Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-03-23
UNITED STATES SENATE.
An Able and Timely Speech by
Senator johnson.
He Flags Grant Alive, and
Warns the People Against
His UsurpatiOns.
Stirring Appeal to Save the
Country and the Con-
stitutiOn.

I
floor were large number Of members Of
the House Of Representatives and others
entitled to the privilege OF the floor.
After the reading Of the journal atur-
/ days proceedings, Mr.. Boutwell, submitted
3 resolution providing for final adjourn
ment Of the Senate on the - day Of
March, at - O'Clock, and gave notice
! that be would call il up as soon IS the les-
olution now under consideration was dis
posed Of. -
The consideration 0fthe unfinished bust
ness, being the resolution approving of the
action Of the President IN regard 10 Lou
isiana, was resumed, and Air. johnson, of
Tennessee, being entitled to the floor, be-
gan 10 speak at 10 minutes past u o'clock.
In opening his speech, Mr.. johnson said,
the fact thar he had obtained the floor Sat
urday night had possibly created an expec-
tation ON the part Of many, which, be was
sorry 10 say, could not be realized Mr..
johnson said: This resolution proposes to
cover acts and measures which l think
clearly in violation of the organic law Of
| the land and without authority, That be-
ing so, cannot give my consent to the res
olutiOD, and viii be compelled to vote
against it. think it proper that | should
| give some few Of the reasons why cannot
/ give it my vote. In the first place,
Mr.. President, il seems to me that the
| consideration of a resolution embracing
| questions of such grave Importance, is not
legitimately before this body. In other
words, it is not legitimate to consider it be-
fore a Senate convened as this las been
convened, to act solely upon business per
tanning TO the Executive Department. If
e fr4A-ea -
now under consideration by this body, it
is legitimate to consider every act and every
question on which the administration has
acted since its advent into power. 1t does
not seem TO be travelling much further
out Of the record for the Executive 10 come
forward and presume to act in defiance Of
the Legislature, than for the Legislature 70
come forward and approve acts Of the Pres
ident Ordinary measures are presented
for the consideration Of Congress, and
when they are acted on, it is the duty Of
the President to consider them, and 10 aD-
prove or reject them. Mr.. johnson argued
at length that the Senate had no authority
to act on the resolution, especially in the
absence Of the other house. He
eontended thar the resolutions Of
Senators Morton and Frelinghuysen
were the same in substance, with q mere
modification in the matter Of verbiage TO
suit the party views Of some individuals.
He next referred to the trouble in the Ten
nessee Legislature In 1866, and the action
Of the Federal Government inStrueting
Gen. George II. Thomas, IN command Of
the Federal forces there, 70 strictly abstain
from any interference. His Instructions,
be said, were as follows:
I'll
Grant will instruct Gen. Thomas that the
facts stated in his telegram do not warrant
the interference of the military. The adj
administration Of the laws and The preselgs-
ton of the peace in Nashville belong prop.
GRIP 70 the STATE authorities, aud the duty
of the United States authorities is not to
interfere in any controversy between the
public authorities Of the State, and Gen.
Thomas viii strictly abstain from any in
reference between them.
Here is a precise case, and that was the
action Of the Government. Il was be-
Iieved that it was civil strife, contest
between two divisions Of the civil govern
ment, and vas case, as stated in the tele-
gram sent back to Gen. Thomas, similar to
the one in Louisiana. That dispatch was
signed by the Secretary Of War, and was
written in the presence Of the President,
and sent TO Gen. Grant TO send to Gen.
Thomas. he was told that this was not a
case calling for the interference Of the mill
tary, and be Gen. Tbomas) should alb
stain from interference under any cirCum-
stances whatever. It would seem that this !
marks line between the civil and mill !
tary authority. There is precedent for the |
Government in that case. The cases are !
al al nd ehoA -HaF
Government did then. What are we
told now? We see then that the present |
President of the United States was familiar |
with and understood what was the action |
Of the government in cases Of this kind, |
and Of the duty of the military and civil |
authorities. We see then that the question |
was not unknown TO him, and he has not |
acted without proper and sufficient infor- /
nation upon the subject. If be has been |
informed of and acted on and carried out /
the order OF telegram that have read, he /
must have understood it, and have known |
that it was the true doctrine and principle /
upon which cases Of this kind should be /
managed by the military. he then referred
to the removal Of Gen. P. II. Sheridan from
the command Of the Fifth Military Dis
trict on Aug. 20, 1861, and said it was in
consequence Of the will. which came up 1
from the people of that section
Why was it that this man
Sheridan had been selected and sent back
to those people, who before condemned
him and prayed for his removal? He
(Johnson) knew the determination Of the
people Of the South. Their great object
was to be restored to the Union. lie /
would tell some Of these who were acting
behind the curtain, that II they expected
to stir up another civil strife, and amid the
war-cry and strife, hsEeOne ride into power
for a third term they might bid farewell to
liberty. Applause in the galleries.
The President pro TEN. (Ar. Ferry, OF
Hichigan)-TLe chair will interfere with
the gentleman from Tennessee, 20 inform
the galleries that it is in violation of the
rules Of the Senate to express approval or
disapproval CT the PROCEEDINGS Of the Sen
ate. The Sergeat alarms viii put a suf-
fc!ent force In the galleries 10 preserve
order.
Mr., johnson, resuming, argued at length
in opposition TO a third term, and spoke Of
the United States officials receiving
presents, and in this connection, said that
this question Of gift taking would be Just as
legitimate a subject to consider here to-day
as the subject We have now under consider
alton. We could consider Just as well a
resolution expressing an opinion with refer
suce 10 officers of the United States re-
ceiving gifts from citizens Of the United
States. Why aot consider q subject like
this? Let the popular hssn understand
and let it respond. 1t is time We turned
our attention to things like this. merely
allude to ii for the purpose Of making 8
general application to anybody who is
guilty Of like GQnduct.
Mr.. johnson next spoke Of the action Of
the President in Louisiana affairs, and said: I
We find ''the United States shall guarantee I
10 every State in this Union a republican I
form Of government Has the President
Of the United States such power? / do
not understand him to be the United
States. Does thai provision authorize the J
Executive, upon his OEn VOlitiOn, 10 90
md take charge in person or by hts agent,
some man selected from the army. of the ]
government Of a State? No, sir. There is
10 such thing in the Constitution, and in ]
sFsering in the State Of Louisiana, in the {
akinE Of that government, is a palpable
-iolatiOn of tine Constitution Of the United
states. If this course is to be practiced, !
md the Federal government is going to be
partner 20 disappointed candidates for the {
Jfice of Governor of State, I see we have G
a state of things which will c
-.