The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-03-12
LIZ PaE5IDnNws SPEECH.
Delivered at the Exooative Mansion in
Washington, Feb. ~, 1865.

W
this report was telegraphed TO the Northern press;
the remainder was moi allowed to 20 forward. "A
copy revised and corrected to suit the fancy CT New
York reporter This was the edition generally PRINT
ed at The North 3-An edition revised and author
izel by the President himself and generaly circu-
lated through the South We print the first OF these
Felow-ciizens- 1 presume l have the
right to address you as such-to the commit
tee who have conducted and organized TINS
meeting 80 far, nave to tender my sincere
thanks for tn, compliment and the approba-
ton they have manifested in their personal
address to myself, and in the resolutions they
have adopted AZ this point fireman's
procession attracted the attention of portion
of the crowd, and created such a disturbance
that the President was unable to proceed for
several minutes. Mr. Fendall, chairman OF the
committee, in vain underworld to restore Or
der. Hon. Green Clay Smith then took the
stand, and succeeded in making himself heard
and in bringing the crowd to something like
silence.l The President proceeded: Fellow
citizens, was about to tender my thanks to
the committee who waited upon me and pre-
scented me with the resolutions adopted on this
occasion-re5oiutions as | understand, COM
plimentary to the policy pursued by this AID
ministration since it came into power. am
free to say to You, on this occasion, that 1t Is
large portion Of my fellow citizens approve
and endorse the policy that has been adopted
and is intended to be carried out. lApplause.l
That policy has been one which was intended
to restore the glorious Union of these States
to their orr final relations to the Government
of the United States. Prolonged applausel
This seems to be day peculiarly appropri-
ate fer such manisesta.ion-the day that gave
birth to him who founded this Government
Tt Of hi. him who SfnO6
at that period, when all these States entered
into this glorious Confederacy- The firemen's
procession again succeeded in creating sufi
Gent disturbance to make the President I'M
able to be heard The President good hui
moredy remarked, "Don't interrupt them they
are right, and always were right" 49,
He proceeded: This day, say, is peculiarly
appropriate to endorse the restoration of the
Union of these States, founded by the Father
of his Country" Washington, whose name
this city bears, is embalmed in the hearts of all
who love free government. A voice, $50 is
Andrew Johnson" Washington, who, in the
language of one Of his eulogi 5ts was "first in
peace, first in war, first in the hearts of his
countrymen." No people can claim him, no
nation can appropriate him. His reputation
and love are commensurate with the civilized
world, with all those who love free government
1 have recently visited the association which
Is directing its efforts to the completion of the
monument erected to his memory. I was
proud to meet them, and, SO far as could, to
give them my humble influence and patronage
"a monument being erected to him who
founded the government, almost within a
stones throw OF the spot from which address
you. Let it be completed. Cheers. Let the
pledges which all these States, associations and
corporations have placed in that monument of
their faith in and love for this Union be pre-
served .-., ..-
Let it be completed. And in this connection
let me refer to the motto upon the stone sent
from my own State-God bless her--Ia voice,
Sand bless you la State which has struggled
for the preservation of the Union in the field
and the councils of the nation, now struggling
in embarrassment in consequence of the inter-
ruption that has taken place with the Federal
Government, growing out of rebellion, but
struggling to renew her relations with the
Government, and take her stand where she
has stood since 1906. [Cheeringl Let me,
say, repeat the sentiment inscribed upon the
stone sent her to be placed in that monument
of freedom and in commemoration of Wash
ington. stand by that sentiment and she is
now willing to stand by it. 1t was the senti-
ment enunciated by the immortal Andrew
Jackson, "The Federal Union it must be pre-
served" Were it possible for that old man,
who in statue is now before me, and in picture
behind me, in the Capitol, to be called forth,
or were it possible for Us to communicate
with the illustrious dead, and he could be in
formed OF Or made TO understand the progress
or working of faction, rebellion, and treason,
the old man would turn over in bis grave
Laughter and cheers. He would rise, and,
shaking off the habiliments of the tomb,
would reiterste the sentiment he once spoke:
"The Federal Union, it must be preserYed.n
But we sec and witness what has transpired
since his day. We remember what he did in
1928, when treason, treachery, and intidelity
to the Government and the Constitution of
the United States then stalked forth. 1t was
his power and influence that went forth then
and crushed the treason in its infancy. 1t was
then stopped, but only for time. The spirit
continued; there were men disaffected to the
Government both North and South. We had
peculiar institutions Of which some complain
ed and to which Others were attached. One
portion of our countrymen advocated that in
stitution in the South, another opposed it in
the North, and it resulted in creating two ex-
tremes. One in theSouth reached the point
at which they were prepared to dissolve the
Government OF the United States, to secure
and preserve their peculiar institution" And
in what may say on this occasion want to
be understood. There was another portion of
our countrymen who were opposed to this pc
culiar institution in the South, and who went
to the extreme Of being willing to break up
CsI
an talking to you to-day in the common
phrase, and assume to be nothing but citizen,
and one who has been fighting for the Consti-
tuition and to preserve the Government
These two parties have been arrayed against
each other; and stand before you to-day, as
did in the Senate in 1850, in the presence of
those who were making war on the Constitu-
ton, and who wanted to disrupt the Govern
ment, to oenounce as did then in nv place,
those who were so engaged as traitors. have
never ceased to repeat, and as far as efforts
could go to carry out, the sentiments then
uttered. fCheers. a-
remarked that there were two parties, one
for destroying the Government to preserve
slavery, and the other for breaking UP the
Government to destroy slavery. The objects
to be accomplished were different, it is true, so
far as slavery is concerned, but they agreed in
one thing, and that was the breaking up of the
Government. They agreed in the destruction
Of the Government the precise thing which I
have always stood up to oppose. Whether the
disunionist comes from the South or from the
North stand now where did then, to vindi-
cate the Union of these States and the Con-
stitution of the country. lApplause.l The
rebellion or treason manifested itself in the
South. stood by the Government said /
was for the Union with slavery or / was for the
Union without slavery. In either alternative
was for my Government and the Constitu-
ton. -- l-30 -ln- .".b 70 i5r-'.H b-
The Government has stretched forth its
strong arm, and with its physical power has
put down treason in the field; yes, the section
of country which has arrayed itself against
the Government has been put down BY the
Government itself. Now what do these peo-
pie say2 We said "no compromise; we can
settle this question with the South in eight.
and forty hours."e "How?' "Disband your
armies, acknowledge the Constitution of the
United States, obey the law and the whole
question is settled" Well, their armies have
been disbanded; they come forward now, in
spirit of magnanimity, and say, "We were
mistaken; we made an effort to carry out the
doctrine of secession and dissolve the Union;
in that we have failed, and having traced this
thing to It's logical and physical consequences
and results, we now again come forward and
acknowledge the flag of our country, obedi-