Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-06

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self right before you, and not be misu
il derstoOd? As stated, | have run I
round of official position and have fill,
every place. am now in your midst
the purpose of spending the remainder
my days among you. Of my own choiC
a boy, penniless and stranger, soug
this country, made my. homehere. No
| return expecting to live among you
few years, to die here, and in some
your valleys expect to lay my bone
No matter when that event may be, I
that one has done his duty. All [ ask
q fair and impartial examination of m
: past course My history is yours. You
Is identified with mine. If honor sha
fall upon you for any part | may hav
borne in these eventful years, it fall
al o upon me.
Ii the Indication of my own charaete
and acts, intend to employ the lev
years that shall remain in vindicatin!
myself and my State from the foul Sian
ders which have been heaped upon me.
THOUGH BENT HE Is NOT BROKEN.
Though the storms of State have beer
severe; though the storms of strife anC
passion have been fierce and sharp,
return to your midst expecting to make
it my home. Though bent, have NOT
been broken by the storms of State.
Neither would it be unreasonable, on my
returning to your midst, to ask, for char.
ity, little earth. On receiving your in.
vitation, and to-day your welcome, |
think may, without suspicion of egOt-
ism or other unworthy feelings, and
with some degree. of confidence, call
your attention to some few public ques-
tions. Until recently had not supposed
my end was SO near. But no longer ago
than yesterday, for | do not feel facetiOus,
no longer ago than yesterday, | reeeivsd
a large number of papers announcing
my death, and containing my obituary
notice, and | may, therefore, be said to
come and speak as one from the dead
You will hear me, then, when | speak as
one from the dead A voice, mot SO
dead yet.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL UsURPING CONGRESS
We have constitution, and that con-
stItution we should sustain and support.
When we turn and examine that consti-
toni will be brief-the time has
come when we should refer to the first
principles of the government. We have
seen that liberty is almost departed
from the land, Under that instrument,
which defines and grades our liberties,
the government is distributed into thIe1
departments-Executiye, Legislative and
Judicial If the proper relation and de-
pendence of these are not preserved, as
defined and limited by the constitution,
your government is at an end. 1t no
longer exists as government
The judiciary is instituted to expound
and apply the law. 1t cannot legislate. |
1t cannot make laws. The Executive is
elected by the people Of the United |
States. He is the representative of all |
the people. He is the tribune of the |
people; not to make laws; not to origi-
nate them; but simply to occupy mega
tive position. When Congress shall pass
bad laws, he stands there in the name of |
the people and as their representative, |
md says, | forbid; hold it in allegiance
and let the people decide what shall be
lone.
The cor stitution also provides that
when such bills are vetoed they may be
passed by a two thirds vote in each |
House, and when so passed they shall be |
avs, and they are only laws. Bot be-
cause they are so passed, they are not |
The constitution. They have no more
binding force than any ordinary laws
The constitution remains Afterwards, as |
it was before the passage of such laws.
For what, then, is the constitution
given? 1t prescribes and defines the
limits of the. executive, legislative and
judicial departments Of the government.
This Is what the constitution does. Each |
department is bound to move in its ap- |
prOpriate sphere and moi to encroach
upon the others. And when Congress,
melted by tyrannous purpose, agrasPlng
Congress, transcribed its
bounds and passed bad laws, in the name |
of the constitution, in the name of the /
people, vetoed their bills and sent them
back. For doing this | have been de-
as traitor! For thus resisting |
Entertainments upon the peoples rights,
in the form Of tenure>of-office bills and
civil rights bills, etc., have been accused
of abandoning my party.
IL fidelity to the constitution is treason
to party, | say, let party go. Thank
God! the constitution and the great
principles sustaining the government OF
my country stand far above mere party. |
But the people seem to have no party |
founded on principle. There is party |
for somebody here and party for some>
body there, to plumber and rob the coun-
try and rob the people of the rights.
Let US see how the party of to-day has
done this. How it has involved the in
fragment Of-the constitution and de-
prived the Judiciary aud executive OF
its powers. Let us reason together, for
if know myself my intention is to speak
the language of sober truth. Where is
the danger to our country? In the
legislative department Of the Federal
government speak not now of States
lies the great danger. 1t is not in the
executives; it is not in the Judiciary.
Why do | say this? Can the Execu-
tive make laws? He occupies, as | have
said, only negative position. He can
only restrain excessive or unlawful leg
islation. He cannot make law.
Can the Judiciary make law ? They
can only expound and apply the law
after it is made. But now, when you
get to the legislative department, what
do you see? There they stand and con-
,k-,,o A. consultation for thamaalvaq
make all sorts of laws, and then, under
the pretense of such law, and with
law passed over the veto of the execu>
tive, claim, "Why it's part of the con-
stitution." This is one of the insiduous
impressions made by those who are thus
irving to undermine the constitution.
Thus this thing can 60 on, until the con-
stitution is wiped out of existence, and
the executive and judiciary are wiped
out of existence. A Congress usurping,
despotic, encroaching-their discretion
be ZONES the measure of their powers,
and where is your constitution ? If |
have done no other good, l have done
this, that I have exerted check upon
such tendencies. Like a train on q
downward inclined plain going at full
speed, and likely to rush to its destruc>
ton, unless the brakes are applied, L
have stood as a brake to arrest the pro-
gress of the train Of State, until the
American people can get time to consider
and understand what is going on. And
while some have the credit Of founding
a nation, can, without egotism, boast OF
arresting the downward tendency OF the
government. :,
Men get up good deal Of clap-trap and
nd o1,ofon69J71o and deaI in f1onnces and