The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-27

midst OF earthquakes; that they wer,
trembling and could not yield. Laugh
ter Yes, tellow-citizens, there is al
earthquake coming there is ground
swell of popular judgement and in
dignation, [Great applause. The Amer
ican people will speak, and by their in
stinct, if not otherwise, they will know
who are their enemies. / have endeav
ored to be true to the people in all the
positions which l have occupied, and
there is hardly position in this Govern.
ment which have not at some time fl.
led | suppose it will be said that this
is vanity, laughter but may say that
! | have been in all of them. l have been
in both branches of the State legisla
ture.
Ayolce-You commenced a tailor
The President-A gentleman behind
me says l began as a tailor Yes, did
begin as tailor [applause1 and that
suggestion does not discomfit me in tbe
least, for when I was a tailor, | had the
reputation of being good one and
OF making close fits [laughterl and
was always punctual to my customers,
and did good work [Applause. ]
A voice-We will patch up the Union
yet.
The President-No, do not want any
patch work of it; want original articles
restored. (Great applause.) But enough
of this facetiousness. l know it may be
said, "You are President and you must
not talk about these things, but, my
fellow citizens, | intend to talk the
truth, and when principle is involved,
when the existence Of my country is in
peril, hold it to be my duty to speak
what think aud what | feel as have
always done on former occasions
Great applause) 1 have said that it
has been declared elsewhere that l was
guilty of usurpation which would have
cost King his head. and in another
place l have been denounced for white
washing When and where did | ever
whitewash anything or anybody
have been an Alderman of a town; have
been in both branches of the Legisla-
ture of my State have been in both
houses Of the national Congress; | have
been at the head of the Executive De
partment of my State have been Vice
President of the United States and ! am
now in the position which l occupy be-
fore you and during all this career
where IS the man and what portion of
the people is there who can say that An.
drew johnson ever made a pledge that
he did not redeem, or that he ever made
a promise which he violated} None,
Bone) Point 10 the man who
can say that Andrew Johnson
ever acted with infdelity 10 the
great mass OF tho people Great ap-
plausel Men may talk about behead-
ing and about usurpation but when |
am beheaded / want the American peo-
pie to be the witness. l do not want it
by inuendoes and indecent remarks in
high places to be suggested to men who
have assassination broodiug III their bo'
SONS Others have exclaimed tLat the
Presidential obstacle must be gotten out
OF the way What is that butt make
use of strong wOTd-but inCitirg to a..
sassinatiOn} No doubt, | say, the IN
tention was TO iucite assassination, so
that the obstacle which the people had
placed here could be got ont of the way.
Are the opponents OF this government
not yet satisfied Are those who want to
destroy yourinstitutions and to change the
character OF the Government not salts
fed With the quantity OF blood that has
been shed Are they not satigfed with
one martyr IN this place : Does not the
blood of fLincOln appease their vengeance
~''1 thair wrath ! l. their thirst still
nnslaked Do Tn5y sun wHuU more
blood = Have they not honor and cOur
age enough to seek to obtain the end
otherwise than through aud by the hand
of an assassin ! am not afraid of an
assassin attacking me where one brave
and courageous man Will attack another.
| only dread him in disguise and where
his toOtstep is nOieeless II they want
blood, let them have the courage to
strike like men know they are will
ing to wOuad but afraid to strike Ii
my blood is to BG shed because / vindi-
cate the Union and insist on the pre7eT
vatiOn Of this Government in its original
purity let it be shed but let an altar to
the Union be first erected and then if
necessary, take me and lay me upon It.
and the blood that now warns aud AMI
mates my existence shall be poured ont
as the last libatiOn ~ tribute to the
union OF these States. Great applause
But let the opponents Of this govern
ment remember when It Is poured out
that the blood of the martyrs IS the seed
OF the church This Union will grow,
and it will continue to increase IN
strength and power, though it may be
cemented and cleansed in blood have
already spoken to yOu longer than in
tended when | came ont. Go on |
merely intended to make my acknOwl-
edgements for the honor you have done
me but before close, allow me TO say a
word in regard to the question Of amend
ments to the Constitution Of the United
States Shortly after / reached Wash
ington for the purpose of being inaugur-
ated as Vice.Presldeut of the United
States, had a conversation with Mr..
Lincoln in regard to the condition Of at.
fairs. We talked particularly in reference
to matters in my own State. told him
that we had called a convention that we
had amended the Constitution, that We
had abolished slavery in that State,
which was not included in his emancipa.
ton proclamation All these things
met his appreciation and he gave me
words sof encouragement We talked
then about affairs generally. and upon
the subject of amendmsnts TO the Con-
stitution of the United States He said
when the amendment Of the Constitu-
ton now proposed is adopted by three
fourths of the States, | am pretty near
done, or indeed quite done in regard to
amending the Constitution, if there was
one other adopted Iasked him, What
is that Mr President p He said, Il
haya labored 10 preseFye this Union I