Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-11

Die oppression on the virtuouz and wall n
J Possus OF degraded paper currency authorize
/ eminent. :
1t is one of the most successful devices /;
times OF peace or war. Of expansion or rerOlu
tons, to accomplish the transfer Of Al the rr1,
| eious metals from the great mass Of The psspI
4 INTO the bands Of the few. where they A.,
1 boarded IN secret places or deposited nnde
potts and bars, while the people are leit to en-
4 dure all the inconvenienceS, Sacrifices, End dc
/ moralizatiOn resulting from the use Of dspreci
| ate1 snd worthless paper.
$50 much then, for the national debt
knew feilow-citizsns, that when l became
President Of the United States. that many
things we're said in reference 10 What nv
course would be. 1t was believed and said
by many, that when an inscrutable Pr ".
idenCe called another to q bapoier ard \
better world. hope, and / brought into
.ne fresidency under the constitution,
mat would hsrshly treat the people
the South, Wits whom i had disagreed.
when they suggested the idea of going in-
20 and conducting 10 the rebellio said
inshe United Sates Senate that my policy
was TO remain within the Union and
urged The representatives. OF the Southern
states IN Congress TO remain in their sests
1 l told them when they were leaving the
Congressional halls, that time would
test Who were the greatest cow
srds. l maintained that the only true
courage 10 this matter was that the bat,ls
should be fought ont under the coustitu-
ton; that We had il 10 our power. If We
| desired, to keep President Lincoln from
making his cabinet, and would be able to
cut OF his supplies BY remaining az our
post They, however, went one way, end
l believed it my duty to 90 another. /
have been pursuing that course ever sincs.
and | stand nov where I stood then. rpon
the battlemsnts Of the constitution, feeling
and knowing that the Southern people and
the Southern States could only fad pro
lection and security within the constitution.
Bat when Mr.. Lincoln was called 10
that bourne from Ehi,h no traveller r..
turDs, | was brought into power. murmur-
lngs and discomfort swept through the
South. What are they = Why they said
he has differed with us and has been
severely and vigorously treated. his
property taken away and himself dTiysn
from the Siats-Tun out By a dominast
majority, snd with all these resentueufs.
OF man to man, il was believed that his
hrst object would be 10 wreak his ven
geance upon those who had maltreated
him." Tney thought that had com meaced
the work of retaliation and Of vengeance
and regretted-thousands OF thsm-thst
/ had been brought into power, and Mr..
Lincoln had died, felt, when got into
the Presidency Of the United States. that
strife and anger bad caused us {, d.
many things on both sides which would
never have been done under different cir
eumstanees. After Lees and before John.
sons surrender, | came into power. The
SJnth came forward, acknowledged the dag
OF the United States, the rebellion collapsed
and an acknos Judgement was made. that.
under the constitution Of the United States.
no State had the power to 60 ont OF the
Union, morally OF physically. They &C.
copied the terms Of the government. |
looked over the whole feld-at my
own and the wrongs Of the whole
people, and though have as much eom-
bativeuess as any other man laughter
and fight as long as | have the power c f
resistance against 4 persistent foe, when n
honest man acknowledges that he is over
powered, thank God, / am a man, and
know how TO meet and TO accept a mag
unanimous foe. LCheeTs met the ques-
ton as It ought TO have been met. When
the South returned l said, and do cay now,
that the American people did not want to
degrade them, but wanted them to return
as equals and to stand up and receive the
protection from thesame constitution that
all did.
Upon this principle | commenced The
work OF reconstruction. / thought the
true philosophy was to commence right at
the point where the rebellion terminated,
for when physical, moral or political force
have been spent, At thSt point q reaction
takes place. | was for taking the rebellion
at the place where il had spent its force
and The advantage of the reaction which
would ensue, and desired 10 help the
| Southern people 10 get back without op-
| preston snd disgrace, and the work was
| nigh completed. Peace, commerce and
confidence was restored. Every thing was
done to complete the restoration except
that the State governments were not ad-
ministered through an election Of the peo-
pie and represented in Congress.
Ailer the meeting Of the thirsy-ninth
Congress, however, the paia Of reconstruc-
ton was disarranged and reeonstruciion
itself was thasrted. Reconstruction ia
farther od now than al the meeting Of that
| Congress. When it met, it was said By
many that when ] came into office, de-
serted the party that brought me into
power, and that had got to be traitor,
and, IN fact, was put upon trial substan.
TALLY IS such. JEFF Davis, lender Of the
| rebellion, was permitted TO go TO Europa,
sud was tried for treason. Laughttr I
Hence we see how the lhing springs around
| US.
What are the facts in reference 10 the
convention that nominated me for the
Vice Presidency Was 1t Radical, Re-
| publican or Democratic Convention No,
It was in the negative. IL Was q Union
Convention, composed Of men Of all par.
ties. | never was a Republican never
was r Idieal, and never expect to be.
rever accepted the nomination from ths
| Republican, Radical CT Democratic Con.
ventiOn. l was nominated rs a Union man
As war Democrat | contendsd FIX the
constitution Of the country, aud vas ia
favor Of supprsssiGg the rebellion. Let uG
tell the truth.
In my letter Of acceptance to the CON.
miitee appointed to notify me Of my nomi
nation, called attention to the fact that
was Democrat and was for sustaining tbs
war. Who have 1 deserted ? Who hav;
/ played the traitor to- If fidelity 10 the
country aud to the constitution is treason
then l am traitor. What party have
Abandoned? Hone. But because | stoo.
upon the constitution and insisted upon
rigid adherence to il, they 90 outside sut
contend for the outside. Then | am
traitor and they remain pure.
There has been two characters siEes til
rebellion commenced In the earle
stage Of the rebellion, We had Yanke
Rebels. Al the close OF il we have 90
what We call Rebel Radicals, and Rsdi
cal is as much in rebellion, in a cousliiu
IiOnal sense, as anybody ever was through
The whole South. What is q Rebel? i
is a man opposed 10 the existing form o
government. That is theoIe ieslIy
Rebel, and then, when he lskes mp arm
he Is practical Rebel.
The South Was not 50 mnGh opposed {,
the constitution and lie provisions. The,
feared % q very great extent that the pro
| visions of the constitution would not b,
carried out. They 9eired TO separate fol
the better carrying Of il out, The gsinf
out WAS 8 yiOlStiOn Of the constitution
The Radicals haYe violated The cOnstilu
zion. prefer the charges against then
to-day and put them upon trial before
the American people, who believe vii
render correct verdict, which will not b;
an aCquittal as it was in my case. Laugh
ter and cheers Ia a eonsoIidaled gov
ernmeni, who is IN favor Of converting .,
monarchy, is he not as much an enemy {
the constitution as any man ever Wa
South Hence. in that sense, he comes {
be Rebel, opposed to the present form c
| government and in favor Of consoIida
| ia uaoparshv | call him a RabaI PA;