Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-20
THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS TO THE
PEOPLE AGAIN.
He vindicates the Right of Represen-
tafion.

y. -.
crowd Of soldiers and sailors, assembled at tne
White House this evening TO pay their respects 10
the President, Mr.. johnson said: FIJI:
| confess that in the peculiar p0sltloh OF PuoIlc
affairs your presence and address give encour-
agement and confidence TO me IN my enorIS 70
discharge the duties incumbent upon M a onlei
Magistrate Of the republic; ana IN Wnt naiS u
say shall address you "a citizens sailors anu SUI
diers. [Applause.J ,,. -.
We are to-day involved in one OF the most cIlt
zeal and trying situations that mas occuTIea slhce
| the Government came into eXIstence-a nation
has still another test to give evidence 70 Ihe na
tions of the earth, and to its own cltizens tnat II
has power to restore internal unity that u ma. mas
| strength enough TO put down treachery anu urea
| son within its own borders. Cheers.l We nav
commenced new ordeal and, trust IN IN uou 'na'
| we will pass through it successfully; lCheefs'l
| | feel cOmplmented, b. the alluslon OF one
present to the fact that in the Senate IN 1901 anu
ls6l when the nation was entering on TINS ordeal
| / raised my hand against treason, treachery ana
traitors al home. Cheers, and cries OF gOou-I
| stand here to day holding to and MAINTAINING the
| same position which / then enumerated. aCheers.
stand here to-day opposing traitors ana uSasol'
whoever they be, in the South or IN the NOElh'
/ stand here to-day as then stood, using all
my powers mental and physical, TO preserVel
| the nation in passing through the thlrd phase
| of its existence. The organized forces and
| combined powers that recently stood arrayed
against us are disbanded and driven from the
field but it does not follow that there are stll no
| enemies against our present form OF government
| and our free institutions. Applause.
then stood in the Senate of the United States
denying the doctrine of separation and secession.
denied then as l do now, that any state mas the
right of its own will to separate Itself IRON the
other States and the right to destroy the Union
and break up the Government. think nave
| given some evidence that have been sincere ana
Now, want to know why it is that the whole
| train of slanderers and calumniators have been
| barking and swapping at my heels? lCheersI
| Why is it that they have arrayed themselves
against me? Is il because | stand on the side OF
| the people? and when | say the people include
sailors and soldiers. lCheerS.I Why Is It that
they are arrayed in raducng, and villifying, and
| eliminating me? Where ICere they during Inc re-
JeiiioHl IaHsioer, at home IN bed! Laughter
In the Senate raised my voice against II; and
| when it believed that 1t would be to the m
terest of the nation and would assist IN putting
| down the rebellion, did not leave my place IN
| the Senate-a place OF emolument. ease anu dlS-
| tinctiOn--and take my position where the enemy
could be reached and where mems lives were IN
| danger? lCheers, and cries that's 80.
While thus exposed personally and publicly,
| some of my present traducerS and calumnlatOrs
were far remOv ed from the foe and were enjoying
ease and comfort. Cheers and laughterl But
not for them. care not for that SANDER, the
foul whelp of sin, has been turned loose against
me. | care not for all that; and let ne tell you
here to-day, that although pretty well advanced
in life feel that / shall live long enough 70 live
down the whole pack Of traducers and slanderers.
APPLAUSE
They have turned the whole pack loose to lower
me in your estimation, e verify, they cant do
it, Tray, Blanche, and Sweetheart, little dogs,
and all, come along swapping and snarilng AT my
heels: but | heed them not. lCheers.I The
American people, citizens, soldiers, ana sailors
know that from my advent into public lie TO the
present moment, have always stood unwaver-
ingly the advocate and defender Of their rights
and interests Cheers.
We are now in the nations third ordeal. We
are not yet through. We denied thai States could
go out of the Union. We denied the doctrine Of
secession, and we have demonstrated that we are
right. We demonstrated 1t by the strong arm;
yes the soldiers and the sailors, God bless them.
have demonstrated by their patriotism and strong
arms that States have not the power to leave the
Union. Applause.
The Confederate armies were Overpowered and
dsbanded, and there willingness on the
part of the people of those States to come back in
obedience to the law, and acknowledge the supre
macy of the Constitution of our fathers.
