Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-08-22
A business Man of Splendid Capacity.
Great Speech by the President.

Great Speech by the President.
WASHINGTON, August Is
There was great crowd To-day to hear the
Prrsidentin response to Rererdy Johnson, who
presented the official proceedings Of tho convcn-
tion He sad, referring With feeling to the scene
represented of South Carolina and Massachusetts
entering the Convention together, hewas ovcS-
come, and cou,d not but conclude tbntian overral-
ing Providence was directing US Alright. lie said
our brave men have performed their duties in the
field, and have won laures imperishsble; bu
(,urnin, to General Grant,) he continued, there
arc greater and more important duties to perform,
| and while we have had their cooperation in the
I'D we now reed their Efforts to perpetunte peace
-[Appleuse.]
Ths Executive Department tried 10 pour oil in
tho wounds and restore the Uaiop, but it had not
entirely succeeded. We have seen, be said, in
to preyeD. the restoration Of peace and harmony,
in the Union. We have seen, hanging on the
verge of The Government as it were, body callce
or which assumed to be the Congress Of the Uri-
ted States, while, in fact, it is Congress Of only
4 part Of tho States. We have seen this Congress.
assume and pretend to be for the Union, whore its
every stcp and act tended to perpetuate disunion
and makes disr,,. ;ion Of the States Inevitable.
Instead of prom,ting reconciliation and harmony
its legislation has partsken of the character Of
penalties, retaliation and revenge. This has been
the course and the policy Of one portion of yo'r
Government The humble individual! who is nos
addressing you stands as tie representative OF
another department Of the Government. The
manner in which he was called upon to occupy
that positic: shall not alude to on this occ:,-
sion suffice it to say that he is here under the
Constitution Of the country, and being here by
virtue of its provisions, ho akea this stard upon
that charter of our liberties the great rampant
of civil and religious liberty. tpr"longed cheer
ing] Having been Taught in my esriy life t"
hold tsacred, and having prac'iced upon it during
my whole public career, l shall ever continue 70
reycrencs the Constitution Of my fathers ana
make it my guide. (ilcarty applause.
The President proceeded, and denied tho charr
that he had ever been tyrannical or despot, bus
said that srch charges wcye simply intended 70
deceive and delnic tho public mind into the belief
that there is somo one in power whe is usurrins
dad tramp;ng upon the rights Of the Constitution
II is dono by those who make such charges TO:
the purpose Of covering their own acts. That's
80" and applause I have felt it my duty, in
vindcation of principle aud the Constitution Of
my country, to Gull the attention of my country.
u.cn to these proceedings. When we come to cx-
anime whn LAS been playing the tyran,, in whom
10 we find iespo,i,ni exercised? As to myself,
'ae ,l:lnehts of my nature and the pursuits Of mg
fe. hava not made in either my feelings or III
MY practice oppressive. My nature, on the cou-
will say th.t, having taken my stand upon the
broad principles Of liberty and the Constitution,
there is not power enough earth TO drive me
from it. loud and dprOlongsdappla Having
placed myself upon that broad platform, I have
nut beet, awsd or disNayed, or intim:iyted by
either threats or cncroachmenss, but have stood
in conjunction With patriotic spirits, sounding the
tocsin of olurm, when I de, mtd the citadel o.
liberty in danger. tGreat applaufe.] said on
previous occasion, and repeat it now, thatall
that vas necessary in this great struggle against
tyranny and despoiisn was that the struggle
should be sufficiently audible for the American
psupc to hear and properly understand. They
did hear, and looking on, and sceing what the
contestants were, and what the struggle was about,
determined that they word settle this question
on the side of tho Constitution and of principle.
procn:z ere, to-day, rs have on previous oc-
casions, that my faith is in the great mass of pso-
p!c ln the darkest hour uf this struggle, when
tho clouds seemed to be most lowering, 10Y fuith,
instead of giving away, leomcd UP through the
cloud, beyond which ] saw that all would be well
in the end.
My coun'rymen, We all know that tyranny and
despots,n, in tho language of Thomas jefferson,
can be exercised and e3erted more ,cff.ctually by
the many than the one. We have seen Congress
gradually cncroach step by step, and Violate day
after day and month after month constitutional
rights and the fundamental principles Of tho Gov.
ernmcDt. VIC haro ssen 8 Copgress that seemed
10 forge. that ,hrse wRs limit to tbo sphereHud
sscpu Of losisla.lop. We have seen Cunsros.
In minority as,uinc to exercise ronur which, If
allowed TO 10 carried cut, would result Ia despo-
tisih or ttoharchy lt.uls. This is truth, and bc.
cause othera as well as myself hate seen proper
t, appeal to the patriotism aud republican feeling
Of the country, We have beeu denounced in the
eercrest tcrlns slaudcr upon ulander, vitupera-
tion upon vituppra,ion, ii the most siliainous
oharactsz ha, uadO IS nay tbsoush tho iassa