Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-09-14
The President at New, York.
HIS SPEECH AT THE BANQUET.
FULL 7 REPORT.

On the removal .of The cloth AT the dinner
given by the citizens of New York to the
President and his party, Mayor HofruAS
proposed the first toast, which was, The
health of ANDREW JOHNSON, President Of the
United States The Pres idcnt arose, amidst
immense cheering, and spoke rs follows;
GENTLEMEN: The toast which has just
been drank, and the kind sentiments which
preceded it in the remarks of your distin-
guished representative, the Mayor Of this
city, is peculiarly, under existing circum-
stances gratifying to me; and In sayingit Is
gratifying to me- wish not to indulge in
any vanity. If were 10 say less should
not speak the truth, and it is always best to
speak the truth and give utterance 10 our
sincere emotions. In being so kindly at
tended to, and being received as have been
received on this occason,-here Tonight aud
in your city to-day by such a demonstration
Il am free to confess that this overwhelms
me. But the mind would be exceedingly
duh, aud the hcart almost without an i'm
pulse, that could not give utterancc to some
thing responsive TO what has been said and
done. [Cheers.] And believe me on this
occasion, warm is the heart that feels, and
willing is the tongue that speaks, and
would to God it were in my power to reduce
the sentences and to language the feelings
and emotions that this day and this night
have produced. [Cheers. fHrH.
shall not attempt in reference to what
has been said, and the manifestations that
have been made, 10 go into any speech, or to
make any argument before you on this oc.
cnsion, but merely to give utterance to the
sincere sentiments of my heart. Iwould
that could utter what do feel in response
to this outpouring of the popular heart which
has gone forth on this occasion, and which
will as legend spread itself and communi.
cate with every heart throughout the Con.
federacy. Cheers.] All that is wanting
in the great struggle in which we are now
engaged is simply to develop the popular
heart of the nation. -ltps like latent fire
All that is necessary is u sufficient amount oi
friction todevelop the popular sentiment and
feeling OF the American people. Cheers.
| know, as you know, that we have just
passed through a bloody, perilous conflict
that we have gentlemen who are associated
with us ON this occasion, who have shared
their part and participated in these struggles
for the preservation OF the Union. [Great
applause.l Here is the army, (pointing te
the right, where sat General Grant,) and
here the navy, (pointing to the left, in the
direction of Admiral Farragut) They have
performed their part in restoring the govern.
ment to its present condition. OF safety anG
security; and will il be considered improper
in me, on this occasion, to say that the Sec
retary of State has done his part? Cheers.
As for the humble individual who now
stands before you, and to whom you have SC
kindly and pleasantly alluded, as to wha
part he has performed in this great drama
in this struggle for the restoration of thu
Government, and the suppression Of rebel
lion? i will say what | feel, though l ma,
be included in the summing up, that III,
government has done its duty. Cheers.
But though the Government has done III
duty, the work is notyet complete. Though
We have passed through fields of battle, anC
at times have almost been constrained an(
forced tu the conclusion that we should u,
compelled To witness the Goddess of Liberty
ms it were, go scourged through fields Of car
mage and blood, and make her exit, and tina
our Government wonld be a failure; yet W,
are brought to a period and to time il
which tue Government has been successful
While the enemy ha.c been put down in tn
field there Is still n greater and more import
ant task for You and Others to perform
Cheers. must be pcrmitted-and shall
not trcspass OH you n moment must b
permitted TO remark in this connection, tha
the Government commenced the suppression
Of this rebellion for the express purpose 0
preserving the Union Of these States
| [Cheers. That was the declaration that |
made, and under that declaration we wen
into the war and continued it until we sup
pressed the rebellion. The rebellion ha
been suppressed, and in the suppression G
the rebellion it has declared and announce
and established tho great fact that thes
States had not The power, aud it denied thei
right by forciblc or by peaceable means t
separate themselves from the Union. [Crie
of I" Good''--Cheers. That having bee
determined and settled by the Governmen
Of the United States in the field and in on
of the departments OF Government-th
Executive department Of the Government
there is an open issue; there is another dc
partment OF your Government which ha
declared by its official acts, and by the pos
ton Of the Government, notwithstanding
the rebellion was suppressed, for the purpos
of preserving the Union of the States an
establishing the doctrine that the STATE
could not secsde, yet they have pra cticall
assumed and declared, and carried up to I'll
present point, that the Government was di!
solved and that the States were out of t.
Union. [Checrs.l We who contend for Ii
Opposite doctrlne, years pgo contended til,
even the States had not the right to peace;
bly, secede, aud one Of the means and mod,
of possible secession was that the States
the Union might withdraw their represents
tiyes from the Congress Of the United State
and that would be practical dissolution. W
denied that they had any such righ
[Cheers. And now when the doctrine
, established that they have no right to witt
draw, and the rebellion is at an end, and IL
States again assume their po itions and r.
. new their relations, as far as In them lie
with the Federal Government, we find thi
when they present representatives TO Il
Congress OF the United States, In violatio
of the sacred charter of liberty which d
clares that you cannot even by amendmel
of the Constitution of the United State
deprive any one Of them of their represel
. tation, We find that In violation of the Coz
stititution, in express terms as well as
spirit, that these States of the Union ba'
been aud still are denied their represcntitiC
in the Senate and in the House Of Reprcss
tntives, win we then IN the struggle whiC
is now before Ms, subnii-will the Americs
people submit to this practical dissolution,
doctrirc that we have repudiated, doctril
that we have just declared as having no ju
tice or right The issne Is before yoa al
|, before tho country. Will these States
permitted to continue and remain as th,
are, in practical dissolution and destructio
so far as representation is coneerned2 It
giving the lie direct--it is subverting eve
:, single argument and position we have ma