For what have we passed through the tried or
deal? 1t was to prove the principle that no State
had the power to break up the Government: 1t
was to put down the rebellion. The rebellion
has been put down, and ,chdt for Was Il TO des-
troy the SdtGs'a Verify HeUer! For what have all
these lives been sacrificed, and all this treasure
expended? Was it for the purpose OF destroying
the States? No! 1t was for the purpose of pre-
serving the union of the States. That Is what we
have been cuntending for, and to establish the
fact that the nation can lift itself above and be-
yOnd internal wars and treason aud establish IL
home.
down, did that put Massachusetts out of the
Union and destroy the State When the rebel
lion in PENNSYLVANIA was put down, did that des
troy the State and put II out OF the Union so,
when the recent great rebellion was put down,
and the Constitution and laws of the country res
tored, the States engaged in the rebellion being
crushed, the law restored and the Constitution ac-
knowledged in them. they stand in the Union;
under the Constitution. as part o. me glorious
In passing through this ordeal what has been
done in them under the direction of my lamented
predecessor? We commenced the work OF repair.
We succeeded, before | came hera, in restoring
the relations which had existed between Tonnes
see and the rest Ofthe UniOn-with one exception,
and that was th e relation OF representation.
| came to W Washington, and under extraordinary
circumstances succeeded to the Presidential chair.
The Congress of the United States had adjourned
without prescribing any plan. then proceeded,
as had done in my own State, IN the reconStruc-
ton of the Government, to restore the other
States. How did we begin. We tonnd that The
people had no courts, and we said to the Judges;
District Attorneys and MarshaIs, 60 down and
hold your cearts. The people need the tribunals
OF justice opened.
Was there any wrong in that?, The courts were
opened. What else We looked out and saw
that the people down there had no mails. They
had been interrupted and cut Of by the operation
of the rebellion. We said to the Postmaster Gen
era let the people have facilities for mails, and
let them again begin TO understand what we all
feel and think, that we are one people.
We looked outagain, and saw that there was
bockade-that the custOmhouseS were all closed;
We said. open the doors of the custOmhOuses, and
remove the blockade. Let the pursuits of peace
go on. 1t was done. We thus Travelled on, step
by step, opening customhOuses, appointing col
lectorS and establishing mail facilities, and re-
storing all railroads that had been interrupted by
rebellion. Was there anything undertaken TO be
done here that was not authorized by the Consti-
tuition that was not justified by strict necessity of
the case that has not been clearly consistent with
the Constitution and with the generous spirit of
our Government? lCheers.I
What remained TO be done? One other thing
remained, to show the civilized world that We had
passed successfully through the tried ordeal of our
national existence, and proved that our Govern
ment was popular. great principle was to be
restored. which was established in our revolution,
when our fatherS were contendlng against the
power of Great Britain. What was one of the
principal causes of their complaint? ltwas, that
they were denied representation, and they com
planned of taxation without representation.
Cheers One of the great principles laid down by
our fathers. and which fired their hearts was, that
there should be no taxation without representa-
ton.
How. then, does the matter stand? Who has
been usurping pOwer2 Who has been defeating
the operation of the Constitution and what now
remains to be done to complete the restoration of
these States to all their former relations under
the Federal Government, and to finish the great
ordeal through which we have been passing. 1t
is TO admit representation. Cheers. When we
say admit representiop, what do we mean? We
mean representation in the constitutional and
law abiding sense which WAS understood at the
beginning Of the GoVsrnm9nt.
The Constitution declares in express terms that
each House the Senate aud lower House Of Rep
reSentatiyes each a5ting for itself, shall be the
Judge of the returns of the election and qualihca
tions of its own members. 1t is for each House TO
settle that question under the Constitution and
under the solemn sanction of an oath; and can
we believe that either House would admit any
member into its body to participate in the legis-
lation of the country who is not qualifed2 They
have poWcr-not the two Houses but one House
for itself.
The Constitution further declares that no State
shall be deprived Of its equal suffrage in the Sen
ate of the United States without its consent.
Where do we stand? All that is needed to finish
the great work of restoration is for the two Houses
respectively TO decide the question.
Oh, but some one will say, u traitor might come
In. The answer to that is, each House must be
the judge Of il; and if traitor presents himself
cannot help it. The House knows that be is a
traitor. IApplause.l
II be is a traitor. can they not kick hiH out of
doors and send him back, saying TO the people
who sent him, You must send US q loyal man.
Cheers Is there any difficulty about that?
(Cries Of mo, no. 4" and cheers. If traitor pre-
SCENTS himself TO either House, cannot that House
say to him, "No, you cannot be admitted into this
body Go back: we will not deny your people the
right of representation. but they must send 10y
al representative" lCheers
THE CUBAN NEGROES.
-. ~ Tha