The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-03-06
TEE NATIONAL ISSUES.
MASS SaEETTyG AT THE FROHT
STREET THEATRE, Baltimore.
ENDORSEMENT OF PRESIDENT JoHrSoN-
LMpEAcHMEST UNoALLED FOR
AND CONDEMNED. =
rrom the Raltimore su1.

y1fpEACI1WENIt UNQUALIFIED FOh
AND CONDEMNED.
From the Baltimore Sun.
One of the largest assemblages ever
gathered under the roof OF the Front-street
Theatre last evening filed thas Spacious
building for the purpose OF considsring sng
existing perilous condition OF the Natlonai
Government and to sustain the President
in his steadfast devotion to the Constitu-
tion. and in resistance to the aggressions
of Congress ON the coordinate branches OF
the Government. The stage Of the Thea.
tre was beautifully decorated with national
Aaus. and the entire scene presented was
exceedingly animated. From pit to dome
the masses crowded the edif1ce, evincing
mncf enthusiasm. The stage was reserved
for the officers and invited persons, and
was well filled.
Mayor Banks presided, assisted by q
large number (perhaps ahundred) OF vice.
presidents. .
Letters were read from various distin-
guished gentlemen-among them Hon.
Reverdy Johnson, who declares his pur-
pose to be to continue to support the Pre-
sident. The letter is dated February
24th-before impeachment. Letters were
also read from Hon. C. E. Phelps, Hon. y.
Fl. Seymour of New York, Hon. r. T..
Merrick, Hon. John Quincy Adams OF
Massachusetts,, Hon. Richard Vaux OF
Philadelphia; and telegram from Cover
nor English of Connecticut. AL Of them
declare their sympathy with the President
and their hostility to Congress.
Speeches were made. Governor SWAMI
said the decay and downfall of all free
republics had been caused by just such
outrages on the part of those in power as
were going on at the national capital now.
All the functions of the Government have
been usurped by the legislative branch.
The President has been impeached, and
will soon be put upon his trial. The Su-
preme Court has been warned by Congress.
Ten States are now governed by a military
despotism; and all this has been done by
the present Congress, in order that, by
using the votes of the former slaves of the
South-of these ten States now kept out
of the Union-to control, and actually
govern, the entire North and the West.
Deliberation and firmness were now what
was needed; and if there is to be fight,
il must be at the ballot-box, with paper
bullets, and not leaden ones. He believed
that the present difficulties would be set
tied, for the people, who were working out
the destinies of America, were not pre-
pared for, and would never consent to,
military despotism on this continent. THE
Governor was frequently Interrupted by
onnlausa1
Hon. M. C. KERR, of Indiana, spoke
next. He said many severe things. The
Senate. he commended, was not competent
to try the President, for at the very outset
of this impeachment business that body
met in secret caucus and prejudged the
case. The presiding officer of the Senate
was not competent to sit in judgment on
the case, for he was one that would not be
taken as a juror in any respectable court
between Washington and the Internal re-
gions.
Hon. L. W. Ross, of Illinois, said:
trust no violent contingency will arise;
but if it comes, the freedom of the land
must be re-baptized in the blood Of her
citizens. [Great cheering.]
Hon. JAMES BROOKS, Of New York,
made the speech of the evening. He
said he had just escaped from Africa
the House of Representatives. He con-
tinued: The impeachment is absurd
from beginning to end-it is bub-
BILE, and will end in fzzle. It will
not succeed. Though the party tenden-
cies of the Senate are strong, yet it will
not dare to 60 on record to posterity with
the regicides of England and the murder
ers of Marie Antoinette. II they do i'm
peach the President they will create q
sympathy for Andrew johnson such as he |
has not now, nor any President before him
has had from the people throughout the |
and, not only for the wrongs inflicted on |
him, but for the wrong done to the country. |
We have had many parties, but this is |
The first that has ruined and abandoned |
he institutions of this nation-laid hold |
IF them for public plumber. They have |
40 respect for principle nor free institu-
;ions-they are not content to Africanize |
he ten southern States, but they intend
% Mexicanize the Government. This
party never did, and never can, govern |
his country. They had neither the brain,
he capacity, nor the patriotism, for the |
ask. They respect neither the ballot-box
,or the people-they love to ride over
hem. Whenever they have had power,
hey have involved the country in trouble,
turmoil, and bloodshed. During the six |
,r eight years they have been in power
hey have pursued revolutionary course,
baptized the country in blood, sacrificed
thousands of lives, and loaded you with an
tax, never to be ridden of in our
lay or generation.
On all you wear and eat, on your trades
md professions, they have made their
marks by this taxation. The speaker
closed by comparing the Radical majority
n Congress to maniac engineer running
! railroad train to destruction. Mr..
3rooks's remarks were frequently inter-
upted by bursts of applause.
These are merely few Of the remarks
# the several speakers.
Public Sentiment I'm Philadelphia.
Extract of letter dated Philadelphia,
"a, March 4, 1868:
"If Radical congressman are mad, the
anne kind of people at home are raving
naniacs. So far from the frst-named not