The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-09-09
VOL. XIII.

pf0ochoQ IoR - uBs9HS SAaou. LUZ -
stood Il the ragssey vhee 4e stood whei
ths rsbellioa esInaos sAse jackson
III Il. . shere ve.ia s.ana uossi dhssAnding ID,
vitupssa1sea e pa3lic nea an1 Ahs press, b
stood nsintalnina shs Constitution Of th,
country and with the help Of the people then
| 10 vosaa eouAinue to stand, regardless 0
ltannfs and sneers. He expected those WIZ
| heard him to .taks The Cnstikntion and flag
that Gag that had been borne BY 20 JmAp{ ant
gallant defenders triumphant eAsth& s(aane
land. Let every State come Soreare Nor,
getting party and party ano4aeDne w
hsve heard talk sbonf epae eGea3o1 a9dcbo
lition. Now who did more than he had il
sshalf OF sthss eaass?p-. Bot he woule
toll them fat; 4 that more emancil
patton was needed. The people
should rise and rally around the Constitutions
Save your country 6rss, Their ySa tSsy have
parties. He knew they would be morally
courageous in the walks oflfe as he had been
physically courageous in the war for the
Union. Let us haYe q Constitution and hal
Ard swear tbey shall be preserved, 1ouGh oil
other things perish The President was fire.
ouently interrupted by applause.
Mr.. Seward was then called for and made
a speech. He said in 1864 yosr votes and
mine elected Abraham Lincoln and Andrew
johnson President and Vice President fos
the noble purpose Of bringing us peace, and
a restoration of the Union has thus been ef.
fected. Know well if Abraham Lincoln had
lived and Andrew johnson had remained
only Vice President, let me ask you if you
believe Abraham Lincoln would have con-
sented to have this country in = state d war
and a disseverance of the Union, after he
could have had from the subjugated in.
surgents the acceptance OF the four CON
ditions, the repudiation Of the rebel debt,
the assumption Of the loysl debt, the aboi
ton of slavery, and the denunciation OF the
risht Of secession. They have done all this
is because the pistol of an assassin has done
that which million Of openly armed rebels,
were not allowed to do, by Gen. Grant, and
the brave men of Missouri, Illinois, and the
valley of the Mississippi. You, too, refuse
to consent to the division Of the Union, and
YOU have for your leader and the defender
of yonr cause to-day, the successor of Abra-
ham Lincoln. do not believe that when
the Constitution of the United States is re-
stored in ell its parts, that the people of this
country cannot manage 90 small q matter ~
the adjustment of the relations and positions
of four millions of free colored peo-
pie, or that the existence and presence
of such small number of people were to
disturb the arrangements Of the Union.
The ceremonies at the platform having
been concluded, the party we're squeezed
through dense mass Of human beings to
the decks of the steamer Andy johnson.
Meanwhile salutes we're fred and cheers res
peated by the excited multitude. The
Knight Templars acted as An escort. The
efforts Of the..committee to protect the Presi-
dent from the disagreeabe duty Of working
through crowds were totally inefficient. fhe
Masonic Fraternity, hewever, rendered rome
relief by the interposition OF their drawn
swords. Mounting platform on board the
steamer Andy johnson, Capt Jas. B. Fades,
of st. Louis, addressed the President, saying:
in substance that the people of St, Louis, ir>
respective Of party. rendered to him the hos
pitalities of the city He paid high COM
pliment to the Presidents patriotism, sound
Judgment and high honesty. risen to the pin.
acle of the highest honor. These remarks
we're received with marked satisfaction. Lam
guage is inadequate to express the feelings IN
my BOSOM The spontaneous welcome from
the people of Missouri, is peculiarly sccepta>
BILE to me under the existing circumstances
to receive encouragement like this from the
people, the producing people, mentally and
physically is a source of gratitude to me; it
is overwhelming in itself / had better per
haps leave you to infer from
what ought to say or what would say I'M
der the circumstances than attempt TO sx-
pres it, for am Incompetent at present to
reduce to sentence of words any thing like
the appreciation with which am inspired.
But must be permitted to say ] do not at
tribute this demonstration all to my self, but
to the times, to the necessity OF occasion,
to great issue that is before The county
that having passed perilous crisis and
having been restored; the great question of
preserving the Constitution agtates the
pupular heart, and 10 one Of the most momen-
tious secerded in history. In passing through
this chaotic and rebellious condition of
things back to the Law and Constitutions, it
throws my work on you and the whole
country, while on the one hand We oppose
separation, dissolution and treason, and on
the other hand let me tell you there is equal
danger of consolidation and concentration of
all the power in the Government. /. is the
patriotic duty of every man, without distlnc-
ton Of party, to keep his Government in the
right channel, and he should be equally cer>
tain Of clearing the rocks on the other side,
for either will result in the destruction of
our present form OF Government The
States should move in their proper spheres,
So should the Federal Government, and it
now rests with the people in the restoration
to see that all the departments are properly
adjusted. 1t is easy to raise a clamor in one
department, but the Government will make
charges of tyranny against another. But let
me say to all these people that tyrany and
despotism can be more effectually exercised
by 200 men thau it can by one. The immor
tai jefferson, in days gone by, told these peo
pie that tyrany and despotism can be carried
out more effectually by many than by few.
have planted myself on the Constitution,
and in doing so have exercised no power
but what deemed my sworn duty to per
form. Let me say As one OF the most
harmless powers of theexecutive, more neg
that which, when the citadel of liberty is
encroached on, can be exercised by your
tribune. | must sonnd the alarm in your
name and On yonr behalf. have exercised
the veto power for the purpose Of arresting
and staying certain measures until the SOW
ereien people of this nation should have
time to consider upon them. Believing that
| have done nothing but my duty, ! shall
stand hy the Constitution, and, with your
help and God being willing, all the powers
this side of the internal regions combined
oan never drive me from the discharxe of my
duties. Let me thank you for this cordial
welcome, and leave on your hands the flag
with the stars unblemished-with all the
stripes unblighted, and invoke the blessings
of heaven upon you. He was frequently
interrupted BY cheers during the delivery Of
his speech. The President Was formally intro
duced to Mayor Thomas and sscorted to the
steamer Ruth, when bells commenced ring
ing, noting readipess for the tssG u tufn
their bows homeward. The steamers Andy
johnson, Ruth and Olive Branch, left TO,
gether, making the first move followed by
as many other boats as there nfe original
States in the Union. As soon q the Ae6t ol
gaily decked stesmers was under way the
Rresidentisl party orossed over from the
steamer Andy johnson to Che RttA and pissed
up to the cabin escorted By detachment ol
Knight Templers. Atthis point the Captain
OF the Bart Able suggested that - the
boats were about to pass the mighty Missou-
ri river, the party should bs escorted to the
upper deck, to yiaw that mighty stream.
The Presideut and psitv 'xss1 I'm escorted
70 the hurricahe roof Of the Ruth, vhers
tlDy spent an hour il viewing the pleasant
scenery. Maj. Gen. Grant vas also kept