Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-04-19
F ROM WASHINGTON
Serenade of the President by Soldiers
and Sailors.
TEE PRESIDENTS s ADDRESS

WASHINGTON, April lS.-At o clock this evening
procession of soldiers and Sailors and such of their
friends as sympathize with them. in their grateful
acknowledgement to the President for his order
lately issued, directing the heads of the Departments
to give preference, in appointments and promotions
to the subordinate offices, to persons who have rem
dered honorable service in the army and navy was
formed and marched to the Executive Mansion, with
the Marine Band to serenade President Johnson who
signifed to the committee, that he would accent the
compliment.
very large number of persons of both sexes, were
previously on the ground, awaiting the demonstra-
ton. a quarter past O'Clock the band performed
several patriotic airs, when the President made his
appearance and was greeted with huzzas by tho as
sembled thousands, He took stand in the COPING
Of the wall the carriage-way, on tho north side
of the mansion when he was addressed in behalf Of
the soldiers and sailors by of their number, in
highly complimentary terms, saying, in conclusion :
In return for your kindness we can but offer our
Sympathles and prayers and trust that an all-wisc
Providence who has brought our nation through A
baptism of blood, and TO whom we oonsecrate it anew
free from slavery and by nations tears will so
guide and direct that you may calm the trOub ed
waters; harmonze public opinion, and restore our
wnole blessed country once more to peace and pros
perity."
ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT
President johnson said:-It snot affectation in ne
70 say that language Is inadequate to convey the
heartfelt feelings produced on this occasion bv your
presence here. and by the presentation of your sen
mens as expressed by your representative in his ad
dress and in the resolutions which you have thought
proper to adopt. confess that in the peculiar pos
ture OF pubic afalrs your presence and address give
encouragement and confidence to me in my efforts to
discharge the d,77%as@Tsumbent upon me as Chic!
Magistrate Of the Republic. and in what have to
say, snail address in the character of citizens
sailors and soldiers, shall speak to you in those
terms End on none others.
reSpeat my thanks for the manifestation of your
aRprobaton' and otyo9r announcement. applause.
We are to day invovedin one of the most critical and
trying struggles that have occurred since this Govern
men was SpOken1nto existence. Nations like indiyid-
ualS, must have a beginning, must have birth In
struggling into existence nation passes through II.
hrsttrylng ordeal 1t is not necessary for me now to
carry your minds back to the struggle wnen this
nation was born. 1t not necessary for me to alude
to the Rr!vations and hardships of those who we!
engaged IN that struggle to achieve the national birth
IL not necessary to point to the blood shed and the
lives lost In accomplishing that result The next Or
oead !nrough WhGn nation mas to pass IS when il is
called upon TO give evidence that 1t has strength,
capacity and power TO maintain itself among the ma
tons OF the earth. In giving such evidence passed
through the war OF 1872 and through the with
Mexico; and we passed through all the struggles that
have since occurred up to the beginning of the re-
This was our second ordeal. But nation has
another test still to undergo, and that to give ev
dence to the nations of the earth and to its own
zens, that it has power to resist internal foes That
1t has strength enough to put down treachery at
home and treason within its own borders. ICheery
We have commenced that ordeal, and | trust in God
we will pass through it successfully. Cheers feel
compllmented by the allusOn of your representative
10 tne 1act tnat stood IN the Senate 1860 and 1851
when the nation was entering on this third ordeal
and raised my voice and hand against treason reach
cry, and traitors at home lCheers and cries of good
stand here to day holding to and maintaining the
same principles which then enunciated. Cheers
l stand here to-day opposing traitors and treason
whether they be in the South or in the North LoUi
cheers. | stand here to-day as l then stood using
all my powers mental and physical to preserve this
nation IN passing through the third phase Of its exiS
tenCe.
