The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1866-02-28
Andrew JOhnsOn's Speech. Delivered
In Warrington Feb 20, 1S06.

FELLOW CiTIzExs-for presume have a
right to address you as such-l come to tender
to you my sincere thanks for the appreciation
expressed by your committee in their person
al addresses, and in the resolutions submitted
by, them as having been adopted by the meet.
ing which has been held in this city to day.
These resolutions, as I understand them,
are complimentary t, the policy which has
by the administration, and which
has been steadily pursued since it came into
power. l am free to say to you on this occa.
sion that it is extremely gratifying to me to
know that so large portion Of my fellow cit.
has been adopted, and which it is my iuten
ton shall be carried out. Great applause T.
That policy il one which is intended 70 restore
all the states to their original relations to the
federal government Of the United States. Re-
newed applause. This seems to be a day Pc
cularly appropriate for such manifestation;
it is the day that gave birth to that man who.
more, perhaps, than any other, founded this
government; it is the day that gave birth to
the father Of cur country; it Is the day that
gave birth to him who presided over that body
which framed the constitution under which all
the states entered into this glorious confeder.
acy. Such a day is peculiarly appropriate for
the endorsement of a policy whose object is
the restoration OF the union of the states as
II was designed BY the father of his country
I Applause Washington, whose name this
city bears, is embalmed in the hearts of all who
love free government. Washington. in the lam
guage of his eulogist. was first in war, list In
peace, and first in tho hearts of his country
men. No people can claim him. No matte.
oan approp-;;..ttee hin. His reputation is com.
nensura.e with the civilized world, and his
name is the common property Of all those who
love free government To-day l had the
pleasure of visiting an association who hive
been dcvoting their efforts to the completion
of the monument which is being erected to his
name. was proud to meet them, and, so far
as could, u give them my Influence ana
countenance in aid of the work they have un.
dertakcn. That monument which is being
erected to him who, / may say, founded tho
government, is almost within the throw of a
stone of the spot from which address you.--
Let It be completed. Let those various blocks
which the states, and individuals, and associa
tons, and corporations have put into that mon.
ument as pledges of their love for this union,
be preserved, and let the work be accomp
lished. In this connection let me refer to the
block from my own state-God bless her
which has struggled for the preservation OF
this union in the field and in the councils Of
the nation, and which is now struggling to re
new her relations with this government that
were interrupted by fearful rebellion. She
Is now struggling to renew those relations and
to take her stand where she had ever stood
since 1906, until this rebellion broke out
[Great applause Let me repeat the senti
mcnt that that state has inscribed upon the
stone which she has deposited in that monu
mcnt of freedom which is being raised in com.
memoration of Washington. She is struggling
to get back into the union and to stand by
the sentiment which is there inscribed, and she
il willing to sustain it. What is it? lis the
sentiment which was enunciated by her distin
guished son, the immortal, illustrious Jackson:
"The Federal Union; it must be preserved
[Great applause. If it were possible for that
old man. whose statue is now before me, and
whose portrait Is beside me in the executive
mansion, and whose sentiment is thus pre-
served IN that monument in your vicinity, to
be called forth from the grave, or if it were
possible to communicate with the spirit OF the
illustrious dead, and make him understand the
progress of faction and rebellion and treason
he would turn over in his coffin, and he would
rise, and shaking off the habiliments Of the
tomb, would again stand erect, and extend
forth his long arm and finger, and reiterate
that sentiment once expressed by him on a
must be preserved" [Great applause. We
have witnessed what has transpircd since hi:
day in 1888 When treason and treachery
and infidelity to the government and the con
stitu:ion of the United States stalked forth ir
the land, it was his power and influence thai
crushed the serpent in its incipiency. 1t wa.
then stopped, but only for q time. The same
spirit Of disaffection continued. There were
men disaffectcl to the government both north
and south. There was, in q portion of the
union, a peculiar institution Of which some com
planned, and to which others were attached
One portion Of our countrymen in the south
who advocated that institution. while anothe,
portion in the north opposed it. The result
was the formation Of extreme parties-one es
pecially in the south, which reached point al
which it was proposed to dissolve the union o.
the states, for the purpose, it was said, of Sc
curing and preserving that institution. Their,
was another portion of our countrymen wht
opposed that institution, and who went to sucl
an extreme that they we're willing to break W
the government in order to get clear of tina
peculiar institution of the south. say these
things because / desire to talk plainly and il
familiar phraseology. | assume nothing here
to-day beyond the position Of a citizen, one
who has been pleading for his country and the
preservation Of the constitution. Immense
cheering These two parties, say, were ar
rayed against each other, and stand here be
fore you for the Union to-day, as | stood ir
the senate of the United States in 1860 and
1861. / met there those who were making
war upon the constitution, those who wanted
to disrupt the government, and | denounee1
them in my place, then and there, and expo
sed their true character. | said that those
who were engaged ia the work of disruptina
the union were rebels and traitors. have
never ceased, on all proper occasions, to re
peat that sentiment, and SO far as my effort;
could 60 have endeavored to carry it out
l have Just remarked that there were two
parties, one of which was for destroying the
government and separating the union, in orde
to preserve slavery, and tho other for break
ing up the government in order to destro,
slavery. True, the objects which they soueh
to accomplish were different, so far as SLAYER,
was concerned, but they agreed in the dcsir'
| to break up the government-the precise thin;
to which have always been opposed; AM
| whether disunionists 1me from the north o
the south stand now as did then, vindca
| ting the union Of these states AMI the consti
tuition Of my country. Tremendous applause
| When rebellion and treason manifested them
selves in the south, stood by the govern
|
slavery, was for the union without slavery
In either alternative was for my govern
ment and its constitution. The government
has stretched forth its strong arm, and with it
physical power has put down treason in tn
field. The section Of the country which the
arrayed itself against the government has bee
put down by the strong arm. What did W
say when this treason originated? We said
"NO compromise. You yourselves in til
south can settle this question in eight an
forty hours" ! said again and again, and
repeat it now, ''Disband your armies in til
south, acknowledge the supremacy Of tn
constitution Of the United States, acknow
edge the duty of obedience to the laws, an
the whole question is settled" Their armie
have been disbanded, and they come forwar
! COW in proper spirit, and say. "We wer
mistaken. We made an effort to carry OF
the doct,:re Of secession, and to dissolve th
union. In that We have failed. We hay
traced this doctrine to its logical and physic;
results, and we fad that we were Mistaken