Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-03-07
THE PRESIDENTS SPEECH.
SEVERE ASSAULT ON CONGRESS-.
Stevens and Sumner Denounced.

Stevens and Sumner Denounced.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22-There was a
mass meeting at Growers Theatre to- day,
in support of the Presidents policy. The
edifce being crowded to its fullest capac-
ity, large number of persons were ad-
dressed from outside stands. Among the
speakers were Montgomery Blair, 5. 3.
Cox, Judge Kinney, Representatives
Smith and Trimble, of Kentucky; Rog-
ers. of New Jersey, and Senators Hen
bricks, McDougal and Wiley. The
principal meeting was presided over by
Phillip A. Fendall, the oldest member OF
the Washington bar. ...-.
| A series of resolutions were passed,
strongly approving the course adopted
by the President, and calling upon citi-
zens of every shade of political opinion
to stand by the policy adopted by him.
At the close of the meeting process
sion was formed, and proceeded to the
open space in front of the North Portico
| of the Executive Mansion. A committee
delivered to the President the resolutions
adopted by the meeting. The. President
soon made his appearance, and met with
F. al CAtAuoAoobAS
SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT.
FELLOW CIT1zENs:-For presume !
have the right to address you as such,
come to you to tender to you my sincere
thankgfor the appreciation expressed by
your committee in their personal address
and in the resolutions submitted by
them, as having been adopted by the
meeting held in this city to-day. These
resolutions, as 1 understand them, are
complimentary to the policy which has
been adopted by the Administration, and
has been steadily pursued since 1t came
! into power. am free to say to you on
this occasion that it is extremely gratify
| ing to me to know that so large portion
of NV fellow citizens approve and en-
dorse the policy which it is my intention
shall be carried out. That policy is one
| which is intended to restore all the States
| to their original relations to the Federal
Government of the United States. This
seems to be day peculiarly appropriate
for such a manifestation. 1t is the daJ
that gave birth to the man who more
perhaps, than any other, founded thi
Government. It is the day that gavt
birth to the father of our country. 1t Il
the day that gave birth to him who pre-
sided over that body which framed thu
Constitution under which all the State
entered in to this glorious confedeIaey:-
Such day is peculiarly appropriate To-
the indorsement of policy whose objec
is the restoration of the Union of the
States as it was designed by the Father
of his country--Washingt ngton-Whose
/ name this city bears, and IS embalmed IL
i in the hearts of all who love free govern
ment. Washington, in the language o
his eulogist, was first in war, first
peace and first in the hearts of his coun
trymen." No people can claim, no ma
ton appropriate him. His reputation i
commensurate with the civilized world
and his name is the common property Q
all those who love free government. To
J day I had the pleasure of visiting an as
sociation who have been deVoting thei
efforts to the completion of the monu
i ment which is being erected to his name
. l was proud to meet them, and, as far a
IItcould, give to them my influence AM
! countenance in aid Of the work the
have undertaken. That monument whlcl
is being erected to him who, / may say
founded this Government, is almost with
in the throw of a stone of the spot iron
which l now address you. Let it b
completed. Let those various block
: which the States and individuals and Al
socistions and corporations have put i
that monument as pledge of their lov
for the Union, be here served, and lie
: the work be accomplished.
{ In this connection let me refer to tn
block from my own State (God bless her
which has struggled for the preservation
Of this Union in the field and in the cour
: ellis of this nation, and which is now strut
E Cling to renew her relations with tn
9 Government that were interrupted by
fearful rebellion. She is now strugghn
to renew those relations, and TO take he
stand where she had ever stood sine
I776 until the rebellion broke out. La
me repeat the sentiment that that Stat
has inscribed upon the stone which, sh
: has deposited in that monument OF fre'
dom, which is being raised in cenmem,
ration of Washington. She is strugglin
. to get back into the Union, and to stan
by the sentiment which is there inscri
:, ed. and she is willing to sustain it,
What is it? 1t is the sentiment whic
was enunciated by her distinguished sol
A.. the immortal, illustrious Andrew Jacl
: son, The Federal Union, it must be pr
served. .''l If it were possible for that ol
man, whose statue is now before N
and whose portrait is behind me, in tn
Executive Mansion, and whose sentimeI
is thus preserved in that monumentneI
YOU. to be called forth from the grave
or if it were possible to communica
with the spirit of the illustrious deai
and make him understand the progre
of faction, and of rebellion and Treason
he would turn over in his coffin, and /
would rise, and shaking of the habl
ments of the tomb, would again stan
erect and extend his long arm and inge
and reiterate that sentiment once e.
pressed by him on memorable oocasio
1.-THE Federal Union must be preserved
We have witnessed what has transpire
since his day. In 1888, when treasC
and treachery and inidelity to the Go
ernment and Constitution of the Unite
|. States stalked forth in the land, 1t "
his power and influence that crushed Il
the serpent in its incipiency. 1t "
then stopped, but only for time.
spirit of disatfection continued. The
were men disaffeoted to the Governmer
both in the North and South. There W
in a portion of the Union peculiar
stitution, of which some complained, al
to which some were attached. One pC
\ ton of our ceuntrymen, in the Sout
70 advocated that institution, while anoth
portion, in the North, opposed 1t. !
9 sn.,lF yrae the forn,ation Of extreme pl