Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1866-09-10
SPEECH OF ANDREW JOHNSON


SPEECH OF ANDREW JOHNSON.
The following speech was delivered by An
drew Johnson at Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday
evening.
Fellow. citizens 1t is not for the purpose oil
making speech that now appear before you
| am aware of the great curiosity that prevails
to see strangers who have notoriety and dig
tinc.ion IL all countries. know "a large mum.
Der OF you desire to see Gen. Grant and to
hear what he has to say a voice" three
cheers for Gen. Grant"], but you cannot see
him to night. He is extremely ill. repeat,
am not before you now to make a speech, but
simply to make your acquaintance, to say
How are you |" and to bid you good-by. We
are now on QUE way to Chicago, to participate
in or witness the laying of the cornerstone OF
a monument to the memory of distinguished
tellow-citiEen who is no more. 1t is not ne
cessary for me to mention the name of Stephen
A. Douglas to the people. (Applause.l am
tree to say that am lsttered by the demon
stralions have witnessed, aud being hattered
| don't mean to think it personal but an evil
dence Of what is pervading the public mind
And this demonstration is nothing more nor less
than an indication of the latent sentiment OF
| feeling of the great masses of the people with
| regard to the proper settlement Of this great
question.
come before you as an American citizen
simply. and not as the Chief Mag stra te clothe ed
In the insignia and pharaphernalia of state
| Being an iuhabitaut of a State OF ais Union, I
| know it has been said that am alisn-[laugh-
erl-and that did not reside in one of the
States of the Union, and, therefore, could not
| be the Chief Magistrate, though the Constitu
| ton declares thatl must be citizen to occupy
| that office; therefore, all that was necessary
| was to declare the office vacant, or, under a
| pretext to prefer articles of impeachment, and
Nk.,u -. III II - 4
| Msgisiracy was to be disposed of and driven
from power. But a short time since you had a
ticket before you for the Presidency. was
placed upon that ticket, with distinguished
| fellow-ctizeu who ia now no more. | know
there are some who complain. A voice
"Unfortunately."l Yes, unfortunate for some
that God rules on high and deals in right
| [Cheers. Yes, unfortunately the ways of
Providence are mysterious and Incompetent
sible, controlling all those who exclaim un-
| fortunate" ["Bully for youi"
l was going to say, my countrymen, a short
time since was selected and placed upon the
| ticket There was platform proclaimed and
adopted by those who placed me upon it. Not.
standing the small subsidized gang of
hlrelings and traducers, have discharged all
my duties and fdlfiled all my pledges; and
say here tonight that if my predecessor had
lived the walls OF wrath would have been poured
out upon him. COries of Neveri" "Three
cheers for the Congress OF the United S.atesl'1 |
| | came here as | was passing along, and have
been called upon for the purpose of exchanging
views, and ascertaining, it we could who was
wrong. TCries of 81 It's you ~ That was my
| object in appearing before you 10 night and /
| want to say this, that have lived among the
American people, and have represented them
in some public capacity for the last twenty. Ave
years, and where is the man or woman who can
/ place their finger upon one single act of niue
deviating from any pledge of mine or In viola.
| tion of the Constitution of the couutry7 Who
is he2 What language does he speak What
| religion does hs protest. Who .sn come and
place his finger on ono pledge ever violated,
| or one principle ever proved false to IA
voice, " How about New Orleans9' Another
voice, /" Hang JEFF Davis.'1 Hang JEFF Davis
be says. COrie5 Of No, and Down with him. |
Hang JEFF Davis, he says. A voice, Hang
Thad Stevens and Wendell Phiiips"l Hang
JEFF Davis. Why don't you hang him? [Cries
of "Give US the opportunity."1 Have not you
got the court7 Have not you got the Attorney
General' A voice, "Whois your Chief JUS
tice who has refused to sit upou the trial p
Cheers.l anu not the Chief Justice. am
not the Prosecuting Attorney. Cheers ] |
sm not the jury.
will tell you what did do. | called upon
your Congress that is trying to break up the
Government. [Ores "You be d--d," aud
cheers mingled with Kisses. Great confusion.
Don't get mad, Andy" Well, will tell YOU
who Ia mad. "Whom the gods wish to destroy,
they fret make mad" Did your Congress order
any of them to be tried Three cheers for
Congress Then. fellow citizens, we might as
we'll allAy our passions and permit reason to
resume her empire and prevail. IOheerI1 In
presenting the few remarks that designed to
make, my intention was 10 address myself to
yolr common sense, your judgment and your
NAT n1tn1, Rant - nj aaI
nancy in your hearts. [Cheers.1 THIS was my
objeo, in presenting myself on this occasion,
and to say to you How do you do and al the
same time TO bid you Good by In this as
sembly here to night the remark has been
made Traitor, rIitor.'
Ny countrymen, will you hear me Shouts
OF Yes And will you hear me for my cause
and for the Constitution of my country. Ap-
plause | want to know when or where, or
under what circumstances, Andrew johnson,
not as Chief Executive, but in any capacity,
ever deserted any principle or violated the Con.
stitutiou of his country Cries of Never y
Let me ask this large aad Intelligent audience
il your Secretary OF STATE, who served four
years under Mr.. Lincoln, and who was pl iced
upon the butchers block, as it were, and
hacked to pieces and scared by the sss4ssin's
knife, when he turned trator7 Cries of
Never.1 If were disposed to play tue or ltor,
and deal in defamation to night, would ini.
tate one OF the ancient tragedies, and would
take William H. Seward and bring him before
you, and point you to the hacks and scars upon
his person. voice, God bless him'1
would exhibit the bloody garments, saturated
with gore from his gushing wounds. Then
wonld ask you why not hang Thad. Stevens
and Wendell Phillips7 | tell you, my coun-
trymen, have been fighting the South, aud
they have been whipped and crushed, and they
acknowledge their defeat and accept the terml
OF the Constitution aud now, as go arouuI
the circle, having fought traitors at the South,
am prepared to fight traitors at the North a.
rCheers God willing, with your help we will
do it, tCries OF We won't'l 1t will be crushed
North and South, aud this glorious Uuion of
ours will be preserved. [oheers ] | do not
come here as the Chiet Magistrate OF twenty-
five States out OF thirty.six. TCheers /
came here Tonight with the fag of my
country and the Constitution OF thirty. si1
States uutarnished. Are you for dividing this
couutryf tGries Of NO. Then am Presi,
dent, and am President Of the whole United
States [oheers.1 will tell you one other
thing. understand the discordant notes In
this crowd tonight. He who is opposed to the
restoration OF this Government, aud the re-
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