St. Mary's gazette., 1867-02-28
For. Rsverdy johnson.

amendments a ter all he has done Ill = con-
trary direction, ha. elected great surprise
and provoked much hostile speculation in
conservative circles, we have felt, in com
mon with the rest of mankind, some curl
osity to see what CT planation or defence he
could ofTcr His justification We give be-
low, and We submit it to our readers with
the comment, that it appears to Us to be
strained and far fetched aud, altogether
about the feeblcst apology for trimming
that has ever crossed our attention. The
blackne~s of Mr.. Jnhnson's conduct in this
business may be estimated from the fact
that, with all his ability, he has 10, been
able to give il even decsnt white-wa :
ing But TO the justification.
Mr.. Johnson.-Mr. 2 sidcnt, I have
fel, Solicl,ulc for the q fndition of the
country cons -quent upon exclusion OF
those States from their rig / of rcpreseu-
tatiou in this b'dy that words to ex-
press. The view that nep. p.crtained
is tLat lh-their presonts!S phey are
entitled to &c represented 0 the Con-
rress of the United States has. from the
termination of she rebellion to the present
time, taken different view, and have
lost all bope OF seeing them at an early day,
if at any day, with he consent of Congress,
reins,ated in their original condition.
Besides tic interest, the vital interest,
which the people of the South necessarily
have in the prescnt state of things, TIL in
tercst of the other States is almost as great
AS long as ii continues, more or less will
the reputation of the country suffer, and
more or less will the material interests Of
the coun,ry suffer l have been ready
Their. re, from the first, TO a-rte to a..y
proposition which believed would result
in bringing the Southern States back, how
ever much l may be opposed to the c3ndi-
tons which may be cxactcd from them
Nothing can be worse than the state III
which they are now piaccd-desolation
around thom, al rights denied them OF a
political character, and on the floor of the
Senate, to say nothing Of another branch
If the government, their character as men
has been asp rscd in terms which have
caused me nothing but the deepest regret.
| think | know that they are not deserving
! # such aspersion. think | know thai
the descendants of the men of the South
who. unon so many occasions, batiled II
i the field for the honor and glory of the
country, and contributed SO much to th'
success of our civil government, cannot bt
such men as some OF the members of Con
gress have designated them. | wish then
here in our midst, to show by their pres
aucc that in all particulars, moral, poltl
can, Christian and intellectual, they ar,
our cqua's. The very battles which they
have wayed in seeking to destroy the gov
ernmcnt cxhibi: deeds of valor of whict
Rome in her proudest days might have
beca proud. II had my own way,
would at once receive them into this cham
Der with heart fall of conviction that the,
would be true to their duty and to tn
coJn'ry, and that they would promote it
permanent interest.
But | have no. my own way; | an
obliged, therefore, to acqulesce III the de
cison of the majority OF Congress. how
ever erroneous or unjus, iay believ
that decision to be, provided | believe /
will end in comparatively short time /.
restoring the Southern States to the broth
crhood of States. | am willing th;.
this Congress shall adjourn without tn
adoption Of some measure that holds out
hope, however distant, that may be the re
suit of our deliberations; and believing tha
this will be done by the adoption Of tn
measure as it now stands before you,
shall give it my vote, not because | AZ
prove of it in the abstract or in the par
ticu,ars, but because | think l see in it
mode of rescuing the country from th
perlotls predicamcnt in which 1t IS nov
| placed
MIR. President, if there be feehn.
| which should animate the heart of every
! American. it should be feeling of gen
erosity, magnanlmity aud charity for th'
men who, although they sought to breai
asunder the cords of the Union, are now
looking with solictudc to their bong rem
stated Ii there be a feeling which should
animate every American citizen. 1t is thai
we should be, and at the earnest period
people one aud indivisib!c, demonstrating
to the world that however alarming the
few last years may have been, AMI however
they were calculated to cause the overs OF
constitutional freedom to d"spond, the time
has come, or the time will speedily come,
when the feelings consequent upon that e.
fcrt will have subsidej, a1 We shal, Be
brought together again, az seen ia the
undisturbcd execution of |utics lmpos
ed on US, and exhibiting to the world pco,
ple grca. in war, aud people capable OF
being in the end. the war terminated,
great in peace.
~ --A-IE II