The daily Mississippi clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1866, 1866-04-20

Tie acJl0n OF the government 10 IHe Noh-
of our fathers. Hence | say, let
us stand by that Constitution, and in stand
ing by it, the covenant will be prese rived.
While have been contending against trail
tors and treason, and the dissolution of the
Union, / have been contending at the
same time against the consolidation OF
power here. / think consolidation OF
here equally dangerous with separation.
Cheers.
The one would run into anarchy while
the other would concentrate and eventu-
ally end in monarchy; but there is an
idea abroad that one man can be usuper.
Mr.. Jefferson, the apostle of liberty, tells
us, and so does common sense, that tyran-
ny and despotism can be exercised by
many more vigorously and more tyran-
nically than by one-what power has
your President to attain-what can he
can he originate? Why, they
say he exercises the veto power Laugh
teri, what is the veto power? A voice, to
put down the Niger. II laughter Who is
your President? Several voices, Andy
Johnson Is he not elected by the people!
The President is the tribune of the people.
In olden times when tribunes were first
elected in the Roman Republic, the
people chose a tribune and placed him at
the doors of the Senate so that when that
body ventured an oppressive act, he was
clothed with the power to say, veto and
forbid-your President now is the tribune
of the people. thank God | am and in
tend to assert the power which the people
have placed in me. [Cheers.l Your Pres
ident, standing here day after day, dis
charging his duty is like horse on a
tread-wheel, and because he dares differ
in opinion in regard to public measures,
he must be denounced as an usurper and
a tryant. Can he originate anything UNI
der the veto power? | think the veto
power conservative in its character and
affirmation. All that can be done by the
veto power is to say when legislation is
improper, hasty, unwise and unconstitu-
al, stop action and wait till this can besub-
mitted to the people, and let them consid-
er whether it is right or wrong, Applause
that is all there is it. Hence, l say that
tyranny and power can beeXercised some
where else than by the Executive; he is
powerless; all that he can do is to check
legislation, to hold it in a state of
allegiance until the people can consider
and understand what is being done. Then
what has been done? l have done what
conscience | believed required me to do.
So believing, intend to stick to my posi-
ton, relying on the judgment and the in
telligence of the people-thc soldiers and
sailors expressly. [Cheers.l Then for my
life cannot see where there is any tyran-
ny. 1t is very easy to impugn motives,
and suspect the purest and best acts of a
mans life. If you come forward and
propose a certain thing, your motives
are suspected and condemned; and if
you withhold your opinion, you are re-
garded as being opposed to the matter, so
that 1t is very hard to move one way or the
other, so far as certain positions are con-
cerned. In the American people is my
hope for the salvation of the country. |
am with you, soldiers, sailors and citizens.
Who has sacrificed or periled more !?
Has not my all been put on it? My
life, my property, everything saceed
and dear to man has been
staked upon it, and can | now be suspect
ed of faltering at the close of the third
ordeal of the nation. Where is he in pub
lie or private life, who has sacrificed more
sr who has devoted more of his time and
energies to the accomplishment of the
great end than L? | have done it from
the prOmptings of my own heart. | be-
lieve it was right, and with your hearts
and your cOuntenanceS, and your encour-
agement | shall go through on that line.
[Cheers and laughter And when | come
to talk about sailors and soldiers, about
this to be done and that to be done, all |
want is for you to wait and see. So far as
you are concerned, wait and see if | don't
may falter and fail. [Cheers. | wait to
see measures of policy brought forward
that will advance the interest of the peo-
pie and of that portion of the people who
constitute the gallant and brave men who
in both branches of the service have up
held the national flag and sustained the
country in the recent struggle. | thank
you, gentlemen, for the encouragement!
j thank you for four countenance on this
OccasiOn-it cheers me on, and gives me
strength to perform the work before me.
If we are true to ourselves, if we are true
to the Constitution, the day is not far dis
tant when this government will be restor-
ed. Let us enlarge the area of our COM
merce and trade. and let us not only in
sure confidence at home, but respect
abroad, by letting the nation resume its
| career of greatness. l know that some
will find fault with me, and say | am toe
| lenient, too kind, and all that. If we were
all to be put to death, or punished, OF
| thrown away for one offense. or for the
| second offense. and were to be lost and eX-
| cluded from society and communion with
| our fellow men, how many of us would be
| lett. We must reason with each othel
| and understand our nature and what i.
necessary to restore peace and harmony
and concord to distracted and divided
people. In time of war it is right to burr
villages sack cities and,devastate fields; t
lay waste a country and cripple and re-
duce the enemy, but in time of peace thu
reverse of that course is precisely the RICH
one, and the true policy of a ma
ton is to rebuild its cities, restore
| its villages and renew its fields OF
agriculture. l know there ar
some who have been at home cultivatin.
during the war, and who bring to the con
sideratiOn of the questions of peace, har
mony and the avocatiOn of civil life all tn
feelings of resentment which animated u
when the war was running high. Blu
take the brave men who sustained the fla,
on the field and on the wave and you vii
find better feelings and better judgemen
on these questions than you will find witt
those who have been sitting in the closet an
never smelled gunpowder. [Cheers.l Yes
from the private to the general they know
how to treat the present circumstance
better than any of these closet patriots AM
humanitarians. Then my countrymer
fellow-citizens, soldiers and sailors. let u
rejoice that peace has come; let us reioic
that the relations of the States are abou
being restored. Let us make every effoI
we can on proper principles to restore tn
relations which existed between the f. de
raj Government and the States. | than
God that peace is restored. | thank Go
that that our brave men can return to thei
ldlllIles anu ,HOlleS ana resume Jhel
peaceful avOcations. thank God that tn
baleful planet of fire and blood, which
short time ago was in the ascendant, ha
been chased away by the benignant sta
of peace. Now that the star Of peace
suspended in the heavens, let us cultivat
the earth and the relations ofpeace and al
those associations which appertain t
men in peace. The time is no
distant when we can have
pol teal millennium political jubilee
and when we can proclaim to all the ma
tiOns of the earth that we are again unit
ed people, and that we have triumphant
passed through our third ordeal-hav
peace at home, and power to bid defianc
to all the word. Loud cheers Remem
Der one thing, gentleman, that in my pas
life, though slanderers misrepresent, non
can say that | ever deceived or betraye
him. 1t will be for you to see, in the fl
ture, who will redeem all his promises. an
who will be most faithful. | thank vol
gentlemen, for the compliment you hav
paid me.
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