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


the action of the Government TO the Con-
stitution of our fathers. Hence | say, let
Us stand By that Constitution, and in stand
ing by il. the covenant will be preserved.
While | have been contending against trail
tors and treason, and the dissolution OF the
Union, | have been eontending at the
same time against the consolidation of
power here. | think consolidation of
here equally dangerous with separation.
fCheers.l
The one would run into anarchy while
the other would concentrate and eventu-
ally end in a 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
do-what can he originate Why, they
say he exercises the veto power Laugh
ter. what is the veto power a voice, TO
put down the niger. /. laughter. VINO 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
NAptA4NA " III lilt pow CT " says NGlO anu
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. fCheers.l Your Pres
ident, standing here day after day, dis
charging his duty is like a 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
tryant. Can he originate anything I'M
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, | say that
tyranny and power can beeNercised 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 l believed required me to do.
SO believing. | intend to stick to my posi-
ton. relying on the judgment and the in
tellfgence of the people-thc soldiers and
sailors expressly. Cheers Then for my
life cannot see where there is any tyran-
ny. 1t IS very easy to impugn motives,
shAlt Shc HtCb litt DulIGSL anu DtSl dtlS OI Il
a mans life. If you come forward and
propose a certain thing, your motives
are suspected and condemned; and il
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 nv
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 taltering at the close of the third
ordeal of the nation. Where is he in pub
lie or private life, who has sacrificed more
or who has devoted more of his time and
energies to the accomplishment of the
great end than D.? l have done it from
the prOmptings of my own heart. | be
lieye it was right, and with your hearts
and your cOuntenanceS, and your encOur-
agement. | shall 90 through on that line
ICheers 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 tar as
you are concerned, wait and see if | don't
stand by you. although every other man
may falter and fail. [Cheers.] l 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!
] 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
tho Constitution tho 6aN~ il faY Il
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. | know that some
will find fault with me, and say | am too
lenient. too kind, and all that 1t we were
all to be put to death, or punished. or
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 other
and understand our nature and what is
necessary to restore peace and harmony
and concord to a distracted and divided
people. In time of war it is right to burn
villages, sack cities and'devastate fields to
lay waste country and cripple and re-
duce the enemy, but in time of peace the
reverse of that course is precisely the right
OilCs anu tilt TRUE DOlltN OI Il ma
ton is to rebuild its cities, restore
its villages and renew its fields of
agriculture. | know there are
some who have been at home cultivating
during the war. and who bring to the con-
sideration of the questions of peace, har-
mOny and the ayOcatiOn of civil life all the
feelings of resentment which animated us
when the war was running high But
take the brave men who sustained the flag
on the field and on the wave and you will
find better feelings and better judgement
on these questions than you will find with
those who have been sitting in the closet and
never smelled gunpOwder. CHEERS Yes.
from the private to the general they know
how to treat the present circumstances
better than any of these closet patriots and
humanitarians. Then my cOuntrvmen
fellOW-citiZens, soldiers and sailors. let Us
rejoice that peace has come; let us rejoice
that the relations of the States are about
being restored. Let us make every effort
we can on proper principles to restore the
relations which existed betw the f de-
raj Government and the States. | thank
God that peace is restored. | thank God
that that our brave men can return to their
families and homes and resume their
peaceful avocations. thank God that the
baletul planet of fire and blood, which a
short time ago was in the ascendant. has
been chased away by the benignant star
suspended in the heavens let us cultivate
the earth and the relations ofpeace and all
those associations which appertain to
men in peace. THE time is not
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 triumphantly
passed through our third ordeal-haye
peace at home, and power to bid defiance
to all the word. Loud cheers ] Remem-
Der one thing, gentleman, that in my past
life, though slanderers misrepresent, none
can say that | ever deceived or betrayed
him. 1t will be for you to see, in the fu-
ture, who viii redeem all his promises. and
who will be most faithful. | thank you,
gentlemen, tor the compliment you have
paid me.
NOIfce.
A If ,rI,S 49,; =