The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1866-04-28
Great Speech
-oF-
PRESIDENT JOHNSON.

WASHINGTON, April 1S.-In reply tc
the great crowd of soldiers and sailors
assembled at the White House this
evening, to pay their respects to the
President, President johnson said. ]
confess that in the peculiar posture Of
public affairs your presence and adj
dress give encouragement and conf
dence to me in my efforts to discharge
the duties encumbent upon on me as
chief magistrate of the republic, and
in what have to say I shall address
you in the character of citizens, sailors
and soldiers, applause.l We are to-
day, involved in one of the most criti-
cal and trying situations that have oc-
Cured since the government came into
existence. A nation has another test
still to undergo, and that is to give
evidence to the nations of the earth,
and to its own citizens that it has the
power to restore internal peace, that it
has strength enough to put down
treachery and treason within its own bor-
ders, cheers] we have commenced an
ordeal, I trust in Gcd we will pass
through it successfully. cheers
feel complimented by the allusion of
one presentation to the fact that in the
Senate Of 1860 and 1861, when the ma
ton was entering this ordeal, and rails
ed my hands against treason, treachery
and traitors, cheers, and cries of
good. I stand here, to-day, holding
to, and maintaining the same position
which I then announced cheers, I
stand here to-day opposing traitors
and treason whoever they may be, in
the South or in the North, loud cheers
/ stand here to-day, as I then stood
using all my power mental and physi-
cal to preserve the nation going through
the third phaze of its existence. The
organized forces and combined powers
that recently stood arrayed against us
are disbanded and driven from the
field, but it does not follow that they
are still an enemy against our present
form of government, and our free in
stitutions, Applause.
/ then stood in the Senate of the
United States, denying the doctrine of
separation and secession. I denied
then, as do now, that any State has
the right, of its own will, to separate
itself from the other States, and the
right to destroy the Union and break
up the Government. I have been sin
cere and in earnest, and now I want to
know why it is that the whole train of
slanderers and calumniators have been
barking and swapping at my heels?
lCheers. Why is it they have array
ed themselves against me? Is it be-
cause I stand upon the side of the peo-
pie? And when l say the people I
include sailors and soldiers. Cheers.
Why is it they are arrayed in traducing
and falsifying, and calumniating me?
Where were they during the rebellion
just ended. I aver at home, in bed.
Laughter. In the Senate I raised
my voice against it; and when it was
believed that it would be to the inter
est of the nation, and would assist in
putting down the rebellion, did I not
leave my place in the Senate-a place
of emolument, ease and distinction
and take my position where the enemy
could be reached, where mems lives
were in danger? Cheers and cries of
that's SO. While was thus exposed
personally and publicly, some of my
present traducers and calumniators
were far removed from the foe, and
were enjoying ease and comfort [cheersJ
All these foul whelps of sir have been
turned loose against me. I care not
for all they may tell you, sirs, to-day.
pretty well advanced in life,
/ feel that I shall live long enough to
live down the whole pack of traducers
and slanderers. Applause.
They have turned the whole peck
loose to lower me in your estimation.
Verify, they can't do it. Tray, Blanche
and Sweetheart, little dogs and all,
came along swapping and snarling at
my heels, but I heard them not
[ Cheers The American people-citi-
zens, soldiers and sailors-know that
from my advent into public life to the
present time, I have stood unwavering-
" the defender of their rights and in
terests. Cheers. We are now in the
third ordeal. We are not yet through.
We denied that States could go out of
the Union; we denied the doctrine OF
secession, and we have demonstrated
It by strong arms. Yes, the soldiers