Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-03-08
A Speech by the President
He Defies the Radicals.

National Monument Society held
a meeting to-day. President
Johnson presided and made few
remarks, alluding to Washington's
Farewell Address as containing
the principles by which he sought
to be guided, and expressing the
hope that all the States would
continue their contributions to the
structure to be completed as an en-.
during memorial to the restoration
of all the States to their proper re.
lations to the Government. Isay
that when these States comply
with the constitution, when they
have given sufficient evidence of
their loyalty and that they can be
trusted, when they yield obedience
to the law, | say extend to them
the right hand of fellowship, and
let peace and union be restored.
| have fought traitors and treason
in the South. l opposed the Da-
vises and Toombses, and the Sill
dells, and long list of others
whose names / need not repeat
new. When | turn round at the
other end of the line find men, /
care not by what name you call
them, A voice, call them traitors
who still stand opposed to the
restoration of the Union of these
States, and l am free to say to you
that | am still for the preservation
of this compact, | am still in favor
of this great Government of ours
living and following out its desti-
ny. A voice give us the names. I
| A gentleman calls for their names
well, suppose | should give them.
A voice, We know them.] /
look upon them, Irepeatit, as Pres
ident or citizen, as much opposed
to the fundamental principles OF
this Government, and believe they
are as much laboring to pervert or
destroy them as were the men who
fought against them. A voice,
what are their names. say
Thaddeus Stevens, of Pennsylva-
mia; Tremendous applause;] /
say Charles Sumner; great ap-
plause;] l say Wendell Phillips,
and others of the same stripe a.
mongst them. A voice, Give it
to Forney.] Some gentleman in
the crowd says give it to Forney.
l have only just to say that L do
not waste my ammunition upon
dead ducks. Laughter and APP
plause. ] stand for my country;
stand for the constitution, where
placed my feet from my entrance
into public life. They may ira
duce me, they may SANDER, they
may vituperate, but let rne say to
you that it has no effect upon me.
Cheers. Let me say in addition,
that / do not intend to be bullied
by enemies. Applause, and cry,
the people will sustain you.1 I
know, my countrymen, it has not
only been insinuated, but said di-
rectly-the intimation has been
given in high places-that if such
usurpation of power had been
exercised two hundred years ago
in a particular region, it would
have cost a certain individual his
head. What usurpation has An
drew Johnson been guilty of?
[None, none.] The only usurpa-
ton | have been guilty of was
standing between the people and
the encroachments of power, and
because / dared to say, in CONVEX
sation with a fellow-citizen and a
Senator, that | thought amend
ments to the constitution ought
not to be too frequently made,
that it would lose ali its dignity,
and that the old instrument would
be lost sight Of in a short time;
because | happened to say if it was
amended, such and such amend
ments should be adopted, it was an
usurpation of power that would
have cost a king his head at a cer-
tain time. Laughter and ap-
plause. In connection with this
subject, it was maintained by the
same gentleman, that we were in
the midst Of an earthquake; that
he trembled and could not yield.
(Laughter.) Yes, there is an
earthquake coming; there is q