The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-03-20

Speech Of the Hon. ReFerdy John
son on the passage ofthe Military
Reconstruction Bill over the
Veto.
In the Senate, on the I'd inst, Mr.. John.
son, Dem, Md.,) took the floor and said !:
While doing, as lie most sincerely did,
full justice to the conscientious purpose Of
the President, he could not but regret that
he (the President) had felt himself COMPEL
ed to come to that result and to send this
message to Congress: There were many
propositions in law contained in that mes
sage which couldnot be maintained. There
were many errors of judgment 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 exercise Of his own Judgment, which,
there was no doubt, was conscientiously
exercised, he Mr. Johnson) san nothing
but continued turmoil, danger and error to
the South and to the entire country.
He rose, therefore, for the purpose of
stating very briefly, in addition to What he
had already said when the measure WIS be-
fore the Senate on d former occasion, why
it was that he should give the same vote
now. Applause in the galleries, which
was repressed by the chair twill not be
for moment supposed, said Mr.. johnson
by those to whom | am addressing myself
that | am governed now, Or that Twas gov.
erned then, by any hope of. popular ap.
plause. My motives, if | know myself
were perfectly pure and patriotic. l saw
before me a distracted and almost bleeding
country. / thought I saw, and l think
see now, the means by which 1t might b
restored to healthful condition, and thu
Constitution Of the country in the end b.
saved. I have arrived, MIR; President, al
that period of my life when, if any othel
ambition animated me, / can have no othe1
ambition now than that Of serving m,
country.
Having referred to the views he hat
previously expressed on the question of re
construction, concluding that when the wa
ceased the States were restored to thei
former relations, and that no conditions fo
their representation were REQUISITE or con
stitutional, Mr. johnson said that the pre-
sent and the late execative thought differ
emily. 1t was unnecessary for him to sa,
what were the conditions eSatted BY thu
present executive. They were in his (Mr
Johnson'sl Judgment, as unconstitutiona
as any that could be found in this bill. Tn,
Congress of the United States was O
opinion that notwithstanding the people o
the Southern States complied with tn,
terms exacted by the present chief magis
trate, they could not be restored withou
the sanction Of congressional legislation
and this -was the judgment of the country
Then how were they to get back? Onl,
by complying with the conditions which
Congress may impose, whether Congress b.
the authority to impose them or not OF
failing to comply, to remain in the sad con
dition in which they now are. He (Mr
Johnson) imputed bad motives neither t
Congress nor to the Executive. HI
thought he knew his duty to the institu
tons of the country too well to call in ques
ton the motives Of either. He accorde,
purity of purpose and patriotic principle
to both. He differed from both, but songh
the restoration ofthe Union, and he saw n,
way of accomplishing it now but by tn,
adoption of the measure now before tn
Senate. We are now, in my opinion, in
state of quasi war--our condition is revo
lutionary-teR States of the Union are viz
tually held as provinces, upon the groun'
that we have no right to hold them a
enemies Of the Union and the government
In that state Of things, to hesitate IN tn
adoption of any measure which promises
even the most distantly, to put an end t,
this revolutionary condition is, in my judg
ment, to be false to the interests and safet,
of the country. In conclusion, MIR. John
son said he was glad to see from the public
prints of the South, and to be Informed b,
many Of the leading men Of the South, tina
I it was the purpose Of the Southern State
to organize under this bill. They are tax
ing lessons from experience. The consti
tutional amendment, if it had been adopted
would have brought into this chamber ant
the other chamber, representative from tn
South. Of that l have no doubt. Now i
will not. The bill which We passed, an,
which was afterward amended in tn
House, would have accomplished the sam
purpose upon terms less exacting thar tn
one now before the Senate. 1t was amend
ed, and the amendment is the most obnoxi
GUS feature of the Bill. The Senate passe
it and voted for it. Why? Because
thought knew / had satisfactorily ascel
tanned that, this failing,a measure Of
more rigid character, measure founde'
upon the idea that the people Of the SoutI
were conquered enemies, their propert
liable to forfeiture, would have bee
enacted. "a. sS5t s.
! How TO KILL LITTLE GIRIs.-W arnl