The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-08-23
PRESIDENT JoHNscN's REMARKS TO THE
E CoMMITTEE OF THE PHILADELPHIA CON-
VEETIOE.


:, There was o great crowd to-day TO hear the
President, in response 10 Revcrdy Johnson, WHO
presented the official proceedings of tho Conven-
ton. He said, referring with feeling to the scene
presented of South Carolina and Massachusetts
entering the Convention together, be was overcome
and coulI not but conclude that an overruilng
Providence was directing us Alright lie said our
brave men have performed their duties on the field
and have won lamels imperishable; but (turning
10 Gen. Randall, he continued, there are greater
and more important duties to perform, and while
we have had their cooperation in the field, We
now need their efforts to perpetuate peace. The
Executive Department lad tried to pour oil on the
waters, and restore the Union but it had not en-
tirely succeeded. We havo seen, he said, in one
department of the Government, every effort to per-
feet the restoration Of peace and harmony in the
Union. We have seen hanging on the verge of the
Government, as it were, o body called, or which
assumed to be, the Congress Of tho United States
while in factit is Congress of only part of the
States. We have seen this Congress assume and
pretend to be aiding the Union, when its every
step and act tended to perpetuate disunion and
make disruption of States inevitable, Instead of
promoting reconciliation and harmony. Its legis-
lation has partaken of the character of penalties
retaliation and revenge. This has been the course
and the policy of one portion of your Government
The humble individual who is now addressing you
stands the representative of another department Of
the Government. The manner in which he was
called upon to occupy that position shall not al
lude to on this occasion suffice it to say, that he
Is here under the Constitution of the country, and
being here by virtue Of ats provisions, he takes his
stand upon that charter of our liberties Us the
great rampant of civilized and religious liberty
Having been taught in my early life to hold it
sacred, and having practiced upon it during my
whole public career, shall ever continue to rev.
erence the Constitution of my fathers and make it
my guide.
The President proceeded and denied the charge
.that he had ever been tyranncal or dospot; but
said such charges were simply intended to deceive
and delude the public mind into the belief that
there is some one in power who is usurping and
trampling upon The rights of the Constitution. 1t
is done by those who made such charges for the
purpose of covering their own acts. have felt it
my duty, in the vindicaton of the principles of the
Constitution of my country, to call the attention Of
my countrymen to these proceedings When we
come to examine who has been playing the tyrant,
by whom do VIC find despotism exercised? AS to
myself the elements of my nature, the pursuits of
my life, have not made me in my feelings or in my
practice, oppressive-my nature, on the contrary,
is rather defensive in its character but will say
that, having taken my stand upon the broad prin-
ciples of liberty and the Constitution, there is not
power enough on earth to drive me from it, Hav
Ing placed myself upon that broad platform, have
not been awed, or dismayed, or intimidated by
either threats or encroachments but have stood
there, in conjunction with the patriotic spirits,
sounding the tocsin Of alarm, when deemed the
citadel of liberty endangered. said on previous
OCCASION and repeat now that all that is necessary
In this great struggle against tyranny and dospot-
ism, is that the struggle should be sufficiently MI
dible for the American people to hear and properly
understand. They did hear, looking on and seeing
who the contestants were, and what the struggle
was about. Determined that they would settle
this question ON the side of the Constitution and Of
principle, proclaim hcre to-day, as have onprc-
vious occasions, that my faith is in the great mass
of the people. In the midst of this struggle, when
the clouds seemed to be most lowering, my faith,
instead of giving way, loomcd up through the
Clouds beyond which 1 saw that ell would be we'll
in the end. My countrymon, We Gil know that ty-
ranny and despotisnl, in the language of Thomas
Jefferson can be exercised and exerted more faith
fully by the many than the one. We have seen a
Congress gradually cncroach, step by step, and
day after day, upon the constitutional rights and
fundamental principles of Government We have
secnsa Congress that seemed to forget that there
was limit to the sphere and scope of legislation.
We have seen Congress in a minority assume to
exercise power which, if allowed to be carried out,
would result in despotism or monarchy itself
This is the truth, and because others as we'll as
myself have seen proper to appeal to the patriotic
and republican feeling of the country, VIC have
been denounced in seyerest terms SANDER upon
slandcr, vituperation upon vituperation of this
villainous character has made its way through the
press. What, gentlemen, has been yours and my
sin What has been the cause of our offending
will tell you. Daring to stand by tho Constitu
son of our fathers. consider the proceedings of
this Convention the more important than those of
any convention that ever assembled in the United
States When I look with my minds eye upon
that collection of citizens coming together volun-
tarly, and sitting in council with ideas, with prin-
eiples and views, commensurate with all the States,
and eo-e1tcnsivo with the whole people, and con-
trast it with the commoti9l oF persons who are
frying to destroy the cou.-5, =, regard it as more
important than any convention that has sat at least
since 1887 think that may also say that the
declarations chat wero there made are equal to the
Declaration of Independence itself here, to-day,
pronounce them second Declaration of Indepen-
dence. Your address and declarations are nothing