Year: 1866

maintained, by this same gentleman


that we were in the midst of an earth


quake that he trembled and could not
yield. [Laughter.] Yes, there is an
earthquake coming; there is q ground,


swell coming Of popular Judgment and


indignation, [Avoice- That's true"
The American people will stand by
their interests, and they will know who


are their friends and who their enc


mics. What positions have held un-


der this, Government, beginning with


IN alderman, and running through all
branches Of the Legislature A voice,


.'from tailorup,"1 Some gentleman
says have been a tailor, tremendous
cheering,) now that does not discomtit
me in the least, for when I used to be a
tailor, l had the reputation Of being a
| good one, and making close fits, (great
laughter;) always punctual with my
customers, and always did good work.
! IA voice, "no patchworl."] No, /
don't want any Patchwork want a
whole suit. (. But I will pass by this
little righteousness, my friends. Some
may say, you are President, and you


must not talk about such things when
principles are involved. My country
men, when the existence Of my country
is imperiled, 1 shall act as / have on
former occasions, and speak what ]
think. I was saying that I had filled
nearly all positions, from Alderman
through both branches Of Congress to
that which ] now occupy, and who is
there that will say that Andrew John
son ever made promise he did not
fulfill Who will say that he has acted
otherwise than in fidelity to the great
mass of the people. They may talk
about beheading and usurpation, but
when l am beheaded, want the Amer
lean people to witness it. ! don't
want, by inuendoes, or by indirect re-
marks in high places, to see the man
who has assassination breeding in his
bosom exclaim this Presidential obsta-
Gle must be gotten out of the way. l
make use of a very strong expression,
when say that ! have no doubt the
intention was to incite assassination and
get out of the way the obstacle from
place and power. Whether by assassi-
nation or not, there are individuals in
this Government, | doubt not, who
want to destroy our Institutions and
change the character Of the Govern
ment. Are they not satisfied with the
blood which has been shed +? Does not
the murder of Abraham Lincoln ap-
pease the vengeance and wrath Of the
opponents to the Government? F? Are
they still unslacked? Do they still
want more blood? Have they not got
honor and courage enough to obtain
their objects otherwise than by the
hands of the assassin ? No, no, / am
not afraid Of assassins attacking me
where brave courageous man would
attack another. l only dread him
when he would go in disguise, and his
footsteps noiseless. If it is blood they
want, let them have courage enough to
strike like men. 1 know they are will
ling to wound, but they are afraid to
strike. (Applause.) If my blood is
to be shed because i vindicate the


Union and the preservation of this


Government in its original purity and


chastity, let it be shed. Let an altar to


the Union be erected, and then if it is
necessary, take me and slay Inc upon it,
and the blood that now warns and ami
mates my existence, shall be poured
out as fit libation to the Union OF
these States. Great applause. But
let the opponents of this Government
remember that when it is poured out,
the blood of the martyrs will be the
seed of the Church. Cheers. Gen
tlemen, this Union will grow-it will
continue to incrcsse in strength and
power, though it may be cemented and
cIeansed l have talked longer now
than I intended Let me thank you
for the honor you have done me. So
far as this Government is concerned,
let me say one other word in reference
to the amendmt nts to the Constitution
of The United States. When I reached
Washington for the purpose of being
inaugnrated as Vice President of the
United States, / had a conversation with


Mr.. Lincoln. We were talking about
the condition of affairs, and in refer
ence to matters in my own State,
said that we had called a Convention,
and had amended the Constitution by
abolishing slavery in that State-a
State not embraced in his proclamation


This met his appreciation and gave
him encouragement, and in talking up.
on the amendment to the Constitution
he said: "When the amendments to
| the Constitution is adopted by three.
fourths of the States, we shall have all,
or prettynear all. ! am in favor of the
amendment to the Constitution if there
4 is no other adopted" Said j, "What
lis that, Mr.. President ?" Said he, 81
have labored to preserve this Union;
have toiled four years; have beer
subjected to calumny and misrepresen.
tatiOn; yet my great desire has beer
to preserve the Union of those States
intact under the Constitution, as they
were before" ne" But" said l, "what
amendment do you refer tor He
said he thought there should be an
amendment added to the Constitution
which would compel all the States ia
send their Senators and representatives
to the Congress of the United States
Yes, compel them. The idea was in
his mind that it was part Of the doc.
trine of secession to break up the Gov.
ernment by the States withdrawing
their Senators and representatives from
Congress, and therefore he desired
constitutional amendment to cOmpe


them to be sent How now does the
matter stand in the Constitution Of the
country Even that portion of it thai