Year: 1866

complish the true object for which il


was founded. f


Passing from this subject the Presi


dent said that the Radical party in Con


gress talked to the people as if they


had TO fear some act of oppression on


the part of the Executive because the


Civil Rights bill had been vetoed


But the veto power" he said, "could


never be made an engine of oppression.


1t was only negative force-it origi.


mates nothing. 1t can only say when


it sees unwise and unconstitutional
legislation attempted, Now stop. Con-


slider this thing little further. Pass


the bill if you will by your eonstitu


tional two thirds majority, but l think


it well to give you an opportunity to


think over it again. They have passed


the Civil Rights bill, and it will not be


long before judge is arrested for car


rying out the laws of his State. Then
the case will be brought to the Supreme
Court, and the people viii soon see
which was right-Congress in insisting
on having it, or in endeavoring to dis
suade them from it. Here, again, the


President distinguished between the
principle on which the bill is professed-
ly based and the bill itself, the former


be was anxious to see carried out, but
the means proposed he considered OBJ
jectionable and hazardous.


Congress" the President further
said, represents the States, but the
men who voted for them individually
all voted in my election. / ain like
the Tribunes elected by the Roman
people, am to stand and represent
their interests, And what other object
can have but 20 represent those in
terests-the interests of my country :?
l have no party objects to serye-no
selfish interests to promote. If | were
man Of ambition, 1 do not know
what | could desire more than | have
gained. | have gone the whole giddy
round, from alderman upward, and /
do not value this Office (here the Pre-
sident poke with great earnestness
and feeling) except for the good which
it may enable me to do / want but
corner of this house to live in, and l
do not care baWbee, as the Scotch
say, for all the rest Let me but see
the country at harmony and peace,
and how gladly would give up all
l suppose that / may say that l have
done enough to satisfy any reasonable
ambition, and feel that my race is well
nigh run. These men want power; /
have had enough, and am indifferent
of what l have. We think, Che said
these words with smile, we think this
a Egreat position, with our ideas; we
are educated to do so; but l can as
sure you that am often here twelve
hours a day without it ever occurring
to me that l am President" He evil
IDENTIFY meant without the pride of
power occurring to him.


"These men" he also said, "have
raised the cry of mad dog at me, and
the people seem to be getting afraid
They will understand me better by
and-by, and understand these men too.
/ could not expect to get through with
out q struggle" Yet it was most ex-
traordinary, he continued, to think of
the course which "these men" were
pursuing. By being united again the.
country would stand respected in the
eyes of the world. Itwas now laboring
under the evils of an inflated currency,
and while trade is restricted by the
South being kept in uncertainty-an
element of danger in the State-such
evils could not be corrected. Yet there
were signs that people were beginning
TO be alive to the truth. Look at Pc
oria and he mentioned several other
towns where meetings in support of
the Presidents policy have lately been
held since the passage of the Civil
Rights bill at is like water trickling
along the ground" said Mr.. johnson.
''You can see the damp places here and
there, and you know it will gradually
spread. 1t will take time; but after
all, what good can be accomplished
without trial and difficulty If l fail
my regret will be for myself. I will
hope that some one wiser will rise up
to do the work" The President ut
tered these words in q somewhat weary
and sad, but very earnest tone. He
continued with great animation: "My
are firm and strong, and
strong convictions are great source
the best source-of courage to man.
l have fought disuniOn nearly all round
the circle, and if l am called upon to
complete the circle will Then l
could say most heartily that l would
that / could depart in peace.