The Republican journal., 1869-03-11


\ ed IN savage warfare.
FAREWELL ADDRESS
OF
ANDREW JOHNSON.
WASHINGTON, March g.
The President has prepared the following fare
we'll address,
To the People of the Unite States:
The robe of Office by constitutional limitation
this day falls from my shoulders to be Immediately
assumed by my successor. For him the forbear-
ance and cooperation Of the American people in all
his efforts to administer the govern ment within the
pale OF the Federal Constitution n are sincerely in
voked without ambition to crafty. party ends to
subserve, personal quarrels to avenge at the
rifice of the peace end welfare o. the country. My
earnest desire is to see the Constitution Of the
public again recognized and obeyed as the supreme
law Of the land. and the whole people, North,
South. East and West prosperous and happy und n
its wise provisions. In surrendering the high Of
flee to wEicn was called four years ago, at me-
morabe and terrible crisis, it is my privilege,
trust, to say to the people of the United States
few parting words in vlndlcation of an official
course so ceaselessy assailed and aspersed by po-
lltlcal leaders tn whose plans and wishes my policy
TO restore the ULion has been obnoxious. In pc
riod Of difficulty end turmoil almost WITHOUT re-
cedent in the history OF any people consequent up
OH the closing scenes of great rebellion and the
assassination of The then President, it was, per-
haps, too :h on nv part to expect of the devoted
partisans who rode the waves Of excitement,
which at that time swept all before them, that de-
gree Of toier itou and magnanlmity which sought
to recommend and enforce, and which believe in
good faith oud 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 Office nhe,itatingly
lent its powers perverted them to purposes and
plans outside of the Constitution, and become an
instrument tc schemes OF confscation and Of gen.
md sci a r have
been hailed Us all that Was true, loyal and discern
ing as the reliable head of the party, whatever |
might have been as the Executive OF Il nation. IN
willing however, to accede to the propositions of
extremists and bound to obey at every personal
hazard my oath to defend the Cons ne, d
not, perhaps, be surprised at having met the fate
OF others, whose only reward for npaodng Con
stitutional rights and the laws has been the cons
ciousness of having attempted to do their lty and
the calm judgement of history. At the time a mys-
terIonS Providence assigned to me the Office of
President was by the terms of the Constitution
the Commander-n-chief Of nearly million of men
under arms One of nv first acts was to dispand
and restore to the avocatons OF civil life this
host, and to divest myself, so far could,
of tle unparalleled powers tnen incident to the Of
flee and the times. Whether not in this step
was right, and how far deserving of the appr ba-
ton of the people, ali can now on reflection judge,
when reminded of the ruinous condition of public
affairs that must have resulted from the continu-
ance in the military service of such vast numb
of men. The close of our domestic conflict found
| the army eager 10 distinguish 1S1U IN new 6eiu
by an attempt to punisn European Intervention III
Mexico BY many it was believed and urged that
aside from the assumed justice Of the proceed dlng>
foreign war, in which both sides would cheerful
lv unite to vludicae the honor of the national flag
and further illustrate the national powers, would
be the surest and speedlest way of awakening La
tional enthusias ~ revivng devotion to rhs Urion
ana occupying u force concerning which crave
doubts existed us to the willingness after four
years OF active campaigning 1T once to return to
the pursuits of peace. Wnether these sreeu'at'ona
sted and that the predecton Of the ary ,isu or e e
time being were IN the direction indicated Taking
ADVANTAGE OF that fee ling it would have been easy
tho Commander-n-Chlef of the Army and Navy ,and
with all the honor and patronage OF the Preslden-
tla office at my disposal, to turn the conce nrateG
strength Of the nation against French interference
in NJ Xco, and to naugurate movemen, which
would nave been received with favor by the mlli-
tary ald large portion OF the Pc ope Ir is proper
in this connection that should refer to the almost
unlimited powers, rendered TO the Executive by