The organized forces and Combined powers that re-
Gently stood arrayed against us are disbanded and
driven from the field but it does follow that there
are still no enemies against our present form of gov
ernment and our free institutions. Applause
then stood IN the Senate of the United States de-
nylng the doctrine OF separation and secession.
denied then as | deny now, that any State has the
right OF Its own Will, to separate itself from the
other States and thereby to destroy the Union and
break up the Government; and think have given
some evidence that have been sincere and in earnest
And now want to know why it is that the whole
train of slanderers, calumnaOrs and traducers have
been barking and swapping at my heels? [Cheers.l
Why is it that they array themselves against me ?
when | say the people include the sailors and sol
diers Cheers Why is it that they arrayed in ira
ducing and vIlifying and calumniatng me? Where
were they, during the rebellion? "A Voice-"Home
in bed"-laughter.l In the Senate raised nv voice
against it. and when it was believed that it would be
to the interest OF the nation and would assist in put
ting down the rebellion, did not leave my place in
the Senate-a place of emOlument, ease and distinc
ton and take position where the enemy could he
reached and where mems lives were in danger p
lCheers and cries of that's sol
While was thus exposed personally and publicly
and IN every way some of my present traducers and
calumniators were far removed from the war and
were enjoying ease and comfort. Chcers and laugh
teri But care not for themI care not that SLAM
der, the foul whelp of sin, has been turned loose
against me. care not for all that and let me tell
you here to-day that although pretty well advanced
in life feel that shall live long enough to live down
the whole pack of traducers and slanderers Ap-
plause.l They have turned the whole pack loose to
lower me IN your estimation. lVoices-"They can't
do it, Tray, Blanche and Sweetheart, little dogs
and all, come along swapping and snarling at my
heels, but heed them not. Cheers.l
American DeODle. nd oil
know that from my advent into public life to the
present moment, have always stood unyielding and
rights and interests. (Cheers.)
We are now in the p, nations third ordeal We are
out of the Union. We denied the doctrine of sece.
sion and we have demonstrated that we were right
We demonstrated it by the strong arm. Yes, the SOL
diers and the sailers,-God bless them-haye demon
strated by their patriotic hearts and strong arms.
that States have not the the power to leave the Union
What followed? The Confederate armies were
overpowered and disbanded, and there was willing
ness on the part of the people of those States to come
supremacy of the Constitution of our fathers For
what have we passed through this third ordeal? 1t
was to establish the principle that State had the
power to break up this Government. 1t was to put
down the rebellion. The rebellion has been put down
and for what? Was it to destroy the States3 Voices
neyer.I For what have all these lives been sacri-
feed and all this treasure expended? Was it for the
purpose Of destroying the States? No it for the
purpose of preserving the States in the Union of our
fathers. Cheers. 1t was for that you fought Ii
was for that tOiled-not to break the Government
butte put down the rebellion and serve the Union
of the States.
That is what we have been contending for and to
establish the fact that the nation lit itself above
and beyond intestine foes and treason and traitors
at home. When the rebellion in Massachusetts was
put down, did that put MASSACHUSETTS, out of the
Union and destroy the State? And when the rebel
lion in Pennsylvania was put down. did that destroy
the State and put it out of the Union? So when the
recent great rebellion was put down, and the Con-
stution and laws of the country restored the States
engaged in it stood part of the Union. The rebel
lion being crushed the law being restored, the Con-
sttution being acknowledged these States stand in
the Union constituting part of the glorious and
bright galaxy of States. Loud cheers
In passing through this ordeal what has been
done2 In Tennessee, under the direction of nv la
mented predecessor, he commenced the work of res
toratlon; he had succeeded before came here in re-
storing the relations which had existed between Ten
nesee and the rest of the Union with one execution
and that was the relation of representation came
TO washington. and under extraordinary crcum-
stances, succeeded to the Presidential chair What
tnen! the Congress of the United States had adjourned
without prescribing any plan. then proceeded as
nao done In my own State, under the direction of the
GoVernment to restore the other States and how
dld we begin? We found that the people had no
courts, and we said to the judges the district ator
neys and the marshals: 30 down and hold your
courts The people need the tribunals OF justice 70
sbe opened" Was there anything wrong IN that! Ihe
courts were opened. What else? We elookeq ouI ana
saw that the people down there had no mals' tAeS