Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-03-06
JOHNSON.
HIS FAREWELL ADDRESS TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
He Touches up Congress in his
Peculiar style.
And VIndicates Ihe Integrity OF
His Public Life.
An Able. Scathing and Eloquent
Document.
WAsn1reroN. March 3. Is8q.

] CO-Up UpefhllOD OF the AMERICAN p6Opi6 Y
I all his eff0rts to administer the Govern
msnt within the pale Of the Federal Con
/ stitution are sincerely invoked. With
out ambition to crafty, party ends t
| subserye, or personal quarrels to avengt
/ to the sacrifice OF the peace snd welfar
OF the country, my earnest desire is Z
see the Constitution OF the Republic
again recogniZ ed and obeyed IS the su
preme law OF the land and the who'll
| people-Nortb, South, East aud West
prosperous and happy under its wise pro
visions.
In usurrendering the high Office to which
l wss called four years ago, IN memor
| able and terrible crisis, it is my privilege
! l trust, to say to the people OF the U niteC
States s few parting words IN yiodicRuon
of an official course so cesselessly assailed
and opposed by political lesders to whose
plans and wishes my policy to restore
the Union has been obnoxious. In s
period OF difficulty and turmoil, slmos
without precedent in the history Of any
people, consequent upon the closing
scenes Of a great rebellion and the sssas
siuation OF the President, il was psThsps
too much on my part to expect devoted
psrtisans who rode on the waves OF ex-
element, which at that time swept all
before them, that degree OF federation
and magnanimity which / sought 10 re-
commend and enforce, sud which be.
lieve in good time would have advanced
US infinitely further on the road to per.
manent peace and prosperity than we
have thus far attained.
Doubtless had / at the commencement
Of my term OF Office unhesitstingly lenI
It's pO Rers or perverted them to purposes
and plans outside Of the Constitution and
become an instrument TO schemes Of con.
fiscRtiOn and Of general and oppressive
disqualification, would have been hailed
as all that was true and loyal and deserv-
ing as the reliable head OF pSFty, what
ever l might have been as the Executive
Uf 8 nation. Unwilling, however, to SC
esde to propositions OF extremists and
bound to obey ct every personal heard
my oath to protect and defend the Con-
stitutiOn, need not PsFhapz be surprised
at having met the fate Of Others ~ hose
only re ward for uphOldiDg constitutional
rights and laws havC been the coDscien'
tiOusnesa Of having attempted to do theil
duty, and the cslmer judgment OF his
tory.
A mysterious Providence had assigned
to me the office Of President. / was, hy
the terms Of the Constitution, the COM
mander-in-chief of nesrly million OF
men under arms. One Of my first acts
was 20 dlsbsDd and restore to the voca-
tiOns Of civil life this immense host, and
to divest myself, IS fsr Sc / could, of the
unparalleled powers then iuciGenk 20 ths
office Whether or not in this step
was right, and how far deserving Of the
appreciation Of the people, they can now
en- reflection judge, when reminded OF
the ruinOus condition of EIhlic gfslr5
thst must have resulted frOIl the COntin'
uauce in the military service OF such a
vast number of men. The close OF our
domestic conflict found the army eager
to distinguish itself in a new field by au
effort to parish European intervention
in Mexico.
By maLy it was believed and urged
that aside from the assumed justice o
the proceedings, a foreign war, Ia which
both sides would cheeTiuily unite 10 vim
dicRte the honor OF the NstiOnsl flag
and further illustrate the National Prov
ess, would be the sgrest and speedjest
way OF awakening NstiSnsi enthusiasm,
reviving devotion to the Union, and Oc-
cupying force concerning which grave
doubts existed as to its Willingness, after
four years Of sctivs campaigning, At once
to return to the pursuits OF peace
Whether these speculatiOns were true or
false. il will be conceded that they eX-
isted, and that the predictions Of the
army were fOr the time being in the di-
rectiOn indicated.
Taking advantage Of that feeling, it
would have been easy, IS commander
in-chief of the army and navy, with ali
the powers and patronage Of the Presi-
Dental Office at my disposal, to turn the
concentrated strength OF the nation
against French interference in Mexico,
and to inRHguraie II JgeH2Dt which
would have been received with favor by
the military and large portion OF the
people. Il is proper in this connection
that / should refer to the almost unlim-
tied additional powers rendered to the
Executive by the measures relating to
civil rights and the Freedmen's Bureau.
The pOyers that were placed within
my grEsp were DECLINED as being in viO-
Istion of the Constitution, dangerous to
the liberties of the people, Rnd tending
10 sggragate rather than lessen the dis
cords naturally resulting from our civil
war. With large army and augmented
authority, it would have been no difii-
cult task TO direct at pleasure the desti-
MES of the Republic, and to make secure
my continuance in the highest Office
known to our laws. Let the people,
whom / sm addressing from the Presi
Dental chair during the closing hours of
q lsborious term, consider how different
would have been the present condition
of affairs had yielded to the dazzling
invitation Of foreign cOnqUestsi OF per-
sonal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and deslTe to
WELD additional power.
Let them with justice consider that il
/ have not unduly msgnitied my Cffi &c,
the public burdens have not been in.
creased by my acts, and perhaps thOus-
apds or tens of thousands of lives sacri-
need to visions of false glory. 1t cannot,
therefore, be charged that my ambition
has been Of that ordinary or criminal
kind which, to the detnment Of the peO-
ple,s rights and liberties, ever seeks to
grasp un warranted powers to accomplish
It's purposes and pander to popular preju-
dice and party aims.
What, then, have been the aspirations
which guided me in my Official acts ?
Those acts need not at this time an elab-
orate explanation. They have every
where been Complementary and fully
discussed, and become u part OF the ma
tion's history. BY them [ am ready to
be judged, knowing that, however i'm
perfect, they ct least show TO the Impair
tial mind that my sole ambition was to
restore the Union of the States, faith
fully execute the Office of President and
to the best OF my ability protect and de-
fend the Constitution. | cannot be CEN
sured If my acts have been impeded in
the interests OF party faction, and if a
policy WHICH was intended to reassure
aud conciliate the people Of both sec
tiOns Of the country, was made the occa-
sion OF iDfisming and irritating still fur
ther those who were recently in arms
against each other, yet, as individuals,
we're sincerely desirous, as ! shall ever
be, OF buryiDg sll hostile feelings in the
grave of the past. The bitter war was
Waged on the part of the Government to
vindieate the Constitution and save the
Union, and If l have erred in trying TO
bring about q more speedy and lasting
peace. to eXtinguish hears-burnings and
enmilies, to prevent trouble ia the South
which was retarding material prosperity
ia that region and iDjuriously affecting
the whole country, lam quite content to
rest my case with the more deliberate
Judgment Of the people, and IS have
already intimsted, with the distant fu'