Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-26
me Prastdent,s speech.

AAD
Il seems to be the fate of Andrew john
son to destroy the fair fame which he
achieved during the war and to bring
shame and grief for their chief officer to
the hearts of the American people. Many
times, during his brief administration have
the people of the United States had cause
to blush for their scci Mt
but never such deep cause as he gave them
in his speech on Thursday last. The in
decent exhibition which he made of him.
self on the fourth of March, when he was
inaugurated as Vice President, was digni-
fed and respectable in comparison with
this last performance.
The first feeling caused by the perusal
of this extra ordinary hara els that of
sickening shame. When the Chief Mag
istrate of the nation disgraces himself by
assuminetfe role Of a pot-house politician,
and bandying scurrilous slang with a
crowd of ~applauding rowdies, the nation
shares the disgrace, and republican insti-
tutions are brought into contempt. What
will be thought in Europe of the spectacle
of the highest officer of the American ma
ton plying all the wiles of a ~demagogue,
dens4seing the foremost men of his
party with indecent epithets, and
holding himself up to the nation as a mar
tyr, by ~insinuating that the men who
Elected him are now plotting his assassi-
nationl VIII not the Republieb be degraded
wherever this unprecedented harangue is
read? Will not all Democratic institu-
tions suffer from this humiliating specta-
cle7 No severer shock can be given to
the, fundamental theory Of Republicanism
than such an exhibition on the part of q
man VINO occupies the chair Of the Presi-
dent of the United States. Alas for the
seat of Washington and Adams, SO dis
honored and disgracedi
4 This speech completes the Presidential
desertion to the Copperhead party. 1t
renders final the breach between himself
and the party which he has betrayed.
Had Mr.. johnson possessed wisdom
enough to hold his tongue and allow his
course to be interpreted and explained by
such smooth-tongued and adroit takers as
Seward, Dennison and Raymond, he would
have retained some influence over and re-
spect from the people, and the results Of
his abandonment Of liberty and justice
might have been rendered much more
widespread and baneful. But the vulgar
exhibition of malice and vindictiveness,
Of contempt for the party which elected
him, and Of open defiance for all its most
cherished principles, has destroyed at once
his reputation and power. The Presidential
treachery is shorn of ali its capacity for
harm by the Presidential folly. MI. john
son has gone over to the cop~perheadsi but
the Union party, so far from being divided
bv his loss, is stronger than ever. a few
men who set office above principle will
follow him, but the mass of the party,
freed from the pernicious influence OF
these peddling politicians, remain, more
: united in heart and firm Of purpose than
ever, true to the principles of Liberty and
Right.
It is well to remark that when the Presi-
dent stoops from his high position to in
dulge in personal denunciation of Messrs-
Sumner and Stevens, he attacks them, not
for their individual opinions, but for views
which they share with the entire Repub-
lean party. The Presidents savage abuse
is therefore not so much directed against
them as against the party which placed
him where he is. He cannot find words
too bitter to denounce the appointment OF
the Reconstruction Committee, yet every
Republican IN both branches of Congress
voted for the establishment Of that COM
mittee. He assaults Congress for refus-
ing TO admit en nnasse the Representatives
from the Southern States, yet there are
not five Republicans in either branch OF
Congress who would support a PROPOSE
ton to readmit all the states lately in re-
bellion. The Presidents savage onslaught
is made upon his own party. 1t was Mt
ting that this assault should be made in
an address to a crowd of Copperheads and
returned rebels, and that it should be re-
ceived by them with cheers which made
the welkin ring. 1t was fitting that 1t
should be made to a throng which had
Just been harangued by Copperhead Sam.
Cox, of Ohio, by Copperhead Hendricks, of
Indiana, by Copperhead Rogers Of New
Jersey, by Copperhead Hogan of Missouri,
by Copperhead Dick Merrick of Illinois,
by Copperhead Voorhees, of Indiana, and
by other Copperhead luminsries 0tlesser
light. The speech, the audience, and the
surroundings ~harmonized admirably.
But of all paragraphs in this most ex-
tr~aordiDary address the most extraordinary
is that in which the President charges the
Republican leaders with plotting his assas
sination. These are his most remarkable
words:
! make use Of & very strong expression,
when I say, / have no doubt the intention
was to incite assassination, and so get cut OF
the way the obstacle from the place ofpower,
whether by assassination or not. There are
individuals in the government, 1 doubt not,
who want TO destroy or die. They are not
satisfied with the blood that has been shed
Does not the murder of Lincoln appease
the vengeance and wrath of the opponents
of the governmentY Do they still want
more blood Have they not got honor and
courage enough TO obtain their objects other
wise then by the hands of the assassin?
In using this language the Pres dent
filings aside the mask, and exhibits him
self in his true light as a demagogue and
falsifer. President johnson knows that
the charge which he has made is utterly
without foundation. The Republican
party does not deal in assassination-it is
rebels that use that cowardly weapon.
And it comes with the purest possible
grace from a man made President by as
s~assination, and now assuming to be the
peculiar champion of the assassins who
removed his predecessor by murder, to
upon the Republican party an at t
assassinate him. The low falsity of |
this charge is only equalled by its folly. g
And will tho IrADFR and nanara of ;ts ]