Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-03-12
PRESIDENT JoHNsoN,s ADDRESS.
o the Peopleyof the United States.

be ImmeQfaJefy dSSuulcO NY my ouNNSo.oA'
For him the forbearance and cooperation
of the American people in all his efforts to
administer the Government within the
pale of the Federal Constitution, are sim
cerely invited. Without ambition to graft
fv,party endsto subserve or personal quar-
rels to avenge at the sacrifice OF the peace
and welfare OF the country, my earnest
desire is to see the Constitution Of the Re-
public again the recognized and obeyed
law of the land, and the 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 by a memorable and
terrible crisis, it is my privilege, trust, to
say to the people of the United States
few parting words in vindication OF an OF
fetal course so ceaslessly assailed and as
persed by political leaders, to whose plans
and wishes my policy torestore the Union
has been obnoxious. In period OF Diff
Guilty and turmoil, almost without prece-
dent in thehistory ofany people, consequent
upon the closing scenes OF a great rebel
lion, and the assassination of the President,
it was perhaps too much on my part to ex,
pect Of the devoted partisans who rode on
the waves of excitement, which at that
time swept all before them, that degree OF
federation and magnanimity which ]
sought to recommend and enforce, and
which believe, in good time, would have
advanced us infinitely further on the road
to permanent peace and prosperity than
we have thus-far attained. Doubtless had
], at the commencement of my term OF of
flee, unhesitatingly lent its powers, or per-
verified them to purposes and plans outside
of the Constitution, and become an instru-
ment to schemes of confscation and of
general and oppressive disqualification,
would have been hailed as all that was
true, loyal and deserving as the head
of party, whatever | might have
been as an Executive of nation. Unwil-
ling, however, to accede to the proposition
of the extremists, and bound to obey at
every personal hazard, my oath to defend
the Constitution, l need not perhaps be
surprised at having met the fate of others,
whose only rewards for upholding consti-
tutional rights and laws have been the
consclentiousness of having attempted to
do their duty, and the calmer judgment
of history. At the time a mysterious
Providence assigned to me the office of
President, was, by the terms of the Con-
stitution, Commander n-Chief of nearly
million of men under arms. One of my
first acts was to disband and restore to
the vocations of civil life this immense
host, and to divest myself, as far as could,
of the unparalleled powers then incident
to the office and the times. Whether or
not, in this step was right, and how far
deserving of the appreciation of all, the
people cansnoW, on reflection, judge, when
reminded of the ruinous condition of pub
lie affairs that must have resulted from the
continuance 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 an eff
fort to punish European Intervention in
Mexico. BY many it was believed and
urged that aside from the assumed justice of
The proceedings, a foreign war, in which
both sides would cheerfully unite to vindi.
cate the honor of the national flag, and fur
ther illustrate the national proves, would
be the suret and speediest way of awaken
ing rationale enthusiasm, and reviving devo-
ton to the Union, and employing force,
concerning which grave doubts existed
as to its willingness, after four years of &C.
tive campaigning, at once to return to the
pursuits of peace. Whether these specu-
lations were true or false, it will be con-
coded that they existed, and that the pre-
objections OF the army were, for the time
being, in the direction indicated. Taking
advantage of that feeling, it would have
been easy, as the Commander-in- Chief
OF the Army and Navy, with all the
power and patronage of the Presidential Of
ice at my disposal, to turn the concentrated
sire ngth of the nation against French in
terference in Mexico, and to inaugurate a
movementwhich would have been received
with favor by the military and large
portion of the people. 1t is proper in
this connection, that I should refer to the
almost unlimited additional powers ten
dered to the Executive by the measures
relating to the civil rights and Freedmen's
Bureau. CONTRARY to most presidents in
the experience of public men, the
powers thus placed within my grasp were
declined as being in violation of the Con-
stitution, dangerous to the liberties of the
people, and tending to aggravate rather
than lessen the discords naturally result
ing from our civil war. With large army
and augmented authority, it would have
been no difficult task to direct at pleasure
the destinies Of the Republic and make
secure my continuance in the highest of.
nee known to our laws. Let the people
whom addressing from the Presiden-
tial chair during the closing hours of q
laborious term, consider how different
would haye1 been the present condition
had yielded to the dazzling temptation
OF foreign conqEests, of personal ag-
grandizement and the desire to WELD ad-
ditional power; let them with Justice con-
slider that, if have not unduly magnified
mine office, the public burdens have not
been increased by my acts, and
thousands or perhaps tens of thousands of
lives sacrificed to visions of false glory.
1t cannot, therefore, be charged that nv
ambition has been of that inordinate or
criminal kind which, to the detriment of
the public rights and liberties, ever seeks
to grasp more and unwarranted power,
and, to accomplish its purpose, panders
too often to popular prejudices and party
aims. What, then, have been the aspira-
tons which have guided me in my off,
clal acts! Those acts need not, at this
time, an elaborate explanation. They
have elsewhere been comprehensively and
FULLY discussed and become part of the
nations history. BY them am ready to
be judged. Knowing that however imper-
feet, they at least show to the impartial
mind, that my ambition has been
t., restore the TTnion of the States; faith
fully to execute the office of President.
and, to the best of my ability, to observe
protect and defend the Constitution. /
cannot be censured if my efforts have
been impeded in the interests of party fac
ton; and, ifa policy, which was intended
TO reassure and .conciliate the people of
both sections of the country, was made
the occasion of indaming and dividing
still further those who, only recently in
arms against each other, yet as individuals