always placed my feet from my advent
into public life They may traduce, they
may Islander, they may viinperate me,
but let me say to you all this has no in
huence upon me. [Great applause.
Let me say further that do not intend
to be overawed by real or pretended
friends, nor do / mean to be bnlliel by
my enemies. Tremendous spplsuse.1
An honest conscience is my courage |
the Constitution is my guide. / know,
my countrymsn, that it has been insinu-
ated, nay, indeed, it has been said d.
rectly, in high circles, that il such o
usurpstion of power as / am charged
with had been exercised some hundred
years ago, in particular reign, it would
have cost an individual his head IGreat |
laughter,1 OF what usurpation mas An
drew Johnson been guilty2 Nonei |
nonel Is it usurpation 10 stand be-
tween the people and the encroachments
of power? Because, in conversation
with a fellow-citizen, who happened to
be q Senator, said that / thought
amendments to the Constitution ought
not to be so frequent; that If it was con-
tinually tinkered with it would lose all
its prestige and dignity, and she old i'm
strument would be lost sight of alto
gether in short time; and because, in
the same conversation, I happened to
say that if it were amended at all, such
and such an amendment ought to be
adopted, it was charged that | was gull
ty of assuming power that would have
cost king his head in certain period
of English history. Great laughter.]
From the same source the exclama.
ton has gone forth that they were in the
midst of earthquakes, that they were
tumbling and could not yell. Eaugh-
ter
Yes, fellow. citizens, there is an earth
quake coming; there is ground-swell-
ing OF popular judgement and indigna-
ton. EGreat applause. The American
people will speak, and by their instinct,
"a NV SSnCA wiSct tuey Will EHOW WIN oil 2
their friends and who are their enemies
1 have endeavored to be true to the
people in all the positions which | have
occupied, aud there is hardly a position
in this Government which have not at
some time filed. suppose it will be
said that this is vanity, ELaughter,1 but
may say that / have been in all of
them. | have been in both branches of
the State Legislature
A voice-You commenced tailor.
The President.
A gentleman behind me says that i
began tailor. Yes, 1 did begin
tailor. IApplause And the sugges-
ton does not discomfit me ia the least,
for when was tailor had the repu-
tation of being good one-and of ma
king close fits. ELaughter.] And
was always punctual to my customers
and did good work. 4ffsa
Voices. We viii patch upthe Union
yet - ~
The President. efi