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


battle was raging 81 around it; how ne
aided ia reducing chaos to order aud IN
| the re-estabfishulent Of civil government;
| how. during the war, he urged and ad-
vccated the most uOcomprOmisiug hos
tilitv to the rebellion; how he aided the
FTaion volunteers from Tennessee by pro-
curing legislation in their behalf and by
contributions from his private purse
how he was called, by the almost unsn-
imous vOiceaPf the people, to the second
Office within their gift; how, by the mys-
terisus act of Providence, he was ele-
vated to the highest Office in the world
how ne bseaSle involved in great con-
test in behalf Of the Constitution how
he was abused, tTaiueed, maligned, cal
umniated and perseeuted because OF his
unwsvering fidelity 70 that sacred instfu-
ment; how laws were passed TO letter
and degrade him in dischaTging the Gu-
ties of his high Office and how the very
men who passed them are now engaged
/ in their repeal, 1 need not declare to you,
who have assembled to-day, 70 honor
| him by this cordial greeting. Ihese ana
many other matters connected Win our
! distinguished guest have passed into his
| tory and will be the wonder ard admirA-
/ ton Of the sge 10 come,
Pu, elnnot permit this occasion to
mass without adverting to two or three
| prominent features ia his personal and
| political history. L have the honor to
/ present to you, to-day, citizen who
/ came to Tennessee, some forty years ago,
| a moor, unIettered boy, and stranger,
! Without the advantages Of fortune, OF
/ education, or Of an extensive family con-
nectio1. he cast his lot among Us a. an
/ industrious mechanic, and, by his own
untiring energy and perseverance, rose,
/ step by step, from the hHmOiest POSITION
/ to the lofty station which he has so re-
/ Gently filed. Born Of respectable pa
rents, he has never been ashamed OF MS
origin, IS an obscure aud unknown
! voIIth. hut, on the contrary, has ever
/ fad a last and honorable pride in the
/ almost unexsmpled success with which
| be triaunphed over obstacles that would
| hsva appalled, 6 lees determined Will
I He stands before you nov, living per-
sODif cation of the great idea or a merl-
/ can equality; and present ana Iu1uFe
generations will point TO the career OF
| Andrew johnson as Illustrating one OF
| the no bLest features ia our form or Gov
ernment. While his exam pie will be cited,
| in our own country and throughout the
world, for the e1cOurageme ant or struS-
| Cling youth and as teaching the admlfa-
| Die lesson that it is not birth, or wealth,
/ El2L Ii axes EUt lAAAf LGs AA1AGbAaf -
| tegrity and real merit.
| Another salient point in the personal
! and political history Of the ex-President
/ arises out Of his mode OF treating the
/ rebel(iou. While the war was fragrant,
1 30 was uneom promising in his Cpposi-
| Non te the effort which was msde to de-
| sToy the Union snd was unwilling TO
make any cGmprOuiss with those who
! were engaged ia armed hostility against
/ the Government. As s means Of bring
/ ing the war to q successful ter
/ mfpatiOn, it vas his favOrite sx-
I iom that tressOn should be nsde
! odiOus. But as the primary object Of
1 the National Government was II restore
/ the u Union and not to destroy ito crush
/ the rsbsllio1 and not 70 snnihiIste its
/ supporters: and Rs it was ths cardinal
desire Of the eX-President to realize,
/ once more. how pleasant it is for
brethren toKkWen together In unity;
and as he believed that many honorable
| but misguided citiZsns bad been involved
in [ e rebellion, be regarded ss the safest
and best policy TO accept their surrender
| as having been made in good faith, and
10 pursue that course which would
soonest restore that spirit OF harmony
/ among 8 distracted and divided people,
! Ancient End modern history are not
without examples Of such enlightened
! ststesmsuship. Without aGYsrting 10
I other instaBCfs, the eX-PresiCent hsd
/ Learned from sacred history, that, st one
/ period, a civil var had ragged in Isrsel,
| batween the tribes Of Judah and Bsnjs-
/ min; that 25, 900 Of the latter hs0 been
slain in battle; that their successful
brethren, instead Of exterminatiOg the
| survivors, generously ceteFmlned tnaG
/ tribe should not be destroyed out or
Israel, sympathiZad with their fellow
fCeneD, received them back into full
| fellowship, provided them wives, and
| trested them with the utmost humanity
and kindness. Guided by this and
other memorable examples, the ex-
President was not disposed to punish the
| rebels by eI post fGct0 i&vs, passed IN
| violation Of the Constitution, or tr9at
them as having forfeited sll their politi-
( cal rights It was not his desire to keep
in agitStioa the pillows Of political COM
motion, but It was his most anxious
wish to pour oil upon the troubled wa
ters. He did not require his errlug
brethren to crouch, Ike spaniels, 0sfare
him, but urged them to rslly,one5 more,
around the national flag, to return 70
its SUPPORT with all their msnhOod, and to
link their destiny with that Of sls good
common cause to repair, as soon as pos
sib!e, the disasters of Wsr, and to ensce
alike the bitterness and memory ana or
strife. No man had stronger provOcatlon
to iudulZe a spirit of revenge, and To
place his feet upon the necks Of pr0strate
enemies, but soaring above this cruel
promptiBgs of malice and trsmpling his
own passions in the dust, be determined
to treat, and did treat, his own personal
and political enemies with ciemency and
kindness; TO remember that 1t Is hu'
man to err, but to forgive, divine and,
fn accordance with these views, his par
dons were distributed with as lavish
hand as he believed the safety Of the
:, country would permit; and one OF the
eroWning acts Of bis administration was
to extend the universal amnesty which
the past history of our own and othei
governments had proved to be the most
potent weapon that had ever been em-
ployed to subdue seditiOn and discomfort,
Aud, so long as Mercy shall be regarded
as the brightest jsWel ia the diadem OF
heaven; 80 long as Christianity shall
teach q spirit OF forgiveness to her vOtS-
ries so long as mag1animity shall ma
8 lOdgment in the hearts OF the braves'
of the brave; and so long ss success
: fol triumph over the passions shall o.
] CDusiuEEeu As Sli1acss VI bhp lAN--Als-- -
. tues, so long viii the elevated ard patFi-
etic conduct Of the ex-Presldent COM
msnd the cordial APPRECIATION OF tue Wiss
: and good In our and in other climes,
The magnificent paintings which sdorr
our NAtionsl Capitol msy be mildewed
, and grow dim amid the Tnists OF time
! and marble statutes msy cramole be-
meath the touch OF centuries, but tie love
of that which is sublime and noble II
/ human conduct wiz remain eternal IL
the human soul.
Whether our Government shal! sur
vive or not, the awful crisis that now
) marks its history; whether the liberty
, which was transmitted to US by oul
) fathers shall be handed down, unim
paired, to our children and the future
] generations; and whether the American
g Constitution eau survive, or not, the
= shocks TO which il has been subjected
3 ere questions which fesTfully agitate ane
: disturb the most thoughtful aud Tehec
4 tive minds OF patriotic men throughOu
q the civilized world. But 30 long as fret
c institutions shall be loved and honored