Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-07-10
PHILIP NJ. Russell, Secretary.
Savannah, June 80, 1867.
The Constitution Must Not Be Adam


The Constitution Must Not Be Aban-
doned.
At Baltimore, on Friday the 2Sth, Presi-
dent johnson, in the course Of speech which
was heartily applauded throughout, made the
following remark:
language is inadequate to express my
emotions and feelings for this friendly demon
stration Ny business has not been during
the tour to make speeches or addresses, but
| simply to participate in and exchange the
civili,ies which are due to one another from
The citizens of our great country. The other
Iay,in connection with. my distinguished. as
sociate, visited thc State that gave ME birth.
| went there and exchanged civiities with
.hose who knew me FIRST. On my return to
Washington, having discharged some public
duties belonging to my station, | visited, with
the Secretary OF State, and by invitation, one
Of the cities in the far east, and permit me
10 say my reception, both South and North,
has been OF such character as TO indicate to
me an era of good feeling, reconciliation and
concord between the two sections Of our coun-
:ry. Applause. l thank God it is so. In
reply 10 your alins;on to my services, would
say, in the very dawn Of our recent ditiicul-
Ties when one portion OF our Union was threat
ening another, took my position. What it
is, is known to those whom i now address.
felt then, as do now, that the Union should
be preserved, with allits ir.egral parts as
distinctive as ever. 1t is easy to talk about
physicai Courage A man may distinguish
himself in the field. know what gallant
man he is, and award to him ali honor that
is due; but permit me to say, not in dlSpar
agemens, that there is another kind OF cour-
age equal, if not superior 10 physical courage
ltrequires moral courage to face tie menaces
and frogns of those who combine in deter
mined opposition to the government with q
view to lis subversion-to plant ones sell
on the principles on which the government
rests, and to bid defiance to all the fury which
may be expressed againstit
And it is easy to talk about traitors and
about men abandoning principles. Take my
conduct as United States Senator, or Pro
visonal Governor Of Tennessee, or Chic
Magistrate of this nation, and where is the
an who can put his finger on any grea
principle of constitutional liberty which
have abaadoped? Cries of" None !" F." None!'
and applause.l have held to the constitu
ton of my country as the palladium Of our
civil and religious liberties; and as the chiei
| ark of our safety and let me say to the peo'
| pie of Baltimore who hear me to-day, il you
| expect and are determined to preserve con-
stitutional liberty, let me appeal to you, in the
language of the ship-wrecked mariner, Cling
to the constitution as the last plank Of liber
ty, though the darkness Of night and the
tempest may close around you" Applause.
But, my fr ends, did not intend to say this
much. Cries of $50 on" have tried tc
discharge my duty. !. this may have err
red but it is an error Of the head, and not OF
the heart. Itis human to err, but divine tc
forgive; and if our people. either North or
South, are guilty Of committing errors, now
that new era of goodwill has commenced
let US forgive one another, and take the con-
stitution of our country and lay it on our
common altar, and as freemen rally around
| it, and in one fraternal embrace swear that all
| other things shall sink into the dust and per.
ish, rather than the Constitution and Union
shall be destroyed. Please acceptmy thanks
for this cordial welcome. shall never cease
to remember it so long as the vital current
courses in my yeirs, and have heart to
feel and mind to remember.