Year: 1861

|
| u. s.. SENATOR FROM TENNESSEE.


On arriving in Cincinnati, Mr.. johnson in


response to the calls of the people assembled


made short speech, in which he said ssthe
| Stars and Stripes must be defended to the last
extremity" In the afternoon committee
| from the Chamber of Commerce and another


from the citizens waited upon him, offering


him the freedom Of the city, &c. In response


to addresses of welcome he made the follow
ing speech:


Fetlolc Citisens and Countrynen


| In response to the welcome which has lust
| been rendered to me by the chosen organ of
| this city, have not language to express my
| gratitude. On the present occasion am here
without expectation of any such reception as


is this which has welcomed me. Neither
have any desire, SO far as L am myself con-
cerned. for any such thing, and l might con-
clude the remarks which / shall make on the


present occasion, by endorsing and respond
ing to every sentiment which has been uttered
by your chosen speaker. | feel that while /


am citizen of the Southern States, as they


are called, l am citizen of the United States,


and most cordially do l respond to what has


been said in reference to maintaining the


Union of these States. The Constitution lays
down basis on which the Union may and can


be preserved, and for one, am willing to live


under, abide by, and sustain the flag which


w Washngton carried throughout the Revolution


repeat that have no language to express,
no words to utter; rather / have words which
will not give utterance to my feelings of heart
felt and sincere gratitude, and at the same
time express my devotion to that flag. Much
has been said about the South and the North


L am glad to hear the language expressed by
your organ to day, that the pending difficult
ties or existing war does not grow out of any
an,mosty to any local institution, but from a
devotion to our common country; and, as far
as possible, to bring back those individuals or
States, if you please, which have taken upon
themselves to proclaim the odious doctrine of
secession. l characterize secession as an odi-
Gus doctrine, heresy, a political absurdity.
1t is an odious and abominabe doctrine. and
L look upon it as contrary to all government,
and as heresy which should be crushed ont.
Where it is admitted, no government, politi-
cal, moral, or religious, can stand. 1t is dis
integratng in its nature, and a Kind of univer-
sal solvent. l speak it not profanely, but it is
he1l-formed. hell-bound, and, if permitted to
go on, it will drag everything in its train
thither.


In response to what has been said, am
proud that can lay my hand on my breast
and say that am willing to guaranty every
right, every single right, which belongs either
to the North, South, East, or West. l am
gratitied to carry your sentiments to the peo-
pie of whom am one: that there is no dlspo-
siton to make war upon any institution,
whether of slavery or otherwise, and your de-
termination to leave the disposition of slavery
to time and those circumstances by which it
is surrounded, and over which no political
legislation can exert any control.


| hope that it may not be deemed out of
place If make any allusion to myself or of
my own position. My position in the Con-
gress of the United States is familiar to most
if not all of you. Those doctrines l there
laid down are still mine. l still believe that
without the power of enforcing the laws and
maintaining itself, there can he no Govern
ment. And l believe that we have reached
the time when it is time to show the world,
Pagan and Christian, whether we have Gov
ernment or no. 1t is time that the world
should know that the Government framed in
1889 was not dream, and that it has neither
been frittered away nor faded from our sight.
1t is time that the whole civilized world should
know that the doctrine of secession is here
sy, and that neither States nor individuals can
set the Government aside.


These are substantially the doctrines l ci-
ted and maintained in 1888, and from that
down to the present time. Let US look at the
last struggle for the Presidency. The friends
of Senator Douglas presented him as the best
Union man. The friends of Mr.. ckinridge,
of whom / was one. regarded him as the best
representative of the Union sentiment. 9th
ers presented Hon. John Bell as the best u
nion candidate, and the Republicans, so far as
am Informed, have always been for the u
Mon. Thus We had four candidates. the only
question between whose advocates was, Who
was entitled to preeminency for their efforts
in preserving the Union We have now laid
aside all questions of political difference, all
disputes about the division of the proceeds of
the sale of the public lands, about tariffs, a
bout banks and no banks, and gathering a
round the stars and stripes in one fraternal
hing over our devotion to it, the flag of our
country. SO far as 1 am concerned, am
proud of that flag borne by Washington and
his compeers, over the bloody battle fields and
frozen marshes of a seven years. war. 1 am
proud of that flag, the emblem of our liberties.


You are all familiar with the events which
have taken place in Tennessee. We have
been taunted-told that we were traitors-that
the hemp was growing for us-that the day of
our execution was fixed. We have stood all
this, and more, face to face, toe to toe, and
answered that the Constitution defines treason
to be adhering to the enemies of the United
States, and giving them aid and comfort and
We have told them that the time will come
when the judiciary will dare to decide accord
ing to the law, and then we will see for whom
the day of execution is fixed, and for whose
neck the hemp is growing.


The stars and stripes should be preserved,
II for nothing else, as memento, as an en-
bem of the best and purest Government upon
which the sun ever shone. And invoke the
bitterest curses upon the head of him who
would trail it in the dust. l know that re-
wards have been offered for my head and that
1t is even said that warrants have been issued
for Etheridge. myself, and other Union men.
But, my friends, l am no fugitive, much less
am l fugitive from justice. l am not flying
from my home. | am on my way to execute
holy mission. 1 am willing to place every
particle of property 1 possess at the disposal
of the Government, if she needs it, in this
strife, and if this is not enough, l am willing
to nQnr out m v life hlnod a Ehatinn ON tha al