The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-03-18
MI. vanandigham,s Speech.

Az larSe Pontlca! meeting, Few days
called for, addressed the meeting at some
length. More than twenty years ago, said
he, before he had vote, he had, as a
youth, supported President not of the
party to which he belonged. Again, some
fifteen years since, he had united with
many gentlemen of the Wing party, in this
city, in sustaining Millard Fillmore, another
President for whom he had not voted And
now again, for the third time, he found
himself constrained, by sincere and ho-
nest sense of duty, to give an earnest sup
port to yet another President not of his
choosing-at least upon the question Of
the veto of the Freedmen's Bureau bill.
The meeting tonight presented a novel
spectacle. 1t was announced as q public
meeting, without distinction OF party. Its
purposewa confined TO sustaining the Pre-
sident IN his veto. The of er had been made
to those who had voted iyr Andrew John
son, that they should come forward and
control the meeting. They had not re-
sponded, and but few of them were pre-
sent, unless as spectators. All had been
done which decency and proprietv required.
Perhaps these men did not like they would
meet here tonight. Very well. Let them
understand they must accept the company
or desert the President; for just so long as
Andrew Johnson adhered to the Constitu-
ton and faithfully and earnestly carried
out his declared policy of immediately
bringing back the Southern States as
equals-equals as States and equals as to
their individual citizens-and thus of re-
storing the old Union undersghe old Fede-
raj Constitution, he would be entitled to
and have the support of the Democratic
party as a unit; and that party numbered
now nearly one-half OF the people of the
States which had always adhered to the
Union. That party would support him not
as partisans, and, least of all, for the sake
of Office. Let those who voted for and now
stand by him in good faith by deeds, not
professions, hold the offices; though he
must say that it was rather odd that they
who lived by the breath of the President,
whose very commissions bore his sigma
ture, were missing here tonight, now in
the very hour of the Presidents trial AS
for himself, he would not sign recon-
mendation for any Democrat for an Office
under Johnson to the end of his term; and
yet he had slight suspicion that just now
ing his (Mr. V.'s) name, would be as rea-
Oily honored as one bearing the names of
Stevens, Sumner or Schenck. daughter
and app!ause.] The President would have
enough of friends whose affection was to be
measured by Office, but what he needed
was the people with him-the support of
honest: earnest men who wanted no Office
under him. Democrats do not desire to
steal the President. Andrew johnson is
not man to be stolen, and we are not the
men who steal. [Applause.l When he is
wrong, we will condemn him; when he is
only in sincerity, but earnestly and with
vigor. There will be no :" dead ducks"
among us. He (Mr. W applauded tine veto
because 1t killed an unconstitutional, ex-
pensive, oppressive, unjust and despotic
measure; an institution burdensome to the
North and West, and utterly ruinous to the
South. More than that, he approved OF
the general doctrines OF the veto message;
not because he found them there, but be-
cause they were the very doctrines, for the
most part, at least, that he had learned
years ago from the speeches and writings
OF Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Jack
son, Webster and Clay, before he had ever
heard Of Andrew Johnson. Loud ap-
plause.] johnson, himself, had learned in
the same school, and had only borrowed
and admirably applied them to that par
ticular measure. II, said Mr.. ", the gene
raj doctrines OF the veto message are, as
his Excellency Governor Cox insinuates,
the principles upon which the President
was elected, then, for ten years, I have
been a Republican without knowing it.
Laughter
It was the fashion, just nov, Of some to
criticise the style of the Presidents speech.
After Lincoln's contributions to Executive
literature, such objectors ought to be ST.
lent. Perhaps, indeed, it was not precisely
according to the rules laid down by Cicero,
Quintillian, Blair and Niately, or the cold
statuary models furnished by Charles Sum-
ner. Perhaps neither Victoria nor Napo-
leon would have 80 spoken. But, at least,
American speech. And more than that, it
was most timely speech. The veto and
message accompanying it showed that An
drew johnson meant to fight the Internal
Thugs who have arrayed themselves against
him and his policy, and who would stran-
gle the Union, and with it, all peace, good
will and prosperity throughout the land
forever. But the speech proved, what was
more important, that he knew how to fight
them; that he was one of the half-dozen
men in the United States who understand
that the devil of fanaticism is to be fought
only with fire. tApplause.] 1t was q
smashing blow" aul the Thugs reeled
under it. 1lr. Vallandigham thanked the
President, also, for his conversation with
Governor Cox, who, along with John Sher-
man, seemed to want to perform the part
of 'Spaulding's glue" between Johnson and
!. his enemies. AS a whole, it was but re-
petition Of his message and spe ech. Mr..
V. especially thanked him for his sis nal
and manly rcbuke to those bitter and mar
row-minded bigots who object that Ger
tain men," whom they have abused, SLAM
dered and injured, and therefore hate, are
applauding johnson, firing cannon and
hanging out flags. These objectors are
class OF Lien who would not, even if they
could get chance, enter the gates of Para
disc, If those "certain men" were there
before Them. Very well, again. If they do
not like the goodly fellowship Of ''peace
men,, the Lord have mercy on them, for it
is written g of such is the kingdom Of Hea-
ven" Laughter and cheers. The Pre-
sldent had said in that conversation that
lac had no cause for sorrow over the fact
and that loyal men everywhere ought to