Year: 1870

Special to the Union and American.


GALLATN, TENN, Sept. Hex Presi-
dent johnson spoke here tonight in the
Courthouse to one of the largest audiences
ever seen in Gallatin, including many
ladies. His speech was over two hours in
length, and was listened to with the most
marked attention. There is but one ex-
preston of opinion entertained by those
who heard it, and that is that the ex-Presi-
dent made the most forcible and able argu-
ment in favor of constitutional government
of his life.


The distinguished speaker was introduc'
ed in BETTING and appropriate manner
by Col John W. Head, leading member
of the bar at this place. He mentioned
the fact that eK President johnson had
consented to address the people of Sumner
county, after the most earnest solicitation.
Upon the appearance of the ex-Presideht
upon the stand he was greeted with the
most unbounded applause which continued
for some minutes.


The speaker prefaced his remarks by
referring to the fact that the call upon him
to make a speech was unexpected and he
intended only to have a little con-
versational talk with his many old
friends there assembled before him.


The first portion of his speech was de-
voted to a review of his public life since
the commencement Of tho late civil war,
his position at the commencement of the
struggle, what be maintained throughout
the struggle, and his position at the close
He referred to his appointment as Military
Governor of the State, and his reason for
leaving his place as Senator to come home
among the people of his own State, and
point out to them what he conceived to be
the proper course to pursue.


Occupying the position he did at that
time, he did all in his power to extend
what relief he could to the people. He
was here himself under the restraint of
military rule, but at the same time endeav-
ored to stand as a barrier between his own
people and the military power above him,
and he certainly could take the credit to
himself of having been as lenient as it was
possible for him to have been; and while
there we're those of our own who were dis
posed to make grave charges against his
course as Military Governor, there were
charges from another quarter that he was
simply here in disguise to overthrow the
plans and purposes of the leaders of the
Republican party; and finally, because he
had, to the best of his ability, endeavored
TO hold up and keep in force the Constitu
ton of his country, he had been impeached
by those same men that had charged him


I. Ill - L. Il
State.


He occupied the same position now that
he did at the commencement Of the war
He differed with a large maj jority of his
people at the commencement CT the war
He warned them then of the dangers that
he warned them of now. Civil strife took
the place of reason, in 1861. His people
went one way and be another. But through
out all the turmoil and strife he had but
one ambition, and that was the good of
our common country.


The speaker then reverted to the organ
ization Of the Government, and in a forci-
bic manner dwelt at length upon the cardi-
nal principles enunciated in the Constitu-
ton. He quoted literally from writers on
Constitutional Government to show
that a constitution is the fundamental law
of .the State, containing the principles up
on which the Government is founded and
regulating the distribution of sovereign
powers. The Constitution is made by the
authority of the people themselves or their
delegates specially authorized, and it can
be changed only by them. There have
been at all times, and there are now, differ
ent forms of governments, the three prin-
cipai of which are democracy, aristocracy
and monarchy. The sovereign power may
be divided and combined in a thousand
different ways Hence the result of mixed
Governments.
A representative Democracy is q govern
ment where the powers of sovereignty are |
delegated to a body of men, elected from |
time to time, who exercise them for the |
benefit of the whole nation. Since the |
unhappy strife some of the cardinal prin- |
ciples of this Democracy had been Obliter- |
ated and undermined in the public eye
Laws had been created which we're oppress- |
i've in their character, and directly in opposi- |
tion to the organic law of the land. If we
60 back to the formation of the govern
ment it is easy to see where we now stand.
These cardinal principles should continue
to be our guide. But now our political
North Star was obscured. and the whole
people seemed to be going pell nell. There





every man coming before the people for
any Office should be measured by that |
standard.
He had always been a Democrat, and |
never expected to be anything else. But |
it had been said by some that he had been |
elected to the Vice Presidency on the Re |
publican ticket. 1t was not that way. The |
convention that nominated him was COM |
posed of Union men. He had with him |
the proceedings of that meeting, and the |
resolutions declared for the preservation of |
the Constitution and the perpetuity of the |
Government. He referred to his letter of |
acceptance of that nomination, and wanted |
to know where it could be shown that he |
had departedfromt the true Democratic faith
He enunciated the declaration then that
no State had been out of the Union and he /
reiterated the same opinion now. If Con-
stitution was to be destroyed as was the
case during the Brownlow administration,
be took the position that it was no fault
of the roganIc law of the land. He had
seen one Of the departments of the Gov
ernment absorb all the others. The Judi |
ciarv quailed and sunk into significance. |
Hence the Importance of adhering closely |
the cardinal priu 5iples to which he had |
referred.


The authors tell US, too, of stratOcracy, |
or in other words a military government |
The gord is derived from two Greek words |
signifying army and power. That is what
you have got to day, and Congress stands
without a constitution, govern ng the peo-
ple of the United States as with an iron |
rod We therefore sse the Importance of
the Constitution, and Of confning those in
power within the limits of that Constitu-
ton. The government of the United States |
is one of limited powers The great idea
of limitation runs through the Federal, |
State and municipal governments.
Upon this theme the speaker vas exceed
ingly eloquent, and in telegraphic report |
we cannot do him Justice. Look out, said |
he. upon that broad ocean. Though the |
waves may dash high and the winds may |
blow fierce, vessels may be torn from their
moorings and lashed to pieces, yet God In |
the construction of the world has marked |
r boundary as to how far these waves shall |
20 and the winds coptinue. Then we step |
off the ocean and get upon land, with all
its volcanic erupdons, and we ind
through all nature this great idea |
of limits and bounds. The mighty |