Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-03-12

IL will also he recorded as one of The
marvels OF the times that party claiming
for itself n monopoly of constituency and
patriotismy and bossting of its unlimited
sway, endeavored by costly and deliberate
trial 10 impeach one who defended the Con.
stitution aud Union, not only throughout
the war of the rebellion, but during the
whole term Of Office as Chief Magistrate
but at the same time could fpd no warrant
or means at their command to bring TO trial
even the chief of the rebellion. Inde ed
! the remarkable failures In the case we're So
often repeated that for prOrietys sake, II
for no other reason, II became at last neces-
sary to extend to him, an unconditional
pardon.
! What more plainly than this illustrates
the extremities Of party management and
Inconsistencies on the one hand, and of fac
| ton vindictiveness on the other. Patriot.
ism will hardly DO encouraged when 10
such a record it sees that its instant reward
may be the most verulent party abuse and
obloquy, If not disgrace. Instead of seek
| ing to make treason odious, it would In
| truth seem to have been their purpose
rather to make the defense of the Cons IT,
tuition aud Union crime, AMI To punish
| fidelity to an oath Of Office. Happily for the
peace of the country, the war has determin.
ed against the assumed power of States to
withdraw at pleasure from the Union.
The institution OF slavery also found its
destruction in rebellion commenced in its
interests. II should be borne ia mind, how
ever, that the war neither impaired nor de-
siroyed the G Constitution, but on the con-
trary preserved its eX stence and made appa-
rent It's real power and enduring strength
All the rights granted TO the States or reser-
we'd to the people are therefore intact
Among those rights Is that Of the people of
each State to declare the qualification Of
their own State electors. II is now assum-
that Congress can control this vital right
which eau never he taken away from ihe
States without impairing the Fundamental
principal OF the Government itself.
IL is necessary to the existence Of the
States as well as to the protection Of the
liberties of the people. For the right to
select the eleotOr in whom the political
power of the State shall be lodged, involves
the right oftbe Slate to ivern tsolf. When
deprived of this perogauve the Statos will
have no Ruwer worth retaining. All will
DO gone and, they will be SUI iect TO. the
arbitrary will Of Cor gress.
| The government will then be centralized.
| If not by passage Of law, by the adnpsoa
through partisan influence OF au amendment
directly 10 conflict with the original design
| of the constitution.
| This proves how necessary il is that the
people should require the administration OF
The grent departments of the Government
10 be strictly within the limits of the Com
stitution. Their boundaries have been &C.
curateiy dedned, and neither should be al.
lowed To trespass on the other, nor, above
all, to encroach upon the reserved rights OF
the people and the States. The tronhies. of
the past -four years will prove TO. tue nation
blessings, if they produce SO desirable re-
| suit.
Upon those who became young men. amid
/ the sound of cannon and the din of arms,
aud who quietly returned to the farms the
factories, and the schools Of the land will
| principally devo!ve the solemn duty of per-
| petuating the union of the States 10 de-
fence OF which hundreds Of thousands of
their comrades expired and hundreds of
millions of national obligations were incur-
| red. manly people will not neglect the
training necessary TO oppression but they
should be jealous lest the civil be made
sub ,rdina,e to the military element.
Wa need to encourage in every legiii-
mate way a study OF the Constitution tor
which the war was waged, Knowledge of
and a reverence for whose wise checks bg
I bbboV ~ npph w ONAhBg hhN HidSOo II lou ny
4 their seniors will he the only hope uf pre-.
serving the Republic. Tine young men,
not yet under the control Of party mist re-
sist the tendency to Capitalization, an ont
growth of the great rebellion, and DO famil.
lar with the hct that tho country c,.nsiss
of the United States, and that when the
States surrendered certain great rights tor
the sake Of a more perfect Union, they re-
tained rights as valuable ind important az
those they relinquished .or the Common
wealth, is sound old doctrine, far aiEsrent
/ from the teachings that led to the attempt
to secede, and u Kindred theory that the
States were taken out of the Union by the
rash acts Of cOnspiratoss that happened 20
/ dwell within their borders, must no receiv-
ed and advocated with the enthusiasm Of
early manhood, or the people will no ruled
by corrupt combinations OF the commercial
centers, who, pleth0ric from wealth, aunu.
ally emigrate to the capital of the nation TO
purchase special legislation. Until the
Representatives Of the people IN Congress
more fully exhibit the diverse views and
interests Of the whole nation, laws cease TO
be mado full discussion at the behest of
some party leader, and there will never be
proper respect shown by the law-making
| power either to the judicial or Ekeeutive
branch Ct the Government.
The generation inst beginning to use the
ballot, IL ~ believed, only need that their
attention should be called TO these consid
enatiens to indicate by their votes that they
wish their representatives to observe all the
restraints which the people, 10 adopting
the Constitution, intended to fopce upon
them.
Calmly reviewing my administration OF
the Government, feel that. with a sence
IIof accountability to God, having conscien.
tiously endeavored to discharge my whole
duty, / have nothing to regret. Egen's
have proved the correctness ofthe policy
set forth in my irst and subsequent MESA
gees. The woes which have followed tina
rejection Of forbearanee, magnsuimity and
constitutional rule are known aad deplDred
by the natiou.
1t is a matter Of pride and qualification
in retiring from the most exalted position
in the gin Of the people, 10 feel that in a
long, arduous and evenrfnl pnhlic life, my
action has never been influenced by desire
for gain, and that I can in sh sincerity in
quire. Whom have ! denauded p Whom
have oppressed lor, at whose hand have
received any bride to blind my eyes there
with
No responsibility for wars. that have
been waged or bmod that has been she'd
rests upon me-. My thoughts have been
those OF peace and my Efforts have ever
been to alay contentious among my coun-
trymen. Forgetting the past leb Us return
TO the arst principals Of The Government,
and, uufurIing the banner Of our country,
inscribe upon II Ia inrtlacesSle characters,
The Const ution aud the Union--one aud
inseparab.e."
LSignedl ANDRE W JOHNSON.
WAsHINGTON, ID. @. March 4, 1860.