Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-10-24
Ex-rsEsIoENf JoHEsoy's SPEECH.
nse to the serenade Last Night.
His Views ON Finances. Csesarism. the
Constitutions, &c.

/ can flag and over il was extemporized wire
I arch, from which WAS suspended Chinese Ian
terms the light evolved from the candle within
| rejecting the wsTd at Union" emblazoned on the
| gated torches. Fully hour before the
| musicians appeared a large crowd gathered in
! front of the hotel, and manifested considerable
/ impotence and anxiety while awaiting the
| rising OF the curtain. Directly in front of the
hotel, on a line with the curhstOne, was a scat
| fold, used but day or two ago IN repairing the
| ceiling, and which had been removed from the
| hotel, and upon which a score of young urchins
were perched straddlewise. who INDUCED in
/ shriI whistles and cat calls, which added no
little TO the amuse ment of the spectators, if not
TO the eclat Of the occasion. While the crowd
was assembling in the street many persons
cended the stairs and entered Mr.. Johnson's
parlor or proceeded to the balcony. Among
| those present were Judge Moore, Senator FOw-
Ter, Judge Phillips, DIR. L. G. Clayton, s. ID.
| CastlemAn, e. W. Petit, Lawyer Culver, y. ID.
| LarBer, Mr.. Bayliss, Lewis Schade, Jos. Brown,
| W. ROhrer, l.. q. Washington, Harry Waiter
! son. y. q. Kretchmar, Gen. Sol Henkle. Samuel
| T.. P1eh, Aug Perry. w. j. Walker, jos. Mat
| tingly, W. y. Davis, John Wheeler, Col. Savers
Vim. Dickson, Chas Allen, Columbus Alex an
| der, +. A. RytheT, and a number of others.
Shortly after O'Clock Donchs brass band ap-
| peaT6d on the scene, and aft6r rendering 1.-The
Last Rose of Summer" aIar'Then You'lI Re
member Me" the pOTtly form of Judge Moore
doomed mp, aud from the elevated platform he
addressed those assembled as follows: "Fellow-
citizens: | now have the pleasure of intro
ducing ex-Presidont johnson, who will address
you"
The ex-President then came forward and
| spoke for about two hours.
The speech.
The eN President opened with the announce
| ment that thirty years ago he made his first APP
| pearance in Washington, as a member of Con-
gress and had served in that capacity ten con-
secutiye years; that he then was returned to the
| Senate. He then went en- to say:
| s'After serving in the Senate for a short time,
some three years, il was deemed expedient and
proper by the government to assign me another
| position, which accepted and gave up my po-
SitiOn IN the Senate of the United States, where
| there was no danger, butwheTe there was emOl-
| ument, accepting place where there was dan
| ger and but little emOlumept. After that e1-
! pirtd then returned to the city of Washington
| and occupied the position President of the
| United States, deeming it not necessary to go
| through all the details by which l reached that
position but suffice IL 10 say was there Pres
| ident of the United States under your immedi-
! ate observation"
CANDY STILL LIVES"
The eX-President then proceeded 70 stat that
| both he and his children had mixed with the
people of the District OF Columbia for long
tune, and had been the subject of their scruti-
ny and observation. He alluded briefly to the
period of his presidential life when he lived in
the midst of calumny and detractiOn and men
dariOus and unprincipled assaults. An urchin
IN the crowd shouted: candy, you still lives" to
I which he replied: eyes; thank God for it, | am
still alive, not only physically, but, thank God,
/ / am alive TO the preservation of the institu-
I tons and the best interests of the country"
"wHERE ARE WE Now?"
Nr. johnson then began dissertation on his
1 ldNOfltc theme, tne constitution. Tie SAID, IN
substance that if any one came there expecting
him to argue questions, or make an Ora-Orical
display, or exhibit fireworks, all he had TO say
was, there would be disappointment. Even
if he had the mental power, he had not the ply
steal strength on the present occasion. What
he would say now would be by way OF inquiry
and he would Ask what kind of a government
have we now? Applause, and cries of ''tell
u.s. We used to have some idea that there
was constitution laughter and cOnstitu-
tiOnal government, and as argued when first
made my appearance As a member of Congress,
the inquiry formerly was to the powers con-
feTred upon the government. IL was thought
long ago there was a limitation to power, both
as to the several states and general govern
ment, under that instrument. Such was the
view of Washington, the Father of his Country,
! who was first in peace and first in war, and who
sacrificed his ease and received no pay for his
! services. And so thought Jefferson and those
I great men who framed the constitution. When
I he (the speaker first came to Congress there
| were two great parties, the whig and the dem
/ Ocratic. He wished to-day the country
under their control. He feared the people
/ would never again have two such parties.
/ The difference between them was merely this:
/ The democrats contended for strict cOnstruc
/ ton, while the wings claimed little more lati-
| tude. While these parties were thus opposed,
| they both agreed in the essential principle that
there was constitution. But how was it now,
or within the last four years, or six years?
When a measure was brought up in Congress,
and its cOnstitutOnality questioned, the reply
would be in effect ''d-n the constitution. we've
got the numbers laughter. and while he was
here a friend OF the constitution, battling
and cOntendiDg for its existence, the cOnstitu-
ton was taken from the archives, torn in pieces
and trampled under foot, The query came up,
what kind OF government have we? The con
sequences of the war had perfectly etfaced and
wiped out the limitations and restrictions Of the
constitution. The people. therefore, require to
be iTdOctrinated in the principles in which the
constitution was established. II the constitution
Is wiped out and Congress il without restraint,
where are we? Having government controlled
by body of men without limitation as TO pow
eT, 10 constitution to restrain them, but acting
nW,A FWNNn
have the most Odlous desPotism ever permitted
to be established.
A NARCHY AS AN ALTERNATIVE.
He then in an i'm passiOned manner announced
that rather than accept such a body of men,
calling themselves Congress or Parliament OF
courts with unlimited power, he would prefer
were made subordinate and gave their assent,
the whole thing had better be wiped out and the
country be placed under the control OF good
"INsANE ON THE CONSTITUTION"
II had been said to him, ''Why, johnson, you
are insane on the constitution; the whole thing
is played out; the liberties of the people are
gone" II this be insanity, he wished TO God
there was more insanity in the country laugh
insane on constitutional liberty. They should
be aroused to it. II the people could as
their fathers had seen, things would be different.
ON PLUMBER AND TAXATION-ALL THE WORLD
sTAGR.
He then spoke of the increase Of plundering
and the people being taxed to subserve the
interests Of particular classes, and said take the
debt from the smallest municipality up to the
federal government all through the states, and
the American people are involved in more debt
per capita than any people on the habitable
globe. He wished it were possible to have an
amphitheatre constructed 70 seat all the people
of the country, so that when the curtain was
drawn they could see what was going on. There
would then be such reaction as was never felt
or heard before.
ON THE CHANGERS.
HT. johnson then alluded to Cesarism, say
ing il was not 50 much in man, not so much Ia
democracy or repubHcanism or radicslism as
in what l. done. In alluding to the order OF the
Patrons OF Husbandry he said, there is some
talk about oranges and ali that. He didn't care
what they called themselves. II they brought
together a sufficient number OF good men to
take the government into their hands and ad-
minister ii for the best interests OF the people,
he would say amen, and so be IL. Hereafter, SO
far as he was concerned, he did not propose TO
act with any particular sect IN politics or re-
hgon. He wanted men to combine and associ-
ate for the purpose OF preserving the constitu-
ton OF the country, and administering 1t upon
principle-upon principle. A voice-"Hurra
for AHdy.Hl