Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-05-24
THE sERENADEs LAST NIGHT.
Speeches Of the President. Secretaries
Welles. McCulloch. and stanton, Post.
master General Dennison, and As.
sistant Secretary Seward.

Welles. McCullech, and stanton, POST
master General Dennison, and As.
sistant Secretary Seward.
Letters of Secretary Harlan and Attorney
General Speed.
The serenade rendered President Johnson
and the members OF his Cabinet, by the Ma
tional Union Club, came off last night.
large number OF persons assembled At the
rooms of the club, on 18th street, and, preceded
by the Marine Band, marched to the Execu-
tive Mansion, where IL was found veral hun
dred persons had already collected in anticl-
patton Of a speech by the President. After the
band had d'scoursed several airs, the Presi-
dent, accompanied by DepRty United States
Marshal o. Beirne and Hon Green Clay Smith,
OF KY, emerged from the Executive Mansion,
and took position on the outside coping OF
the portico. He was received with the most
enthusiastic applause, and after il had SUBJ
sided, he addressed the assembled multitude
as follows:
THE PRESIDENTS SPEECH
Fellow Citizens: In appearing before YOU
this evening 1t is simply for the purpose OF
rendering TO you my thanks, my sincere thanks,
for this demonstration, and for the appreciation
which you have man Ifested OH this occasion.
and on many occasions before. Such appro-
baton Is peculiarly gratifying and encoura-
ging TO me under existing circumstances. All
that will be necessary i 10 persist in the Suo-
port and maintenance of correct principleS
and the day is not distant when the American
people Will satisfy yOu that the good work
you have commenced is right: as it wllI so
prove in the end. [Cheers.l | repeat my
thanks for your appreciation Of my cOnduc. as
public man and a public servant.
The President then retired amid hearty Lp-
plause.
The party next proceeded to the residenc. of
the Secretary OF State In the absence OF Mr..
Seward, the Compliment was ackno wIed."d
by Mr.. Fred. Seward, who said:
SPEECH OF MIR. FREDERICK SEWARD.
Fellow Citizens. IL behalf of the Secreta-
ry of state thank you sincerely for This mani
testatlon of your kindness. / regret that he is
not here to- night, for | am sure that IL would
give him pleasure 10 witness and sharr in
yoHr demonstration of patriotic feeling OF fiGel-
ity TO the Union, and of appreciation OF the
wise and earnest efforts of the President for Its
restoration. [Cheers.l
The Secretary of the Navy was next called
upon. In acknowledgment of The compliment,
Mr.. Welles said
SECRETARY wELLEs' SPEECH.
thank you, gentlemen, for this compliment,
which, suppose, is 10 the Administration and
lis policy, which we, one and all approve.
lCheers.l You need not expect any remarks
from me, for do not intend TO make any You
and for the establishment of the rights of the
States. tCheers.l These are my views.
TCheers
The Secretary of the Treasury was next
called on. Mr.. .McCulloch said
SPEECH OF SECRETARY MCUfLoCH.
feiloW-CltiZeus: on are aware that am
not in the habit of making speeches: and 1
take 1t for granted, therefore, that, in making
the call upon me, You intended only to pay me
passing compliment, and not 10 elicit from
me any extended rem arks. l shall not dsap-
point you. l shall not be ungrateful for
your kindness as to infiict upon you a speech
Ny position, gentlemen, in reference TO the is
sues which are now engaging the public at
tention, are not, l apprehend, misunderstood
by you. GCheers.1 l took OCCASION last fail
among my old friends in Indiana, TO define my
positions; and since that time L have seen no
occasion TO change, much less TO abandon It,
lApp ause 1 will say, therefor as sup.
pose / must say something this occasion,
that the general policy of the Presi dent in re-
ference to the Southern States, and the peopIe
recently in arms against the Federal Govern
ment, has commended itself 10 my deliberate
judgment. TCheprs.I And although il has
been violently and in some instances vindic-
lively assaIled, have an abiding conviction
inv sbsii he % ,ia,rs5 20 mass ..,
1t at the ballot-box. Loud cheers.l THIS plan
is fairly stated in the platform OF the club
which many OF you represent need not say,
therefore, in regard 10 that platform, any
more than that subscribe TO all its doctrines
fully, and without reserve. TCheers.I sup
pose, gentlemen. that none of US expected
that. At the close of this great war, in which
much bad blood had been excited and more
good blood had been shed, we should have
bright skies and calm seas. i take it for grant
ed that most of us expected that at the close Of
this war there would be passion and piq ne,
and perhaps violence, which it would take
time to bring into proper subjugation. But,
although we anticipated this, we knew that
the people of the United States would be pre-.
cipated thar, at the close of the war; great Dues
tions would come mp for settlement the dis
cussion of which would be likely to agitate this
country. to shake IL, perhaps. from center to
circumference. But we knew also that the
people had net beer wanting in any previous
emergency, and we had confidence that they
would be prepared to cope with, and settle
satisfactorily any question that might be pre-
sented IN the future. lApplause.1 That faith
is with us now. Ii is strong with us TO night,
We have faith in the people, and we have
HQna 40 xt-ht htnl.
led this nation through the red sea OF battIs is
not likely 10 desert il now that the dreadful
passage has been accomplished. The President
of the L United States, gentlemen, stands before
the country in no doubtful attitude. His voice
gave utterance to no uncertain language when
IL denounced treason, AT the outbreak of the
rebellion, in the Senate of the United States
lCbeers.l He showed no falterlng fidelity
~hen, counting everything else as of no value.
mere dust in the balance. in couoparisop
with the Union and the Constitution. he went
back 10 Tennessee 10 fight treason and seces.
sion in their stronghold, and peril his life and
the lives Of his family. [Cheers His policy
is straightforward. intelligible, and practical.
II better policy can be presented. one more in
consonance with the principles of the Govern
ment, better calculated 10 preserve the su.
premacy of Federal authority, while it tren ches
not on the reserved and legitimate rights of the
States; more just more hum ane, better fitted to
bind the people Of this great country in a com.
mon brotherhood, at the same time that IL
places just condemnation Oh treason and vindi-
can be presented there is no man in the United
States who will more willingly embrace it
than Andrew johnson Hearty cheers.l But
until that better policy be presented, he must
be false to himself false to his record, and
must, In fact cease to be Andrew johnson, IL
he does not adhere to his policy, and sink or
evidence after all, gentlemen, Of the % correct. r
ness OF his policy. that Congress, after having
been In session nearly six long, weary months
has been unable to present one which thew
can agree upon as substitute. ICheers and
laughter.]
1t was once said, think by John Randolph,
that of all tinkers the Constitution tinkers were
the most TO be deprecated. (Cheers.1 II the
old man could rise from the grave. what would
he say to the present Congress. In which every
third man, at least, is a Constitution tinkerf
lCheers and lauehter.] But they are not wise
enough to amend that grand old instrument,
the work Of our patriot fathers, of the founders
OF the Republic, the glory Of the United States,
and the admiration OF the world TCheersl
MY fellow citizens, there is but one proposi-
ton that has been presented that stands even
the gh ost Of a chance of acceptance by the peo-
pie of the North; and that is the proposition
basing representation on voters. And whose
fox,l 10 L. fhaft thnt so 49,