The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-09-14

support the Constitution, and when
saw encroaclIments upon your con
stitutional rights, ] dared to sound
the tocsin Of alarm. rhree cheers
for Andy johnson. Then, If this
he right, the head and front Of my
offending is in telling when the Con.
stitution of our country was trampled
upon.
Let me say to those who thirst for
more blood, who are still willing to
sacrifice human life, If you want
victim, and the country requires 1t,
erect your altar aud lay Inc upon IL
tV pour the last libation to human
freedom. Loud applause love
my country. Every public act of my
life testifes that it is so. Where is
the man who can put his finger upon
any act Of mine that goes to prove to
the contraryp And what is my of
fending9 Voice--"Because you are
not Radical" and cries OF "veto."
Somebody says veto, veto, veto OF
what is called the Freedmen's Bureau
bill? / can tell you what it is. BE
fore the rebellion commenced there
were four millions of slaves and about
$40, 900 white people living in the
South. These latter paid expenses,
bought the lands and cultivated them,
and after the crops were gathered,
pocketed the profits. That's the way
the thing stood up TO the rebellion
The rebellion commenced, the slaves
were liberated. and then came up the
Frecdmen's Bureau bill. This pro.
vides for the appointment Of agents
and sub agents in all States, counties
and school districts, who have power
to make contracts for the freedmen
put and them into execution. The
cost Of this to the people was twelve
millions dollars at beginning. The
further expense would be greater,
and YOU are to be taxed for it, That
is why / vetoed IL.
The Civil Rights bill was more
enormous than the other have ex
ercised the veto power, they say -
Let me say to you of the threats II on,
your Stevcnscs, Summers, Phillipses
and all that class, I care not for them
AS they once talked about forming =
"lcague with hell and a covenant with
the devil" / tell you, my country
men, here to night, through the pow
er of hell, death and Stevens with all
his powers combined, there is no
power that can control me save you
the people and the God that spoke
me into existence. In bidding you
farewell here tonight, ! would ask
you, with all the pains Congress has
taken TO calumniate and malign me,
what has Congress done? Has it
done anything to restore the Union
of the States? But, on the contrary,
has it not done everything to pre-
vent il?
And because I stand now as I did
when the rebellion commenced, l
have been denounced as a traitor. -
My countrymen here IN. night, who
has suffered more than |? Who has
run greater risk? Who has borne
more than I. But Congress, factions,
domineering tyranical- Congress has
undertaken to poison the minds of the
American people, and create feeling
against mt in consequence Of the man
ner in which / have distributed the
public patronage.
While this gang-thc common
gang of cormorants and blood suck
ers have been fattcning upon the
country for the past -four or FIVE
years-men never going into the field,
who growl at being removed from
their fat uiIices-they are great pat
riots! Look at them all over your
district! Everybody is traitor that
is against them. think the time has
come when those who stayed at homr
and enjoyed offices for the last four
or five years-I think it would be no
more than right for them to give way
and let others participate in the ben
efls Of office. Hence you can see
why it is that I am traduced and as
sdulted. I stood up by these men
who were in the field, and | stand by
them now.
have been drawn into this long
speech, while | intended simply to
Nuke acknowledgements for the cor.
dial welcome; but il am insulted
wkile the civilitics are going on l
will resent it in proper manner and
in parting here tonight | have no
anger norFevepgerul feelings to graf
| ify. All want now-peace has
come and war is over-is for all pat
riotic men to rally round the stan.
dard OF their country and swear by
their altars and God, that all shall
sink together but what this Union
shall he supported.
Then in parting with you to- night,
I hand over you this fsg-not of
twenty-five but OF thirty-si stars-I
hand over to you the Constitution of
my country - though imprisoned,
though breaches have been made up
on it-with confidence hoping you
will repair the breaches, / hand it
over to you, in whom l have always
trusted and relied, and, so far, l have
never deserted-and l feel confident,
while speaking here tonight, for
heart responds to heart Of man, that
you agree TO the same great doctrine.
Then farewell ! The little Ill feel.
ings aroused here tonight, for some
men have felt little i'll, let us not
cherish them. Let me say, in this
connection, there are many white
people in this country that need
EN- ancipation. Let the work of