Year: 1866

now. The public temper was never less auspi-
cous to calm, conscientious, wise consideration
of great questions of state Passion and pre-
-judice should never lay rude hands upon funda-
mental and organic laws. In day they may
do mischief which years of repentant patriotic
labor Will not repair. In day they may open
q Pandora's box which the patriotism and states
anehip OF century may not be able to shut.


| do not regard the recent and pending cleo
tions as indicative of the Judgment of the people
Of the Northern States upon the Constitutional
amendments. They are really not the issues pre-
sented to and considered by the people. They
have not been calmly and dispassionately dis
cussed and reflected upon. The people have had
their fears alarmed, and their passions and pre-
judices aroused, and perhaps never formed under
more delusive ideas as to the character of the
issues before the country. The people have been
assured that President johnson is traitor and
q usurper. he has usurped no power; when the
insurrectionary Governments we're overthrown
and expelled the States were left with Constitu-
tions, which, according to the most solemn sane
tions of the Federal Constitution, had been de-
clared republican Ia form, and under which
those States had, for many years, maintained
their place as constituent members of the
Union, but they had no organizations under
their Constitutions.


The President, therefore, deeming IL what was
his imperative duty, as Commander in. Chief, to
do, and what he would have been most culpab!e
for not doing, prevented anarchy by appointing
temporary Provisional Governors, under whose
advice the people brought the regular govern
ments into operation under the Constitutions
This was a thing with which Congress had
nothing TO do. 1t was matter purely of mill
tary cognizance. The public enemy had just
been expelled by military force and il was the
duty Of the CommanderinChleft to see to 1t that
anarchy and confusion did not ensue, and that
the machinery OF the legitimate Government
was again put in operation for the preservation
of order and the protection OF lite and liberty
and property from lawless violence. 1t was the
duty of the President too, as the executive
head OF the nation, to see to 1t that the national
laws were executed, and that the relations be-
tween the Estates and the Federal Government
were restored.


Had the President consented to Join Congress
in forcing negro suffrage on the South, all
would have been fair and smooth, and instead
of being denounced as fend he would now
be worshipped as an idol by those who so Bit
terly and unrelentingly assail him, Those who
are sincerely desirous of seeing .pacifcation OF
the country, and restoration of the Integrity
of the Union, ought to be assured of the purely
patriotic and sincere intentions of the Presi-
dent when they remember that he s, IN good
faith, carrying forward the policy iuaugurated
by President Lincoln, and that the only two
men who went into the Administration with
Mr.. Lincoln at the beginning OF his irst
term, the Secretaries Of State and OF the Navy,
and the only two who were trusted
and confded in by him through his entire
Off fcial career and to the end OF his life, who
stood by, encouraged aud sustained him when
the storm and tempest of rebellion were beating
most fercely upon HIN, and the ship of state
was tossing upon the waves Of a turbulent sea
with broken masts and shattered sails, and who
knew his most secret thoughts as to the best
measures TO be adopted to bring her into port,
star ding by President johnson with a
courage and heroism equally sublime, and cheer
ing him on in his heroic efforts 10 achieve the
same ends. They we're vilided and denounced
then, and by the same men are vlllfed and
deuoun ced now. They did not quail before
the storm that beat upon them then; tney
around them now. Mr.. Lincoln was heroic
then, and Mr.. Johnson is heroic now.


am sure no man can be sincerer in his pur-
poses to preserve the Constitution and save the
country than he is. No man can be actuated
by q purer patriotism, or be more averse to
usurpation of power. He has not violated the
Constitution IN the past. He intends no infrac-
ton of it in the future, but he does intend
firm and faithful performance of all the trusts
which that sacred instrument has devolved
upon him. With every disposition TO be chari-
opinion, it is difficult to believe them sincere in
charging the President with intention of vio-
lently forcing Rebels into Congress, and giving
them the control of the Government What act
has be ever done that gives the slightest sane
ton TO such cnarge? Not one can be speci-
fed He has neither transcended his own
powers, nor invaded those OF the coordinate
departments, and the only pretext for the
charge is not what he has done, but what
he has said, in declaring again and again his
conviction that 1t was the duty of Congress
to obey plain constitutional provision, and
each House for itself TO judge OF the elections





presenting himself as member. Our country
is in peril, in very great peril, not from public
enemy, but rom the violence of our own pas
sions. Safety Is to be found only in q strict
adherence to the Constitution and laws. AS
long as they are obeyed, no evil can come upon
us. We are in danger only when we attempt
something they do not sanction. / trust
it will be the pride and glory of the
friends OF the Administration, in the threaten
ing contest through which we are passing, to
keep their passions in subjecton to reason, and
to do no act not fully warranted by the Consti-
tutiog and laws. Ours is a republican Govern
ment, where the majority has right to rule.
Minorites cannot, without subverting the Gov
ernment, and when, according to the forms
prescribed, the will OF the majority is expressed
in the Constitution or the law, 1t is the duty of
all to submit to 1t until 1t can be fairly and con-
scieDtiously changed. Such l know to be the
wishes to be the rule of conduct for his friends
and supporters


No man has protounder reverence for the
Constitution than he, and his purpose as the
Executive head of the nation TO maintain it as
it is, until 1t be changed in the form prescribed
! by ii, Is firm and immutable. He is not brave
enough wtliully to violate it, he is brave
enough to uphold and defend it in all that his
duty requires. In conclusion, let me beseech
| you, calmly and dispassionately, but earnestly
! and firmly, TO do your duty to your country In
this trying hour, and stand by our glorious
! Constitution as il is.


There IS no safety for us bpt in this. Do your
! duty faithfully and trust to God for results and
! reverently implore Him to save us from the
! madness and infatuation which threaten us with
| seli-destructlon, and with tue loss OF the last
| hope for the Derpetuity of free governments.
Your friend and fello " citizen