The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-25
SPEECH OF ANDREW JOHNSON
On the Resolution in the
Senate Sustaining Grants
Mismanagement of
Louisiana.
Scathins Review Of the Usurpa-
tiOnS of the President.
A Fearful Summing Jp-The Host
Terrible Indictment Since
Charles Summers.

T. WASHINGTON, March % The Senate gale
4 ries were densely crowded long before tn
z hour OF meeting, and by the time the Senat
a was called to order, not even standing ROOF
was to be obtained in the galleries, doorways
: or the passages leading thereto. Upon til
floor were large numbers of members OF tn
n House of Representatives and others entitle
! to the privilege of the floor
After the reading of the journal Of Satur
days proceedings, Senator Boutwell, submit
, ted a resolution providing for the fin Al ad
journment of the Senate on the --- da
OF March at --- o clock, and gave motto
; that he would call it up as soon as the resolu
ton now under consideration was disposed
1 Of
q The consideration Of the resolution ap
proving of the action of the President in re
: gard to Louisiana was resumed, and Senate
johnson Tenn. being entitled to the floor
f began to speak at ten minutes past lively,
o'clock.
Senator ohnson said: This resolution pro
poses to cover acts and measures which
think are clearly in violation of the organic
law of the land and without authority. That
being 50, l cannot give my consent to the
resolution, and will be compelled to vote
against it, and think it proper that | should
give some reasons why l cannot give it my
vote. In the first place MIR President, it
seems to me that the consideration of the
resolution emt tracing questions of such grave
Importance is not legitimate before this body
in other words. it is not legitimate to consider
1T before Senate convened, as this has been
convened, to act solely upon business per
tanning to the executive department: it is not
legitimate to act upon the measure now under
consideration by this body. 1t 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 me to
travelling much further out OF the record for
the executive to come forward and presume
to act in defiance of the Legislature than for
the Legislature to come forward and approve
| the acts OF the President. Ordinary measures
are present for the ons.deration of Congress.
and when they are acted on it i, the duty of
the President to consider them. Senator
Johnson argued at length that the Senate had
no authority to act on the reso ution,
especially III the absence Of the other House
He coutended that the resolutions OF Senator's
Morton and Erelinghuysen were in the same
substance with Il mere modification in the
matter Of veroage to suit the party views Of
some individuals. He next referred to the
trouble in the Tennessee l. Legislature in 1866,
and the action Of the Federal government in
instructing Gen. George III. Thomas, in com
mand Of the Federal forces there, to strictly
tons, he said. were as follows:
WASHINGTON. July II, 1866.
Gen. Grant will instruct Gen Thomas that |
the facts stated in his telegram do not war
rant the interference of the military. The |
administration OF the laws and the preserva-
ton of peace in Nashville belong properly to |
the State authorities, and the duty OF the |
nlted States authorities is not to interfere in |
any controversy between the public author
tiles Of the State, and Gen. Thomas will
strictly abstain tIom any interference between
them.
Here is precise case, and that was the
action of the government. 1t was believed
that it was a civil strife, a contest between
two divisions OF the civil government, and
was SO stated in the telegram sent back to
Gen. Thomas similar to the one in Louisiana
That dispatch was signed by the Secretary of
Var, 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 case calling for the
interference of the military, and he Gen.
Ihomas) should abstain from interference ;
under any circumstances whatever 1t would ,
seem that this marks the line between civil
and military authority. There is precedent
Of the government in that case and cases are +
almost parallel, and that was what the govern ,
ment did then. What are we told now? We !,
see, then, that the present President of the
United States was familiar with and under '
stood what was the action of the government !
n cases Of this kind, and of the duty of the \
military and civil authorities. We see then +
hat the question was not unknown to him. q
md he has not acted without proper and sGf- Il
icient information upon the subject of which q
lie has been informed Of and having acted h
nd carried out the order or telegram that n
have read, he must have understood n
nd have known that it was the true i
doctrine and principle upon which cases +
Il this KIND should be managed by the mill II
airy. tie then referred to the removal of Y
len. 7. H. Sheridan from the command of 4
be Fifth Military District, August Is, 1867, L
nd said that it was in consequence of the n
7ail which came up from the people of that q
ectlon. Why was it that this man Sheridan I
ad been selected and sent to these people, a!
tho before condemned him and prayed for lt
IS removal? He johnson knew the deter W
lination of the people Of the South. their W
reat object was to be restored to the Union n
le would tell some of those who were acting 40
ehlnd the curtain that if they expected to II
lr up another civil strife and amid he war A
~ and strife have one ride into power fer o,
lird term, they might bid farewell to liberty. :,
Applause in the galleries. III
PRESIDENT pro tenn Terry Mich The th
lair VIII interfere with the gentleman from &C
enuessee to inform the galleries that it is in nc
olatlon OF the rules Of the Senate TO express n.
'proval or dlsapproval of the proceeding, of al
e Senate Inc sergeant-at-arms will put a to
Efficient force in the galleries to preserve Sc
der 90
Senator johnson, resuming argued at to
myth IN opposition to a third term and an
oke OF the United States officials receiving an
esents; and in this connection said that 7,
is question of glft-taking would be Just as |
climate a subject to consider here to-day as n,
g subject We have now under consideration. tw
g could consider ju as well resolution ex- pe
essing an opinion with reference to m
icers of the United States receiving On
IS from citizens of the United s ates. hi
by not consider subject like this Let co
8 popular heart understand it, and III
it respond. 1t is time We turned our at Ii
alton to things like this. | merely allude pc
it for the purpose of making a general ap- an
cation to ANYBODY who is guilty Of like CON tn.