The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-03-14
Speech OF Hon. Reverdy johnson of
Maryland.

On the occasion OF taking the vote
in the Senate on the passage of the
reconstruction Bill over the Presi-
dents veto, Mr.. johnson spoke as
follows:
While doing, as he most sincerely
did, full justice to the conscientious
purpose of the President, he could not
but regret that he (the PresidenD had
felt himself compelled to come to that
result. and to send this message to
Congress. There were many propo-
sitions in law contained in that mes.
sage which could not be maintained.
There were many errors of judg-
ment in it which upon examination,
would be apparent; and. above all, in
the result TO which he (the President) }
had been compelled to come in the ex.
else. q his Judgment which. there was
no doubt, was conscientiousy exer-
cised, be (Mr. Johnson) saw nothing
but continued turmoil danger and er.
ror TO the South and to the entire
country. He rose, therefore, for the
purpose of stating very briefly in ad.
dition to- what he had already said
when tho measure was before the Sen,
ate on@ former occasion, why it was
that he had cast the vote he had cast
on that occasion, and why it was that
he should give the same vote now
[ Applause in the galleries whlchNwas
suppressed BY the Chair
II will not be for moment suppos.
cd (said Mr.. Johnson) by those to
whom am addressing myself that
am governed now or that | was gov.
ernod then by any hope of popular ap.
plauso, NV motives If / knew my.
self were perfectly pure and patriotic.
| saw before me distracted and al
most bleeding country thought |
saw and think see now tho means by
which it might be restored 10 health.
ful condition, and the Constitution OF
the country in the end preserved,
have arrived, Mr.. President, at that
period of my life when, if ever any
other ambition animated me, | can
have no other ambition now than that
OF serving my country. Having ro.
ierred to the views no had Expressed
on the question of reconstruction, con.
Guiding that when tho war ceased the
states were restored to their former re.
lltions, and that no conditions for
their representation woro requisite OF
constitutional, Mr., Johnson said that
the present and tho late executive
thought differently. 1t was unnecssa
ry for him TO say what were the condi.
tons eXacted by the present oxecu,
tive. They were in his (Mr. John
son's) judgment as unoonstitulonaI
as any that could be found in this bill
The Congress of the United States
were of opinion that, Notwithstanding
the people OF the southern states com,
piled with the terms exacied by the
present Uhiel Magistrate, they could
not be restored without tho sanction
OF Congressional legislation, aad this
was the judgment of the country
Then how we're they to come back
Only by complying with the conditions
which Congress imposes, whether Con
gress had the authority to impose
them or not or, failing to comply, tC
remain in tho sad condition in whrcl
they now arc
He Mr.. Johnson) imputed bad mo
tives neither to Congress nor to The
executive. He thought he knew hi,
duty to tho institutions of tho country
too we'll to call in question tho mo
tives of either, He accorded purit,
Of purpose, patriotic principles to both
He differed from both but he sough
the restoration of tho Union, and h,
saw no way Of accomplishing it nov
but by tho adoption Of the measure
now before tho Senate, Wo are now
in my opinion, in state OF quasi wa
our condition is revolutionary--tcl
states of the Union are virtually helt
as provinces upon tho ground that W,
have right To hold them us enemies
Of the Union and the government. Ii
that state OF things to hesitate in tn,
adoption Of any measure which prom
ises, even the most distantly, to put al
end to this revolutionary condition il
in my judgement, to be false to tn
true interosts and safety. of the coun
try. In conclusion, Mr.. johnson 'sai'
hc was glad TO ace from the publi