Year: 1866

The Presidents Speech.


On the 18th instant, in Washington a
procession of soldiers and sailors waited on
President johnson, rendering him their
grateful acknowledgements for his recent
order giving preference in appointments
to those who had performed honorable ser
vice to the country in the army and navy
It is not affectation in me to say that
language is inadequate to convey the heart
felt feelings produced on this occasion by
your presence here, and by the presenta
tion OF your sentiments as expressed by
you representative in his address, and in
the resolutions which you have thought
proper to adopt. confess that in the
peculiar posture of public affairs, your pre-
sence and address give encouragement and
confidence to me in my efforts to discharge
the duties incumbent upon me as Chief
Magistrate of the republic. And in what
/ have to say, l shall address you in the
character of citizens, sailors and soldiers.
shall speak to you in those terms, and
none others.


repeat my thanks for the manifesto
tion of your appreciation and of your cn
courasement. We are to day involved in
one OF the most critical and trying strug-
giles that have occurred since this Govern
ment was spoken into existence Nations,
like individuals, must have beginning
must have a birth. In struggling into cx-
istence, n nation passes through its first
trying ordeal.


1t Is not necessary for me now to carry
Vour minds back to the struggle when this
nation was bern. 1t is net necessary Tor
me to allude to the privatons and hard
ships of those who engaged in that strug.
gle to achieve the national BIRTH. it is
not necessary TO point to the blood shed
and the lives lost in accomplishing that
result The next ordeal through which a
nation has to pass in which it is called up
on to give evidence that it has strength,
capacity and power to maintain itself
among the nations of the earth


In giving such evidence, we passed thro'
the war of 1872, and through the war
with Mexico; and we passed through all
the struggles that have since occurred up
to the beginning of the rebellion That
was our second ordeal But nation has
another test still to undergo, and that is to
give evidence to the nations of the earth
and to its own citizens, that it has power
to resist internal foes; that it has strength
enough to put down trcachery ut home and
treason within its own borders. [Cheers !
We have commenced that ordeal, and |
trust in God we will pass through it sue
cessfully. feel complimcnted by the
alluslon OF your representative to the fact
that | stood in the Senate in 1860 and
1861, when the nation was entering on
this third ordeal, and raised my voice and
hands against treason, treachery and trai.
tors at home. / stand here, to day, hold
ing to and maintaining the same principles
which l then enunciated


We are now In the nations third ordeal.
We are not yet through it. We said that
States could not go out of the Union. We
denied the doctrine of secession, and we
have demonstrated that we were right-we
demonstrated it by the strong arm. Yes,
the soldiers and the sailors, God bless
them, have demonstrated by their patriotic
hearts and strong arms that States have
not the power to leave the Union. What
followed? The Confederate armies were
overpowered and disbanded, and there was
y" "i'iuo"cso on tle part O1 the people oil
those States to come back, be obedient to
the laws, and acknowledge the supremacy
of the Constitution of our fathers. For
what have we passed through this third
ordealf 1t was to establish the principle
that no State had the power to break up
this Government. 1t was TO put down the
rebellion. The rebellion has been put
down, and for what? VAST to destroy
the States! ! Voices " Never'O For what
have all those lives been sacrificed and all
this treasure expended? Was it for the
purpose of destroying the States No; it
was for the purpose of preserving the
States in the Union of our fathers. 1t was
for that you fought; it was for that l toll
ed; not to break up the Government, but
to break down the rebellion and preserve
the union of these States. That is what
we have been contending for, and to estab
iish the fact that the nation can lift itself
above ard beyond intestine foes and trca.
son and traitors a. home.