The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-03-19
VALADTCTORY ADDRESS OF PRES.
IDENT JOHNSON.
WAsHrNoToNS ID. G., March 3.


, tation this day falls from my shoulders, to
be Immediately assumed by my successor.
, For him the forbearance and cooperation
of the American people in all his efforts to
! administer tho Government within pale
of the federal constitution are invoked.
Without ambition to crafty, party ends to
subserve or personal quarrels to ayenge, at
the sacrifice of the peace and welfare OF the
country, my earnest desire is to see the
constitution of the republic again recog-
nized and obeyed rs the supreme law OF
the whole people, north, south, east and
west. prosperous and happy under its
wise provisions.
In a%urrendering the high office to which
| was called -four years ago by q memora-
BILE and terrible crisis, II is my privilege, |
trust, 10 say to the people Of the United
States a few words in vindicatioh Of an OH
cial course, 30 ceaslessly assailed and as
persed by political leaders, to whose plans
and wishes my policy 70 restore the union
has been obnoxious. In a period OF difii-
Guilty and turmoil almost without precedent
In the history Of any people, consequent
upon the closing scenes OF q great rebel
lion and the assassination Of the president,
il was, perhaps, too much on my part 10
expect from partisans, who rode on the
waves of excitement which at that TIME
! swept all before them, that degree Of tolora-
ION and mngnanimity which i sought
10 recommend and enforce, and which
[ believed IN good time wopld have adj.
yanced us infinitely further on the road
to permanent peace and prosperity than
Wehave thus far attained. Doubtless had /
Z at the commencement of my term of office
uuheBitatingly lent its powers or perverted
. them TO purposes and plans outside OF the
constitution and become an instrument to
A l..lap.ao 90 aapA.aalnp md Of upnnTol and
. oppressive disqualification, l would have
y been hailed as all that was true, loyal and
q deserving. As the head Of q party, what
ever l might have been, as the executive Of
a nation / was unwilling to accede to
n propositions Of extremists, and bound to
:, obey at every personal hazard my oath to.
a defend the constitution. | need not, per-
e haps, be surprised at having met the fate
9 of others, whose only reward for uphold
= ing the constitutional rights and laws have
3 been the conscientiousness Of having at
tempted to do their duty. At the time a
mysteiious providence assigned to me the
10 Office of President, | was by the terms Of
the constitution the commander-in-chief Of
nearly a million Of men under arms.
ie One of my first acts was to disband
y and restore 10 the vacations Of civil
\. life this immense host nnd divest myself as
far as / could of the unparalleled powers
then incident TO office andatimes. Wheth-
en- or not in this step l wns right, and how
far deserving of the appreciation Of oil the
&c people, | can now, on reflection, judge,
m when reminded of the ruinous condition
a, of public affairs that must have resulted
y, from the continuance in the military SER
1e vice of such n vast number OF men. The
ne close of our domestic conflict found the ar-
le my eager TO distinguish itself in new fields,
by an effort to punish European interven-
ton in Mexico. By many II was believed
c and urged that, aside from the assumed
u Justice of the proceedings of a foreign wal,
in which both sides would cheeriuliy unite
m TO vindicate the honor Of the national flag
" and further illustrate the national prowess,
ID il would be the surest and speediest way
of awakening national enthusiasm,
II reyiving devotion to the Union,
o aud occupying q force concern
t. log which grave doubts existed as to its'wil-
lingness, after four years Of active cam
paigping, at once to return to the pursuits
he OF peace. Whether the speculations were
!, trio or false, il will be conceded that they
existed, and that the predictions OF the
G. army were for the time being in the direc.
N ton indicated. Taking advantage of that
IN feeling 1t would have been easy M com
mander-in-chie of the army and navy, with
%. all the power and patronage of tho presi'
TO dental Office ut my disposal, 10 turn the
pc concentrated strength oftho nation against
,c French intervention IN MoXico, ana 10 IN
70 augurate n movement which would have
TO been received with favor by the military
I and O large portion Of the people.
Il Is proper In this connection that
| should refer TO the almost un-
o. limited additional powers rendered TO the
a Executive by the measures relating Ia
civil rights and the ireedmen's bureau pre-
le oedents in the ineXperienoe Of the public
men, Tho powers thus placed within my
y grasp were declined ~ boingin violation oil
the constitution, dangerous to the liberties
te Of the people, and tending TO aggravate
rather than lessen the discords naturally
4 resulting from our civil war. With a large
army and augmented authority, It would
g have been not a difficult task TO direct al
Of pleasure the destinies of the republic, and
make secure my continuance inthe highest
~ office known to our laws. Let the people
ie whom am addressing from the Presidential
chair during the closing hours Of n labori
GUS term, consider how different would
have been the present condition Ind
ID yielded to dazzling temptations of foreign
~conquests, OF personal aggrandizment, anf
"a the desire to WELD additional power, Lei
NJ them with Justice consider that ii / have
of not unduly magnihed my office, tho public
h. burdens have not been increased by my
acts, and othor, and perhaps thou
9 sands OF tens of thousands of live
sacrificed TO visions OF false glory
II cannot, therefore, be charged that my
a., ambition has been OF that ordinary Of
u criminal kind which, to the detriment o
y the peoples rights and liberties, ever seeks
to grasp moro aud unwarranted power, aud
to accomplish its purpose, pandeIs toe
often 10 popular prejudices and party
ID aims. What, then, have been tho aspirR
a tons which guided me in my official acts
10 Those acts need not nj this time an elabo
: rate explanation They have elsewhere
NJ been comprehensively aud fully discussed
or and become n part Of the notorious history
~ By them / am ready to b ejudRed, knowing
u that, however imperfect, they show to thu
I'd impartial mind that my ambition has beer
10 restore tho union Of s%tateg, faithfully Il
execute the office OF President, and TO thu
best of my ability to observe, protect anC
defend tho constitution. cRnno
IN DO consured il my efforts have beer
OF impeded in an earnest endeavor at atone
AZ ment shown and felt in the prompt Iatif
? cation Of tho constitutional amendment
by the Southern States at tho close Of Thu
lg war. Not accepting the war as a confesaeC
false slep on the part of those who inau
- gurated II, wal an error which now onll
IN time can cure and which even at this lat
be date we should endeavor to palliate. Expe
IN r~iencing moreover, ma all have done, thu
az frightful cost OF the arbitrament Of tn,
er sword, let us cling closer than ever 10 tn,
so constitution as our only safeguard. II is Il
bv be hoped that not until tho burdens nov
pressing upon. us with such fearful weigh
be removed will our people forget the less
ons Of the war, and that remembering then
from whatever cause peace between all sec
Ie- lions and states be perpetual. The histor,
d. of the late events in our country, as wei