Year: 1866

WASHINGTON, August 19th,~Ihe Com
mittee appointed by the Philadelphia Con
vention, with such other delegates as we're in
the city, attended at the White House, at
noon to-day, and were received by President
Johnson in the east room. The President
was attended by Gen. Grant, Secretaries
Wees, Mccullough, Randall and Browning,
with about dozen ladies.


Reverdy Johnson addressed the President
on behalf of the Committee, giving him an
official copy of the proceedings Of the Con-
vention, congratulsting him and his admin.
istration on the hopeful auguriss for the fu.
ture.


The President replied that language was
inadequate TO express his feelings on the
occasion. lie said: "In listening to the
address which your eloquent and distin'
gushed Chairman has just delivered, the
proceedings OF the Convention as they tran.
spired, REQUIRED to my mind, and seemingly
| partook OF the inspiration which prevailed
in the Convention. When receivrd a dis,
patch from two Of its distinguished mem.
bers, conveying in terms the scene which
has just been described, of South Carolina
and Massachusetts, arm>in arm. walking into
that vast assemblage and thus giving evi.
|
that they were united as they had been in
the past on the preservation of the Union;
when the dispatch informed me that in that
vast body Of men, distinguished for intellect
and wisdom, every eye was suffused with
tears on beholding the scene, l could not
finish reading the dispatch to an associate
with me in the Office, for my own feelings
overcame me. think we NAV Justly con-
cuds we are moving under proper inspira.
tion, and that we need not be mistaken in
the belief that the finger of an overruing
unerring Providence is in this matter The
nation is in peril. We have Just passed
through mighty, bloody and momentous
ordeal, vet do not find ourselves free from
the difficulties and dangers that at first
surrounded us. While our brave men have
performed their duties-both officers and
men-(turning to General Grant, who stood
at his righO while they have won laures
lmperlshable. there are still greater and
more important duties to perform. While
we have bad their CO operation in the field,
we now need their support to perpetua,e
peace.


So far as the head department Of the
Government are concerned, the effort has
been made 10 pour oil into the wounds
which were consequent upon the struggle
and to use common phrase. to prepare, as
the learned and wise physician would,
plastic healing in character co-extensive with
the wound. Loud cheers. We thought,
and yet think, that we bad partially sue
ceeded; but as the work progressed. as re.
concIiation seemed to be taking place and
the country becoming united, we found
disturbing and warning element opposing
US. In aIIuding to that element shall 20
no further than did your Convention and
the distinguished gentleman who has deliv.
cred to me the report Of its proceedings
shall make no reference to it that do not
believe time and occasion justify We have
witnessed in one department of tbe Govern.
ment every effort, as it were, to prevent the
restoration Of peace and harmony. There
is on the verge of the Government. as it
were, body which assumed to be the Con,
gress of the United States, but in fact
Congress of only part of the States. We
have seen this Congress assume and pretend
to be Tor the Union, when its every step and
act tended to perpetuate disunion and make
the disruption Of States inevitable Instead
OF promoting reconciliation and harmony
legislation has taken the form of retaliation;
and this has been The course Of one depart
ment of your Government.


"The humble individual who is now ad,
dressing you stands the representative of
another department of your Government.
The manner in which he was called upon to
occupy that position | shall not aIude to
Just now. Suffice it to say, he is here under
the Constitution, and being here By virtue
OF its provisions be takes bis stand upon
the charter of our liberties, as the rampant
OF civil and religious liberty. Prolonged
Cheers. Having been taught 10 my early
ife to hold it sacred, and practiced upon it
during my whole career, shall ever contn
ue to revere that Constitution, the Ccnsti.
'dtlon OF the fathers of our country, and TO
make it my guide. Cheers l know it
has been said, and l must be permitted TO
indulge in the remark, that the Executive
Department Of the Government has been
tyrannical. Let me ask this audience of dis.
t'nguished gentlemen around me here to.
day, to point to vote l ever gave, to a
speech ever made, to single act of my
whole public life that has not been against
tyranny and despotism. As to myself, the
elements OF my nature, the pursuits of my
lie, have not made me, either in my feel
'ngs or my practice, aggressive. My nature,
on the contrary. is rather defensive in its
character; but would say that, having tax.
en- my stand upon the broad principles of
liberty and the Constitution, there is not
power enough on earth 10 drive me from it.
Prolonged cheering) Having placed my
self upon the broad platform, have not
been dismayed or intimdated by either
threats or encroacbments, but have stood
there in conjunction with patriotic spirits,
sounding the tocsin of alarm whenever l
deemed the citadel Of Liberty in danger.
! said on previous occasion, and l repeat
1t now, that what was necessary n the great
struggle against tyranny and despotism, was
that the struggle should be suficantly audi