the measures relating TO cvll rights aud The Freed
mems Bureau, contrary to most precedents in the
\ experience OF public men. The powers then plac-
ed within my grasp were dc ciared as being IN vio-
alton of the institution. dangerous TO the liber-
ties Of the people, and tending to aggravate rather
than lessen the dscords naturally Resulting tro
our civil war. With large army and Augmented
authority it would have been no difficult task to
direct ut pleasure the destinies of the Republic an
to make secure my continuance in the highest Of
\ flee known to our laws. Let the people whom an
addressing from the Presidential char during the
4 ClOSlUn uOur3 Oh lauOIlOuS term, consider no 4
different would have been their present condition
had yielded to the dazzling temptation of foreign
conquest, of personal aggrandizeu ent and the de
sire to WELD additional power. Let them with JUS
tice consider thar, If l have not unduly magnitied
my office, the puplic burdens have not been IN
creased by my acts, and other and perhaps thou
sands or tens of thousands of lives sacrificed by
the visions OF false glory. 1t cannot, therefore be
charged that my ambition has been of that ordinary
/ or criminal kind, which to the detriment Of the e
peoples rights and lib; rites, ever seeks to grasp
more aud unWaTranted powers, and to accomplish
its purposes. panders too oeu to popular preju Ices
and party aims. What, then, have been the aspir-
ations which have guided me II my official acts
Those acts need at this time an elaborate eX-
p'anaton they have elsewhere been compre-
hens4vely stated and fully discussed, and become a
part OF the nations history. BY them l am read,
10 be judged, knowing that however imperfect,
they at least show to the impartial mind tina. MY
SOLE AMBITION HAS BEEN 10 RESTORE THE UN-
ION OF THE STATES, FAITHFULLY TO EXECUTE
THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT, AND TO THE BEST OF
MY ABILITY TO PRESERVE, PROTECT AND DEFEND
THE CONSTITUTION.
/ cannot be censured if my efforts have been i'm
peded in the interest of party faclon and if pol
ley watch was intended to reassure and conciate
the people of both sections of the country, was
made the ision of influencing aud dividing still
further those who were only recently in arms
against each other, vet individuals and citizens
were sincerely desrous, as shall ever believe, OF
bury ing all hostile feelings in the grave of the past
The bitter war was waged on The part of the Gov
!
Union andlf have erred in ying to bring about
more speedy aud lasting peace. TO eXtinguish the
heart-burnings and enmtes ,and prevent troubles
in the South which retarded the material prosperity
IN that region, and injuriousiy affected the Whole
country, | am quite content to rest my case with
the more d liberate judgement of the people, and,
as l have already intimated, with the distanl fu-
| ture. The war; all must remember, stu
pendous and deplorable mistake. Neither side un-
ders .ood the other, and had this SIMPLE fact and It's
conclusions been kept in view, all that needed
was accomplished Dy the acknowledgement of the
terrible wrong and the expressed better feeling and
earnest end avOr at atOneman5 shown and teIt in
The prompt ratification of the Constitutional amend
ments by the Southern States at the close of the
war. Not accepting the war as confessed false
step the part of those who naugurated it, was an
error which even at this late time we should en-
deavor to palliate. Experiencing, moreovar, as all
have done tn frightfui cost OF the arbitrament
the sword let US in the future cling closer than
ever to the Constitution as our only safeguard. 1t
is be hoped that not until the burdens press
| ing upon with such fearful weight are removed,
viii our people forget the lessons of the war, and
that remembering them from whatever cause,
peace between sections AMI States may be perpetu-
al The history of late events in this country, as
we'll as OF the greatest government of ancient or
modern times, teaches that we have everything to
lear from departure from the letter and spirit~pl
the Constitution, and the undue asendancy Of men
allowed to assume power in what considered
desperate emergencies. Sylla, on becoming master
of Rome, at once adopted measures to crush his
enemies and to consolidate the power Of his party.