Year: 1866

| ,eu .oit Where Is the man or woman


elther IN public or private life that has


not always received my attention and


my ,imef sometimes it has been said,


Paruon me ior being little egotistical,


ont we are engaged in friendly and fa.


mlilar conversation. That man John.


son is lucky man, daughter, They


can never defeat him." lLaushtsr


Now / will tell You what constitntes


my luck. 1t is doing right and doino


for the people. Great spplause.) The


people, somehow or other although


their sagacity and good judgment are


very frequently underestimated, gen.


orally get to find out aud understand


who is for aud who is against them,-


They do il by instinct if in no


other way They know their friend;
they know in whom they can conAde.
So far, thank God, can lay my hand


upon my bosom aud state with heartfelt


satisfaction, that in all positions In


which have been placed,-in many that
were as trying as any in which mortal
man was ever placed. have never de-
serted them, nor do believe they will
desert me. No, no. Applause Whom
have betrayed What principle have
I violated2 What sentiment have ]
sweryed froml Can those who assail
me put their fingers upon any onei No,
no. In all the speeches that have been
made, no one has dared TO put his hnger
upon single principle ever asserted
from which have deviated. Have you
not heard some of them, at some time,
attempt to quote my predecessor, who
fell a marryr to his country's causea
But they can give no sentiment Of his
that is in opposition or IN contradiction
to anything that have done. The
very policy that am now pursuing was
pursued by me under his sdminlstrs-
tion, having been appointed by him in
q particular position for that very pur-
pose. Inscrutable Providence saw prop
er to remove him from this to, trust,
better world, and came into his place,
and there is not principle Of bis in ref
erence to the restoration Of the Union
from which | have departed. (None,
none Then the war is not simply up
on me- but it is upon my predecessor
also have tried to do my duty.
know that some ar envious, and jeal.
Gus. and speak OF the White House as
having attractions for the President
Let me say to you, the charms Of the
White House have as little influence up
on me as any individual in this country.
and much less upon me than upon those
who are talking about It. The little
that eat aud wear does not amount to
much, and the difieren co between what
is enough TO sustain me and my little
family-it is very small, for am not
kin TO many folks by consanguinity,
though bf affinity am kin TO everybody
tho difference betwesn tue little that
suffices for my stomach and back, and
more than enough, has no charms for
me. The proud and conscious satisfac.
ton in having performed my duty to
my country, TO my children, aud to tho
inner man, is all the reward | ask,
[Great applause


In conclusion, LET me ask the vast con.
course here today, the sea Of upturned
faces IL come with me, on | will 20 With
You, aud stand around the constitution
of our country. IL ia again unfolded. the
people are invited TO read and under
stand 10 sustain and maintain its proyls
ions Let 10 staud by the constitution
of our fathers though the Heavens them
selves should fall Though factions may
rage, though taunts aud jeers may come,
though abuse aud vituperation may be
poured ont IN the most violent form,
| mean 10 be found standing by the
constitution of my country. Stand by
tho Constitution as the chief aSk Of
our safety as tho palladium OF
our civil aud or religious liberty
Yes, let us cling 10 IL as q mariner clings
to the last plank when the night and the
tempest close around him Accept my
thanks, my countrymen; for the in
diligence you have extended to me
while submitting TO you extemporane'
ously and perhaps incoherently, the re-
marks which have now made Let us 20
away forgetting the past and looking TO
the future, resolved TO endeavor TO 70
store our government to It's pristine pu
rity, trusting in Him who Is on high bat
who controls all things here below, that
ere long our Union viii be restored ana
that we shall have peace not only WITH
all the nations Of the earth, but peace
and good will among all parts Of the
people Of the United States thank you
for the respect you have manifested 20
me on this occasion, and II the time shall
come, during the period Of my existence,
when the country is 10 be destroyed and
its government overturned, II you
will look out you will Hnd the
humble individual who now stands be
fore you, with you. endeavoring to avert
its final destruction


The President retired amid q perfect
storm of aDplause