The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1866-03-03

fer the penalty Of the law But for the
great mass who have been forced into the re-
belllon and nisled by their leaders, / say !
! lenity, kindness, trust and confidence. The
rebellion Is put down by the strong arm Of
4 Government; but we are scarcely out Of one +
/ rebellion before we are almost in the midst
( Of another rebellion There IS an attempt
i 10 concentrate the power of the Government
4 in the hands Of few, and thereby bring
/ about a consolidation which is equally dan
/ gerOus and Objectionable, with separation
! Sometimes revolutions are most disasterous
! to the people, and arc effected without she'd
ding blOOd The substance of our Govern /
ment may be taken away, leaving only the
( formidable shadow. We find that IN fact
by an irresponsible central director, nearly
all powers Of Government are assumed with
T out even consulting the Legislative or Exec
/ utige Departments Of the Government by
the resolutions reported by a committee on
whom all the Legislative power Of the Gov
/ ernment has been conferred The principle
In the Constitution, which authorizes and
/ empowers each branch of the legislative de-
partment TO be judges Of the election and
qualifications Of its own members, has been
/ virtually taken away from these departments
/ and conferred upon q committee, who must
1 report before they can act under the Con
] stitutiOn and allow members duly elected to
take their seats. BY this rule they assume
that there must be laws passed that there
I must be a recognition in respect to States in
the Union with all its political relations re-
| stored, before the respective Houses of Con
gress under the Constitution, shall judge Of
/ the election and qualification of its own
members You have been stru ggling for
four years to put down the rebellion. Yon
/ denied in the beginning that any State had
the right to 90 out of the Union, and it has
been settled that State has neither the right
L., ., Al r.
when you have settled that by the Executive
and military power of the Government, and
by the public Judgement you turn around
and assume that they are out and shall not
come In ! am free to say to you, as your
i Executive, that l am not prepared to take
any such position. l cannot turn around
now and give direct lie to all profess to
have done in the last FIVE years
/ say that when these States comply with
the Constitution; when they have given suf-
fcient evidence of their loyalty, and that
they can be trusted when they yield ODE
dience to the laws, 1 say extend to them the
right hand of fellowship, and let peace and
union be restored. I have fought treason
and traitors in the South l opposed the
Davises, the Toombses and the Slidells, and
a long list of others, whose names / need
not now repeat; and now, when I turn
round at the other end of the line, find men,
/ care not by what name you call them, IA
yoice-call them traitors, who still stand
p opposed to the restoration of the Union of
these States, and I am free to say to you
that l am still for the preservation of the
compact l am still for the preservation of
+ this Union, I am still in favor of this great
= Government OF ours, living and following
out its destiny. "a voise-Give US the
names) a gentleman calls for their names.
Well, suppose / should give them. "a voice
we know them.) / look upon them, l re-
8 peat it as President or citizen as much OPP
posed to the fundauental principles of this
Government, and believe they are as much
laboring to destroy them as were the men
who fought against us. "a voice" what
are their names ?" l say Thad Stevens, of
Pennsylvania, Tremendous applausel
say Charles Sumner, (Great applause
> say Wendell Phillips and others of the same
r stripe, all amongst them. A voice" Give
Q it to Forney.') have only to say that l do
not waste my ammunition dead ducks
3 daughter and applause) | stand for my
country stand for the Constitution, where
D / placed my feet from my entrance into pub
l lie life They may traduee me- they may
SANDER me, they may yituperate, but let me
say to you that it has no effect upon me.
(cheers.) Let me say in addition that l do
not intend to be bullied by enemies Gap
= plause, and cry" The people will sustain
Z you" know, my countrYmeu, that it has
been insinuated, not only insinuated but
said directly, the intimation has been given
u in high places, that if such a usurpation of
Z pOTtr had been exercised two hundred years
I ago in a particular region, it would have cost
q certain individual his head. What usurp
alton has Andrew Johnson been guilty Of ?
n / (None none The only usurpati0n ]
} have ever been guilty of was between the
c people and elcroachment of power, and be-
:. cause I dared to say in conversation with a
d fellow-citizen and Senator that I thought
n amendments to the Constitution ought not
/ to be frequently made, that it would lose all
dignity, and that the old instrument would
c be lost sight Of in u very short time because
Q l happened to say that if it was amended
+ such and such amendments should be adopt
Y ed, it was an usurpation Of power that
Y would have cost q king his head, at a certain
IS time daughter and applause)
c In connection with the subject it was
IS maintained by the same gentleman that we
o were in the midst of an earthquake, that he
/ trembled and could not yield. Laughter,
It Y es, there is an earthquake cOming-there
G. is a ground-sweI coming-of popular judy
d ment and Indignation. { a voice, " That
f true) The American people will stand by
v their interests, and will know who are thelI
{ friends and who are their enemies. What
o position have l held under the Government
is Beginning with an alderman, and running
n through all branches of the Legislature
l. ( a voice, from q tailor up Some gen
e tleman says I have been a tailor Tremen
D. dous applase) Now that did not discom
le fort me in the least for when I used to be {
II tailor had the reputation of being good
b. one and making close fits (Great applause
A. always punctual with my customers, and al
e ways did good work "a voice, " No patch
l. work No, I don't want any patchwork
It ] want whole suit But win pass by this
e little righteousness, my friends. Some may
v say, You are President and you must no.
d talk about such things" When principle:
o are involved, my countrymen, when the ex-
&c istence of my country is imperiled l vii
l. act as / have on former occasions, anC
i speak what l think was saying that haC
\ occupied nearly all positions, from alder
i man through both branches Of Congress tt
Y that which l occupy at the present time
2 and who is there that will say that Andy
g Lnhnsnn nrar made q nIedgs that be did no