The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1869-03-19
VAEEDICEORY FROM PRESIDENT
JOHNSON.
Review OF Political Events for the Past
Four Years
To the People of the United States:

y. Il
by my successor. For him the forbear-
ance and cooperation of tic American
people, in all his efforts to. administer
the government within the pale of the
Federal Constitution, are sincerely in
voked. Without ambition TO CRAFTY,
party ends to subserYe, or personal
quarrels to avenge, at the sacrifice of
the peace and welfare of the country,
my earnest desire is to see the Consti-
tuition of the republic agaiA recognized
and obeyed as the supreme law of the
land, and tie whole people. North,
South, East, and West prosperous and
happy under its wise provisions.
In surrendering the high Office to
which was called four years ago. at a
memorable and terrible crisis, it is my
privilege, | trust, to say 10 the people
of the United States a few parting
words in vindicatiOn ofanofficial course
so ceaseIessly assailed and aspersed by
political leaders, to whose plans and
wishes my policy TO restele the Union
has been obnoxious. In5a period of
difficulty and turmoil almost without
precedent in the history of any people,
consequent upon the closing scenes of a
great rebellion and the assassination of
the then President, twas, perhaps, too
much on my part to expect Of devoted
partiSans, who rode on the waves Of
excitement, which at that time swept
all before them, that degree of tOlera-
ton and magnanimity which l sought
to recommend and enforce, and which
/ believe in good time would have adj
vanced us infinitely further on the road
to permanent peace and prosperity than
we have thus far attained. Doubtless
had | at the cOmmencemeutOf of my term
OF Office Unhesitatingly lent its powers
or perverted them 10 purposes and
plans outside of the Constitution, and
become an instrument TO scheme Of
cOniiscation and of general and OpprCS-
sive disqualification, | would have
been hailed as all that was true, loyal,
and discerning rs the reliable head of
party, whatever | might have been
as the Executive Of a nation. UnWil-
ling, however, to accede to propositions
of extremists, and bound to obey at ev-
cry personal hazard my oath to defend
the Constitution, need not, perhaps,
be surprised at having met the fate OF
others, whose only rewards for uphold
ing constitutional rights aud laws have
been the consciousness OF having at
tempted to do their duty, and the calm
Judgment of history. At the time that
a mysterious Providence assigned TO
me the Office of President, ! was, by
the terms of the Constitution, the COM
mander-in-ch of nearly million Of
| men under arms. One Of my first acts
was to disband and restore to the VOCa
tiOns of civil life this immense host,
and to divert myself, so far as / could,
of the unparalleled powers then incl
dent to the Office and the times.
I Whether, or not, in this step l was
right, and how far deserving of the APP
probation of all the people, all can now,
on reflection, judge, when reminded Of
the ruinOus condition Of public affairs
that must have resulted from the con-
tinuance in the military service of such
vast number of men. The close of
our domestic conflict found the army
eager TO distinguish itself in new field
by an effort to punish European inter
NeHliUH III IucAlIV. Ly aaat.say - -.sos
believed and urged that, aside from the
assumed justice of the proceedings,
foreign war, in which both sides would
cheerfuliy unite to vindicate the honor
of the national flag, and further Illus
trate the national prOWess, would be
the surest and speediest way of awak-
devotion to the Union. and occupying
force concerning which grave doubts
existed as to its Willingness, after four
years of active campaigning, at once to
return to the pursuits OF peace. Wheth-
er these speculatiOns were true or false,
it will be conceded that they existed,
and that the predictions of the army
were for the time being in the direC-
tiOn indicated. Taking advantage Of
that feeling, ii would have been easy,
as the COmmandeT-in-Ch of the Ar
my and Navy, and with all the power
and patronage of the Presidential office
at nay disposal, to turn the conCentra-
ted strength of the nation against
French interference in Mexico, and to
inaugurate a movement which would
have been received with favor by the
military and large portion of the peo-
pie. Ii is proper in this connection
that / should refer to the almost an
limited additional powers rendered to
the Executive by the measures relating
to Civil rights and the Freedmen Bu-
reau. Contrary TO most precedeIlts Ia tie
experiences Of pUbtjc men, the powers
thus placed within my grasp were dc
clined as being in violation Of the Con-
stitution, dangerous to the Liberties Of
the people, and tending TO aggraVate
rather than lessen the diSCOTd5 natural
ly resulting from Our civil war. With
large army and augmented authOri-
ty, il would have been no difficult task
to direct at pleasure the destinies of the
Republic, and to make secure my con-
tinuance in the highest Office known to
our laws. Let the people, whom | am
addressing from the Presidential chair
during the closing hours of laboricus
term, consider how different would
have been their present condition had
/ yielded to the dazzling temptation of
foreign conquest, OF personal aggran-
diZement and the desire to WELD addi
tional power. Let them, with justice,
consider that if ! have not unduly mag
nitied mine office, the public burdens
have not been increased by my acts,
and perhaps thousands or tens OF thOus-
ands of fliVes sacrificed to visions Of false
glory. 1t cannot, therefore, be charged
that my ambition has been of that or
binary or criminal kind which to the
detriment of the peoples rights and
liberties ever seeks to grasp more and
unWarranted power, and, to accomplish
its purposes, panders too often to pOpU-
lar prejudices and party aims. What
then have been the aspirations which
guided me in my official acts ?
Those acts need not at this time an
elaborate explanation. They have
elsewhere been comprehensively stated
and fully discussed, and become a part
of the nations history. By them am
ready to be judged, knowing that, how
ever, imperfect, they at least show to
the impartial mind, that my sole am
bition has been to restore the Union of
the States faithfully to execute the Of
fee of President. and to the best Of nay
ability to preserve, protect and defend
the Constitution. L cannot be censured
if my efforts have been impeded in the
interests of party faction, and if a poll