The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-07
NIB. JeHNsoN's vALEDICTORY.

this day falls from my shoulders, to be m me-
diately resumed by my successor. For him the
| foroearance and cooperation OF the American
people in all his efforts TO administer the govern
! meDt within the pale of the federal Constitution
| are sincerely invited. Without ambition to
crafty, party ends TO subserve, or personal quar-
rels to syeDge, at the sacrifice of the peace and
| welfare of The country my earnest desire is to
see the Constitution OF the republic again the
| recognized and obeyed law of the land and the
whole people, North, South. East and West,
| prosperous and happy under its wise providence.
| In surreDdering the high office to which | was
called, four years ago, IN memorable and terri
BILE crisis 1t is my privilege, trust, to say to the
people Of the United States few parting words
in vindication of an official course csuseessly
ssssiled, inspired by political leaders TO whose
plans aud wishes my policy to restore the Union
| has been obnoxious. In period of diff
Guilty and turmoil, almost without precedent in
| the history OF any people, consequent
| upon the closing scenes of a great rebel
| lion. and assassination of the president,
| it was, perhaps too much on my part to expect
| of devoted parIizaDs, who rode on the waves Of
| excitement which at that time swept all before
] them, that oegree Of moderation and magnanimty
| which J sought 10 recommend and enforce, and
| which believe in good time would have advanced
| rs Infinitely further on the road to permanent
peace and prosperity than We have thus far at
,siDed, Doubtless had l at the commencement Of
my term OF office unhesitatingly lent its powers or
perverted them 10 purposes ana plans outside the
constitution, and become an instrument to schemes
| of con6scation and of general and oppressive dis
| qualifications. would have been hailed all that
| was true, loyal and deserving the head of
party. whatever might have been as the execu-
| tive of q nation. Unwilling, however. TO sccede
30 propositions OF extremists, and bound to obey,
at every personal hazard. nv oath TO defend the
| Constitution, need not perhaps be surprised at
having met the fate of others whose only rewards
for upholding constitutional rights aud laws have
been the conscentiousness of having attempted to
| Go their duty.
mad
to me the Office Of president. | was by the terms
OF The Constitution the commander. in.chief of
| nearly million of men under arms. One of my
first acts was to disbaBd and restore to the vocs.
ton OF civil lie this immense host and TO divest
myself as far ! could OF the unparalleled powers
then incident to the office and its terms. Whether
or not in this step | was right, and how far de-
serving of the app obaton of all the people, one
can now on reflection judge when reminded of
the ruiDous condition OF public affairs that must
have resulted from the continuance 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 effort to pun.
ish European Intervention in Mexico. By msnyit
was believed and urged that. aside from the
| snmed justice of the proceeding foreign war in
! which both sides would cheerfully unite to vindi-
cate the honor of the national flag and further IL
lustrate the national prowess, would be the surest
and speediest way OF awakening national enthu-
siasm, reviviDg devotion to the Union, aud EN-
plOying force concerning which grave doubts
active campaigning. at once to return to the pur
suits OF peace. Whether these speculstiOns
were true false. il will be conceded that they
existed, and that the predictions of the army
were, for the time being, in the direction lndl
Gated Taking advantage of that feeling, IL
would have been easy, as the commander in-chief
Of the army and navy, with all the power aud
patronage of the presidential Office at my dis.
pOsal, TO turn the concentrated strength against
French interference IN Mexico, and TO inaugurste
movement which would have been received
with favor by the military and large portion of
the people.
II is proper, in this connection, that should
refer TO the almost unlimited additional powers
rendered 10 the executive by the measures re.
lating TO civil rights and the freedmen's bureau.
Contrary 10 most pIecedents in the experience of
public men, the powers thus placed within my
grasp were declined as being in violation of the
Constitution, dangerous to the liberties Of tbs
people, and tending TO sggrsvate rather than les
sen the dscords naturally resulting from our civil
war. With large army and augmented anthOr-
ity it would have been no difficult task to direct at
pleasure the destinies of the public, and make
secure my continuance 10 the highest Office known
to our laws. Let the people, whom am address,
ing from the presidential chair during the closing
hours OF a sborOus term, consider how different
would have been the present condition had |
yielded to the dazzling temptation of foreign con-
quests, of personal sggrandzement aud the desire
to WELD additional power. Let them with justice
consider that if l have not unduly magnifed
increased by my acts, and thousands, or perhaps
tens of thousands of lives sacrificed to visions of
false glory, II cannot, therefore, be charged that
my ambition has been of that ordinary or criminal
kind which to the detriment Of the peoples rights
and liberties ever seeks to grasp more and more
unauthorized powers, and to accomplish its pur-
pose paDders 100 often TO popular prejudice aud
party aims. What, then, have been the sspira-
tons which guided me in my official acts? ?. Those
acts need not at this time elaborate explaDa-
ton. They have elsewhere been comprehensvely
and fully discussed, and became q part Of the
nations history. By them l am ready to be
Judged, knowing that, however imperfect they at
least show to the impartial mind that my ambition
has been to restore the union 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 il my
efforts have been mpeded in the interest of parry
faction, as if q policy which was intended
to reassure and conciliste the people of
both sections Of the country was made
the occasion of infaming and dividing still
further those who were only recently in arms
against each otner yet as individuals and citizens
sincerely DESTROYS, as shall ever believe, of
burying all hostile feelings in the grave of the
past. The bitter war was waged on the part of
The government to vindicste the Constitution aud
save the Union. and If | have erred in trying TO
bring about q more speedy and lasting peace to
exiinguish heaTt-burDings and enmities, add to
prevent the trouble in the South, which is regard
ing the material prosperity in that region, lnju.
TiOusly affecting the whole country, | am quite
content to rest my case with the more deliberate
| Judgment of the distant future. The war, all
| must remember, was a stupend0us and deplorable
| mistake. Neither side understood the other. and
had this simple feet and its conclusions been kept
| in view all that was needed was accomplished By
| the acknowledgment of the terrible wrong, and
toe expressed better feeling and earnest endeavor
az atonement showed and felt in the prompt ratii-
\ cation of the constitutional amendments by the
| Southern States at the close of the war, and
| ceptiDg the war confessed false step on the
] part of those who insugursted 1t, was an error
| which now only time can cure. and which even at
this late date should endesvor to palliate. Ex-
periencng, moreover, as all have done. the fright
full cost OF the arbitrament of the sword, let In
the future cling closer than to the constiu-
ton as our only safeguard. 1t is to be hoped that
not until the burdens now pressing upon with
| such fearful weight are removed, and our people
| forget the lessons of the war. and that, remem-
| boring them from whatever cause, peace between
sections and States may be perpetual. The his
tory of late events IN our country, as well as of
| the greatest governments of ancient and modern
times teaches that we have everything to fear
| from a departure from the letter, word and
spirit of the Constitution, and the undue ascend
/ vofr alloued n in hat