The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1866-09-01

A Committee from tile members of th
Philadelphia Convention presented the Pres
ldent. with copy of the proceedings of th
Convention-Reverdy Johnsoii snarting a
Chairman. The President delivered an ad
dress of considerable length, expressing th
highest qualification for the result of th
proceedings. In alluding 10 Congress, b.
said
We have witnessed in one department of th
government every effort, as 1t were, to proven
the Iestoration OF peace and harmony. There i
on the verge of the government, as it were,
body tskGeh has assumed TO be the Congress of th
United States, bat in tact Congress of only par
OF the States. We have seen this Congress ufn,
and pretend to be for the Union, when its every
step and act tended to- pefpetuate disunicn anc
make disruption of the States inevitable In
stead OF promoting reconciliation and harmony
lts legislation has taken the form of retaliation
and this has been the course and policy Of one
department OF our government.
Hisallcsion TO what Congress ASSUMES to
be, will cause another futtering among the
revolutionists.
OF the Importance attaching tothis Con-
Vention, Mr.. johnson says:
proclaim here toSday, as have on other oc-
caslons, that my faith is abiding in the great
mass OF the penltle. in the darkest hour Of the
struggle. when the clouds seemed to be most
lowering my faith, instead Of giving way looked
up through the darkness and far beyond, and saw
that all would be safe in the end. .TCheerS.l
MY countrynen, we all know that, in the Ian
guage Of Thomas Jefferson, tyranny and despo
tism even can be used and exerted more etfectuaI.
~ by the many than the one. We have seen a
COnOrpS9' Drodu0llV oh cfa hx, cfa
Constitutional rights and violate daily and month
Y the fundamental principles of the government
We have seen a Congress that seemed to forget
there was Constitution and that there was1a
limit TO the power and scope of legislation. We
nave seen Congress in minority assume to ex
erelse powers which, if allowed to be carried out,
would result III despotism or monarchy itself.
LCrIes Q! that's so, and enthusiastic cheersl
This Is the truth, and because others, as well as
myself have seen proper to appeal to the patriot.
ism and Republican feeling Of the country, we
nave been denounced in the most severe terms.
Slander upon slander, vtuperation upon vltupe-
ration OF the most vlllainous character has made
Its way through'the public press.
What gentleman, has been your and my sin
What has been the cause of your offending? II
Will tell you Daring to stand by the Constitution
Of our fathers. [Cheers]
The President here approached the spot where
Senator johnson was standing and said
consider the proceedings of this Convention,
sir, as more important than those of any COnven.
tion that ever assembled in the United States. |
[Great applause.I
When 1 look with my minds eye upon that |
collection OF citizens coming together voluntarily
and sitting in council with ideas with principles
and views commensurate with all the States and
co-extenslVe with the whole people, and contrast
1T with the collection of gentlemen who are trying
to destroy the country, regard it as more i'm.
portatt than any Convention that has sat- at least
since l776. lCheersI. | think | may say the
declarations there made are equal to the Declara
ton OF independence. stand here to day. pro-
nounce it a second Declaration of Independence
ICries of glorious and most enthusiastic and
prolonged applause.l
Your Address and Declarations are nothing
more nor less than a reafirmation of the Consti
tuition OF the United States ICries of good p
and cheers.] Yes, will 90 farther and saw. that
the Declaration you have made, that the princi.
pies you have enunciated in your Address. are q
second Proclamation of Emancipation to the l1eo
pie OF the United States. Renewed applause.
Fer, III. proclaiming and reprOclairning these
great truths, you have laid down Constitutional
platform upon which all can make common earse
and stand together for arestoration of the States
and the preservation Of the government, without
to party. The question only Is the sal
vaton OF the country for our country rises above
all party considerations or influence.
How many are IN the United States that now
require to be free, that bear the shackles upon
heir Limbs and are bound as rigidly as. though
hey were in fact in slavery? repeat, then that
your Declaration is the second proclamation to /
,he people of the United States and offers com
non ground upon which all patriots can stand. /;
The character of the late legislation in
,Iuding the Civil Rights and FreeIdmen's
Bureau Bills, can be inferred from ehe fol. +
lowing allusion to the nature of tfe powers
granted to the Executive by those bills. It
vas certainly a most extraordinary grant of i
'ower to one man under Republican form 7
If Government:
have passed through every position, from Al>E Ii;
erman of village to the Presidency, and surely
this should be enough to satisfy any :
easonable ambition. If / wanted efice, ori
7ished to perpetuate my own power, how easy it
Tould have been to hold and WELD that which il
'as placed in my hands by measures called the O
reedmen's. Bureau daughter and appIausel. o
With the army which itplaced at my disposal, II Fl
ould have remained at sthe capital the Unitedi
tates and, with its fifty or sixty million dollars
appropriation at my disposal with ths ma. 3
hinery to be worked by my own hands, with mi D.
ltraps and dependents ineyery town and village, al
I'd then, with the Civil Rights bill following as OF