Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-09-15

, 40 PRESIDENT JoHNsoN's SPEECH. 40 adt
ThePresident, who stood near the center
of the platform to receive the Welcoming
Address, now moved forward to the front,
amid vehement and enthusiastic cheering,
and spoke as followssa h''"0n1 .il g7oW
, MY CoUNTRYMEN :-Permit me on this
occasion 10 tender through you, to this vast
assembly here to-day, my sincere thanks
for the welcome you have given me. Aud
in saying SOL the President was here inter
rupted by a atumultinthe crowd, which pre-
sehteda singular sight as seen from the
platform.ra surging wave traVersipg the
entire mass of human beings assembled be-
low, and passing on till stopped BY the plat
form itself. When it had subsided, the
Presidentcontinued.] Fellow -citizens, had
just saiG thatit is no ordinary pleasure to
Inc to tender my grateful thanks through
your honorable representative and chair
man here to-day, for the cordial welcome
that you have given me in your midst. And
how vividly aud forciblyidoes my mind re-
cur to the period referred to by him on this
occasion, when l made my first visit to
Cincinnati, III the State of Ohio. came
then as an exile from oppression and tyran-
ny, and he, your honorable representative,
then met me and extended to me the cordial
and sincere hand of friendship. / accepted
lit; I have cherished it since; and it is a re-
markable and singular coincidence that he
that welcomed me rs an exile, fleeing from
tyranny aud despotism that then reigned
in my own section Of the country, that he
welcomes me here TO day in a double char-
acter-as a citizen of the United States,
thank God, [eheersl and as President OF the
lthirty-siX States which compose this Union.
,[Great applause.l And wish to say here,
in the introduction to what little intend
say, that. ! entertain the same opinions
and the same views, in reference to thepres-
ervatiOn OF the Government and the Con-
stitution OF the United States that did
then. | stand upon the same great, fuuda-
mental principle of our Government, that
no State or States, had a right, of their own
free will to stparate themselves from tile
other States, feheers, "GoOd forthat N and,
while acting IN the Senate, or dischargiDg
my duty rs Senator, | acted upon this prin-
ciple. placed myself then, upon the Con-
stitution and in the Union, and declared
that that was the position that we should
occupy in fighting this great battle for
Union and constitutional freedom. LOUD
cheers. .....t. o..
: | stand here to-day, before you, enter
taiiing the same opinions and jviews now
that l entertained then; though it has been
said that since / was inaugurated
Chief MagistI ate of the United States, that
| had abandoned the party that brought
me into power; [''don't believe it,"] will
my cOuntrymen hear me for a few moments
upon this point? l call, to-day, upon this
large, this vast assembly here to-day, for
any man to put his finger upon the slight
est departure that i have made from the
platform that the reVered and lamented
Lincoln and myself were placed upon as
candidates for the Presidency and Vice
Presidency of the United States. TCheers,
and cries of "bully.'l L say here, to-day,
mortal man can not put his finger upon q
departure; but, on the contrary, every act,
Official or otherwise, of mine, has been in
the direction that was intended and calcu-
lated to preserve and sustain the doctrines
aud principles lail down in that, platform.
[Cheers and cries of "rhat's So" "Bully for
you," and Good for Andy."] For, when
we come to examine that platform, and
extract from it the principles % that it
contains, it is in substance the Consttu-
tion OF the United States, and does
not inaugurate any one principle THAT
comes IN conflict with the great charter of
human freedom. [''Bravo."] There have
stood, and there Intend to stand. Great
cheers.] | know that since, repeat, was
inaugurated President of the United States,
it has been said by some that had aban-
doned party, and even gone further and
said that have turned traitor, ["Never.p
That's not so," and cheers 10 whom,
1T me ask thisintelligent audience here to-
day, to whom have turned traitor? [Up-
roar cheers, and "Moses."l Let me say here
to-day, / wish to be understood. Let me
say here to-day, and | don't wish to be
misunderstood. Let me say here to-day, If
fidelity, IL fidelity to the Constitution, if
fidelity to the country is treasons then
stand before you tr itor. [Cheers If, |
repeat again. if fidelity to my country and
the Constitution is treason to party, | say
party must go. and my country must stand.
[Great oheeringl L to turn traitor! And
for what, my countrymen? VIII you
indulge. me for g. few moments, =. as as
us.n1 What should turn traitor fOr9 l
was here the other day as an exile, fleeing
from tyranny and despotism. Why it has
been my course and position In life to
fight against power and tyranny from my
advent into life, and being almost a pare Of
my nature, it was natural that ] should
stand opposed to the encroachmants upon
the Constitution andlfree government when
came into power. Cheers Il WhyShould
| abandoni party2 Why should l prove
traitor? What have Ito gain by it? [''Noth-
ing"l Tam no candidates. am no Candi-
date, say. Why, have filled all the
places in this Governments from the lowest
to the highest. ['We've heard that before"
Bully for you," ard cheers.l What more
can want? Why the summit Of all lu-
man ambition Is reached. | have reached
thes,summi; yes, the highest point, the
highest position in the world, by the aO-
probation of the people. fCheefs.1 And
now, let me ask, what 1hducement Is there
to turn traitor to any one2U Turn traitor to
the people iT"NeverpIeG .fIs win ,d, 4,
Take my past history, and where is there
yote,where is there q single public act
where Is there one single measure that
have introduced, hut what was Intended
and calculated to ameliorate, to elevate and
of mankind? ["That's sO.n1 stand then,
where / stood when L wasin your midst,
andlyou received me as an exile,g1I have
opposed the enemies of the Constitution
and free government since l have been in
power, and now, let me ask, II, as has been
aiIud6dsto here teSdayl and 10 moretOrcible,
and eloquent and urgent language than
can use, If in. opposing what Is commonly
denominated, the Freedmen's Bureau bill,
fhooting and cheers, llhow have I d6neit2
and have proved to be6ltFaitor in thatP
T"No, no." A number OF bouquets were
here thrown on to, the platform by some
Young ladies' occupying aowmd0wlofs the
Spehcer House. EdOp TecreantI to the Com
stitution and the epuntryp Cheers and
shouts of "No,nl Was the Freedmeh's Bu-
reau bart Of the platform9 Let me ask
yb(i here to-day, and in whatilittleweceay
ietius be understoodad naht oyitasy97o aie,
1--WE know that there are always some chat