Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-06

johnson, ex President OF the United
States.
Mr. johnson then arose and was re-
ceived with cheer after cheer. de ad-
dressed the multitude as follows:
SPEECH OF ANDREW JOHNSON.
After receiving the cordial welcome
/ that have, confess that If / were dis
/ posed to make speech concerning the
| great questions that agitate the public
mind. + should feel almost iAcapacitsted
| for snesking. | return my most sincere
| thanks for this cordial welcome. It ls
unusually gratifying to me to be well
coined in this manner, after what has re-
Gently trsnspired during MY term as Ex-
eeutivs of this great nation. How pleas
| ing it is to meet here upon q common
! ground and To receive yOllr cOngratuls-
/ tions. The time has baen when, as
| Whigs and Democrats, we had our hitter
| contests, but after the contest was over
we laid our weapons Aside and met
| again as friends. As your late honOred
Representative has said, wediffefed upon
| questions Of politics and upon the con-
| struction of the Constitution, but there
was one thing that Whigs and Demo-
Gratis agreed in, and that was the neces-
1 sity for constitutional form Of govern.
meut; and the only difference was that
/ the Democrats cOntsnds,i for 8 strict
construction, and the Wings wanted a
little more latitude to operate the Gov
eminent in.
How does it stand now? There has
| another party sprADg up. l care not
how you call parties. The great distine-
| tion Is the principle upon which they are
conducted. If there ever was time,
now is the time for regarding the pripei'
pies Of parties. Ia those times, as
/ 1 have said, we only differed in
| our construction Of the COnstitu-
/ ton. We defended the Constitution
st all haz ards, even when driven from
/ the State for our devotion. to the Con-
stitutiOn. have filled every office in
\ the Gift Of the people, from the highest
| to the lowest, my ambition Is filed, and
| I have no more to ask lor. have eB-
| deavJred TO protect the Constitution, ,snd
] the result Is before you. [ sm now in
your midst to spend the remainder OF
my days, where as boy penniiess and
! stranger, l can truly say | expected to
| die aud be buried. All | ask in return
/ ing to your midst is fair and impartial
examination OF my past history. Ii |
/ have refsc.ed honor upon you, IL reflects
| honor upon your State. L intend 10 de
vote the remainder OF my life IS pri-
/ yste cilizsn, To the vindication Of my
! official life, and Of my native State,
from the foul OblOquy that has been
! hssped upon Us.
Though bent, [ have not been broken
by the storm which has nearly wrecked
| the ship OF State.
NOT DEAD YET.
In receiving your welcome, 1 think
| that I may with some degree OF conf
dence call your attention to some few
questions. l feel the responsibility that
/ Is resting upon me. L may say that
I receiV Ved yesterday large number of pa.
pers containing my obituary. II may be
/ that | am as one come from the dead
and II so, trust you will believe QUE
| coms from the grave. 4 voice, - Not
( so dead yet") Once We had Constitu-
tiOn, and now we ought tc return to It.
/ Recently we have seen that liberty has
| almost departed from the land through
the neglect of the Constitution. The
! Government is divided into three depart
| ments, each with its appropriate duties
The Executive is the tribune OF the peo'
pie, NOT to make laws, but to stand with
negative power, aud when Congress
makes bad laws II say, 81 forbid" The
Constitution Rlb provides that when
. kOuEEEeb y LE551 y Ia ~ By ANO~b4iAuG =
iorisy it becomes valid, bat it is not 8
part Of the COnstitution-s two-thirds
| majority of Congress have tried to wipe
| the Constitution out of eKistencs. The
Constitu ion prescribss the duties Of eacl
! department OF the GOvsrn@ent, Rnd
when the Congress OF the United States
! excited by interest and q, spirit Of tyr
snuy, transcsndcd th& Cons Tuition.
vetoed their bills and sent them back tC
them. For this / have been denounced
as a traitor, and accused Of abandOninl
my party, and OF being q, traitor to it
II fidelity to the Constitution is treasoI
to party, % let the party go,
UsURPING CONGRESS.
| Let us see how these departments ops
rate. l. ach is confined TO its sphere
Let US reason together. Where Is tn
dasgsr in the Government? ] tell yoI
I here to-day, and ss one speaking from th
dead it is the Legislative Department
[ mean in the Federal government
Way Can the executive make law
Hs has only q negative power. The Iu
dietary can only eXpOun1 8 law. Bu
the Legislature can pass laws of the mos
arbitrary character, and under the pre-
tense OF law, tFample upon the libeFtie
OF the people. Those who are trying
undermine the Constitution, have givel
the impression that two thirds msjorit.
has the power of the Constitution. The
they can go on until a COngress-yes
! capricious Congress, yes, % despotic Con
gress, yes, USURPING CongTess-whl tax
away the liberties OF the people. But
feel that stood as a breakwater at tb
head Of the American government an
arrested it's progress, for time at least
until the people knew what was goin
on. And while others may boast OF hsS
, ing established s government, l feel tina
/ can, without egotism, claim the eredi
Of having been eff Jient in its preservs
ton.
The time has come to talk about tn
! irst principles OF Government. Tax
. away the restraints which hold 6sc
! Congress and you have a despotic q -
, erumsnt. Wipe out the other two dt
! paTtments Of the G0vernmsnt and 20
have Congress with its discretion, or pei
haps | should say, its indistretion, th
measure OF its power.
Jefferson describes such body as thi
> as the exact ens bodimeDt of q despotisn
! and let me tell you here that wise an
good prince is infinitely better than
/ usurping, arbitrary, despotic Congress
: Voice -" That's so, Andy. 60 it.")
Look st the course of Great Britai
towards the colonies, and compare
with that of Congress. Look at the De-
laration of Independence, and see no
the acts Of Congress are similar to Il
course Of Great B-itsin. Then when thi
Declaration wss made, and the peop
; ssw their wrong, they were aroused
/ gain their freedom. Now, look at OF
condition. The great writ Of HabsE
/, CoEsus suspended, and when a ci.
zsn Of the United States appealed
! the Supreme Court, an arbitrary Coz
, gress took from him the rights OF appei
aud deprived BIN of his Liberty.
The yonpg men l see here must loo
TO these things, for we pray headed me
are passing off OF the scene, and the
= must soon take our places. Wesse Go'
ernors Of States depOsed by Lieutenan
: in the army. Let noe tell story.
party OF gentlemen were recently ridiD
? through Richmond, the capital OF Ii
2 Old Dominion, and seeing a house the
, asked who lived there 2" The driv
s,ulied 3 while, and said, Oh, that
: the gentleman that haH the State
i charge Think of it, little mllital
e man had the old Dominion in charge!
; uvNspAruv FOR THE DOWN.TRODDE'