The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-08-22

u. L
now addressing you stands a repre-
sentative of another department of the
Government. The manner in which
he was called upon to occupy that po-
sition / shall not allude to on this
occasion. Suffice it to say that he is
here under the Constitution of the
country, and being here by virtue of
its provisions, he takes his stand upon
the charter of our liberties as the
great rampant of civil and religious
liberty. Prolonged cheering Hav-
ing been taught in early life to hold
it sacred, and having practiced upon
1t during my whole career, I shall
ever continue to reverence that Con-
stitution - the Constitution of the
fathers of our country, and to make it
my guide. Enthusiastic cheers. l
know it has been said-I must be per-
mitted to indulge in the remark-that
the Executive Department of the
Government has been tyranical. Let
me ask this audience of distinguished
gentlemen around me here to- day to
a vote ever gave, to speech L ever
made, to single act of my whole pub
lie life, that has not been against
tyranny and despotism, has been ex-
ercised as to myself. The elements of
my nature, the pursuits of my life,
have not made me either In my feel
ing, or in my practice, aggressive My
nature, on the contrary, is defensive
In its character, but l will say that,
having taken my stand upon the broad
principles of liberty and Constitution,
there is not power on earth to drive
me from it. Prolonged cheering
Having placed myself upon that
broad platform, / have never been
awed, dismayed or intimidated by
either threats or enroachments, but
have stood there, in conjunction with
other patriotic spirits, sounding the
alarm whenever | deemed the citidel
of liberty in danger. Great applause.
L said, on previous occasion, and re-
peat it now, that all that was neces-
sary in the great struggle against tyi
ranny and despotism, was that the
struggle should be sufficiently audible
for the American people to hear,
and properly understand they did
hear, and looking in and seeing who
the combatants were and what the
struggle was about, they determined
that they would settle the question on
the side of the Constitution and of
principle. Cries of that's so. /
proclaim here to-day as / have on
other occasions, that my faith is abid
ing IN the great mass of the people
In the dark moments of the struggle.
when clouds seemed to be most lower
ing, my faith instead of giving way.
looked up through the dark clouds
far beyond. / saw that all would be
safe in the end. CCheers.1 My coun-
trymen, we all know that, in the Lam
guage of Thomas Jefferson, tyranny
and despotism never can be exercised
and exerted more efectually than by
a Congress gradually enroaching,
f topp. rights step and u uR.ate G Son ser
day and month after month, the fun
damental principles of the Govern
n,ent. We have seen Congress that
seemed to forget that there was
Constitution, and that there was a
limit to the sphere and scale of legis-
lation. Renewed cries of that's so.
We have seen Congress in a minori-
ty assume to exercise powers which if |
allowed to be carried out, would re-
suit in despotism or monarchy itself. |
lCries of that's so and enthusiastic |
cheers given for the President. This |
is the truth, and because others as |
well as myself have seen proper to |
appeal to patriotism and the Republi- |
can feeling of the country, we have |
been denounced in the most severe |
terms. SANDER upon SANDER, vitn-
peratlon upon vituperation of the
most vlllainous character has made |
its way into the public press. What. |
gentlemen, has been yours and nv
sin? What has been the curse of our |
offending? I will tell you'll Daring |
to stand by the Constitution of our |
fathers. [Cheers.1 |
The President here approached the |
spot where Senator johnson was
standing and said: 5ff- - -.
l consider the proceedings of this |
Convention, sir, as more important |
than those of any Convention that |
ever assembled in the United States. |
[Great Applause. ] il'e Y 49,
When look with my minds eve |
on that collection of citizens. coming |
together and voluntarily sitting in |
council, with ideas, with principles |
and views commensurate with all the |
States and co-extensive with the |
whole people, and contrast it with the |
collection of gentlemen who are try
ing to destroy the country, I regard
it as more important than any Con-
vention that has sat, at least since
1857. Loud Cheers l think / !
may say, also, that the declarations !
that were made are equal with the |
Declaration of independence itself. |
and here, to-day, I pronounce it a
second Declaration of Independence.
ECries of Glorious!" and most en-
thusiastic and prolonged applause.