Year: 1865

(From Johnson's Speech Of Feb. l, 1861


Referring to charge of Senator Lane
that Mr.. johnson was in favor of war
on the South, Mr.. johnson said: l
march down on South Carolina Did I
suppose any such thing :? No. War is
not the natural element Of my mind; and,
as stated in that speech my thoughts
were turned on peace, and not on war
I want no strife. | want no war. In the
language of denomination that is verv
numerous in the country, l may say l
hate war and love peace, ], belong to the
peace party. I thought when was ma.
king that speech that was holding out
an olive branch of peace. I want to
give peace and quiet and reconciliation
to distracted and excited country =
That was the object I had in view. War,
l repeat, is not the natural element of my
mind. I would rather wear upon my
garments the tinge of the shop and the
dust Of the field, as the badges Of the
pursuits of peace. than the gaudy epaulet
upon my shoulder, or sword dangling
by my side, with its glittering scabbard,
the insignia of strife or war, Of blood or
carnage; sometimes of honorable glor-
ious war. But, sir, | would rather see
the people of the United States at war
with every other power upon the habta-
BILE globe, than be at war with each other.
If blood must be shed, let it not be shed
by the people Of these States, the one
eontending against the other.


THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT HAS NO


RIGHT TO coERcE A STATE.


X u I do not believe the Fed
eral Government has the power to coerce
a State for by the eleventh amendment
of the Constitution of the United States
it is expressly provided that you cannot
even put enc of the courts of the coun-
try as party. As a State, the Federal
Government has not power to coerce it
but it is member Of the compact to
which it agreed in common with other
States, and this Government has the right
to pass laws, and to enforce those laws,
and to enforce those laws upon individuals
within the limits of each State. While
the one proposition is clear the other is
equally so. This Government can, by the
Constitution Of the country and by the
laws enacted in conformity with the Con.
stitution, operate upon individuals, and
has the right and the power, net to cOcrce
State, but to enforce and execute the
law upon individuals within the limits Of
a state. I know that the term, "coerco a
a State" is used in an ad coptandum
manner 1t is a sovereignty that is to
be crushed How is State in the Union?
What is her connection with it? All the
connection she has with the other States
is that which is agreed upon in the con.
nection between the States. I do not
know that may consider it in the Union,
or whether you simply consider esnnec-
ton or disconnection with the other
States; but to the extent that State
nuliiies or sets aside any provision of the
Constitution, to that extent has it dis
solved its connection, and no more. l
think the States that have passed their
personal liberty bills, in violation of the
Constitution of the United States, coming
in conflict with the fugitive slave law, to
that extent have dissolved their connec.
tion, and to that extent it is revolution
But because some of the free State have
passed laws violative Of the Constitution;
because they have to some extent, dis
solved their connection with this Govern.
ment, does that justify us Of the South in
following that bad example? Because
they have passed personal liberty bills
and have, to that extent, violated the
compact which is reciprocal, shall We
turn around, on tho other hand, and vic


late the Constitution by coercing them tC
compliance with it? Will We do SO
Then I come back to the starting point


let us stand in the Union and upon The
Constitution, and if anybody is to leave
this Union, or violate its guarantees, i


shall be those who have taken the initia
tive, and passed their personal liberty
bills. I am in the Union and intend t,
stay in it. I intend to hold on to tn,
} Union and the guarantees under whicl
: this Union has grown; and | do not in


tend to be driven from it, nor out of it


by their unconstitutional enactments.