Decatur Eagle, Volume 9, Number 50, Decatur, Adams County, 9 March 1866 — Page 1

I II E DECA TU R E AG L E •T

VOL. 9.

agTMBJ DECATUR EAGLE, jiI'JED EVERY FRIDAY MORNING BY A. J. HILL/ PUBLISHER AND PROPRIETOR. OFFICE —On Monroe street 11. thesecond «r>r/of the building, formerly occupied by Ta*i« Mibliclt as » Shoe Store. Terms of Subscription I • n.eopv one year, in advance, $2 03 K flla'id untlluJmr has expired, ? «<’ rJ- \’o piper will be discontinued rtnt ' l Prerv-'S are paid, except at the option of the publishers Term’ of Advertising: Bne Iqnnrelthe space of ten lines breTier] three insertions, » 50 Each subsequent insertion. | irrVo advertisement wtllbe consinereu han oncsquare: over one square wilt be c0un...1 and charged as two; over two, as three. Acrr 4 liberal dis-ount from the above rates nado on all advertisements inserted for 4 period longer than three months. ' irL.c‘l Notices fifteen centsaline foreaeh •sertion. Job Printing. We are prepared to do all k»nds of Plain end Fancy Jo’’ Printing at the most reasonable f Gtve u< a rail, we feel confident that nUsfaction can be given. Special Notice. TO 1 OVE UTiSERS.— Alladoertisementfta Us for <• rnrcirtrd time, and ordered out before fir ■ cpirafionofthe'imetpecified, wit the charged' thereaularraleeforthe tameup to the time hey \ > rdered out. JIISCEL’\\EOB, THE KEWTS SPETH. . TRAITOR’S unmasked, i —. Radicals Driven to the Wall THE FEDERAL UNION ‘•lt Must Be Preserved.’’ Ko Sympathy with Traitors Neither North or Sou.li. W ashingT'jn, February 22. Mr. P 11. Fen lull introduced th< President as follows; Fe'low citizens : I am one of the com- . tr it-tee which, on behalf of the people ot 4he District o' Columbia, has just waited «>n the President of the United States tn to him the resolutions adopted by the meeting held to day The committee requested the President to present him . self to you to give expression to his sentiments, and he has accordingly come out to do so The Pre-itlent, as he appeared, was | received with enthusiastic end long continued applause. When it had subsided, lie spoke as follows: SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT. ’ Fellow citizens, Ir I presume I have a right to address you as such, I come to tender to you mv sincere thanks for the approbation expressed by your c immittee I, in tlu-ir personal addre’s, and in the resolutions submitted by them as having been adopted by the meeting to day. These resolutions, as I understand them, are complimentary to the policy which has been adopted by the Administration, •nd has been steadily pursued since it Mme into power. "1 am free xo sav to yo ’> on 'Lie occasion -.that it is ex'remely grati._ r:n £» to me t 0 know that so large a portion ol fellow . citizens approve and indorse t.. e policy which has been adopted, and whicu 11 13 my intention shall be curried out [GiOat •ppi a use ] That policy is one which is intended to 1 restore all the States to their original re- ■ ) aliens to the Federal Government of the ■ United States. [Renewed applause ] This . seems to be a day peculiarly appropriated lor such a manifestation; it is the day : that gave birth to that man who, more, j I perhaps, than any other, founded this j * government; it is the day that gave birth j to the father of our country; it is the day . that gave birth to him who presided over| that body which framed the Constitution | Voder wldcb all the States entered into this glorious confederacy; such a day is peculiarly appropriate for the indorse tnent of a policv whose object is the res ; toration of the Union of the States as it j ■was designed by the father of bis cotin-' try. [Applause.] Washington, whose, name this city bears, is emblazoned in thej hearts of all who love free government. 'Washington, in the language of his eulogist, was first in war, first in peace, and [first in the hearts of his countrymen, bo .people can claim him, no nation can apfproprialf him; his reputation is commen>urate with the civilized world, and bis' yame is the common property of all those- j ‘ y-ho love free government. To-day 1

1 had the pleasure of visiting an association who bake been devoting their efforts I to the completion of the monument which is being erected to his name. I was proud i to meet them, and so far as 1 could to give them my influence and countenance in aid of the work they have undertaken. That monument which is being erected to him who, I may sav. founded the Government, is almost within the throw of a I stone of the spot from which I address Let it be completed. [Applause] Let those various blocks which the S'ates and individuals, and associations and cor- ( porations have put in that monument as i pledges of their love for the Union be 1 here secured, and let the work be nccoml plished. In this connection 'e me refer ' to the block from rny own State, God bless her, [applause,] which has strug-1 gled for the preservation of the Union in ' the ti Id and in the councils of the nation, I | and which is now struggling to renew 1 her relations with this Government that ! were interrupted by a fearful rebellion; . she is now struggling to renew those rela tions and to take the stand where she has ever stood since 1776, until this rebellion broke nut. [Great applause ] Let me | repeat the sentiment that State has inI scribed on the stone which she has de I posited in that monument of freedom, I which is being raised in Comilleinoi'a'.lon ol Washington. She is struggling to get j J b ck into the Union and to stand by the . ' i sentiment which is there inscribed, and she is willing to sustain it. What is it? I The sentiment which was uttered by het dietin' uished son. the immortal and dins i , trious J ickson: “The Federal Union—lit must be preserved.’’ [Great applause ] ' I If it were possible forthat oil man, whose statue is now before, and whose portrait is bi-l.m 1 mo in the Executive mansion, ’ and whose sentiment is thus pr served in that monument., to bo called forth from the grave, or if it. were possible to coni- I municate with th • illustrious dead, and : to tn >ke hitn und-rsland the progress of | j faction, and of rebellion an' 1 , treason, he i would turn over in his coni,; and rise, ; Tir'd shake off the habiliment of the tomb,! and would ngii" stand erect and extend 1 forth his long arm and finger, ar ;l reiterate that sentiment once expressed by him j on a memorable occasion: “The Federal; Union—it must be preservtd.’’ [Ap- ! 1 plause.] We have witnessed what lias (rans pired since his day. In 1833. when trea ' son and treachery and infidelity to th.-I j Govei nment and the Constitution of the United States started forth in the land, i 1 , was his power and influence t’ at crushed the serpent in its incipiency It was then | stopped, but only for a time The s unspirit ol disaffection continued. There i, were men disaffected to the Government |, both in the North and the South. There : . was io it portion of the Union a peculiar 1 i istiiution, of which some complained, I ( and to which others were attached. One | portion ot our count)y n n advocated that j. institution, while another portion in the North opposed it. The result was the . formation of extreme parties—one especially in the South, wnich re..died a point at which it was proposed to dissolve . the Union of the Slates, lor the purpose, , it was sat 1, of securing and preserving that peculiar institution. There was an 1 , other portion of our countrymen who] were opposed to ’.hat imtiiutien, and who| , went to such an extreme th it they were i willing to break up the Government in I order to get clear of that p-culiar ir.sticu | lion of the South. I say these things because I desire to talk plainly and in lamil iar phraseology. I assume nothing here to-day beyond the posiiion of a citizen — one who has been pleading for his country and the preservation of her Constitu tinn. [lmmense cheering.] These two pirties, Isay, were arrayed against each other; and J stand here before you lor the Union to day, ns I stood in the Senate of the United States in 1861. I met there those who were making i wa , upon the Constitution, those who j want-u di’ ru pt the Government, and I denounced them io my place then and there and exposed their true character and said that- those who were engaged in the work of breaking up the Government were traitors. I h.. ceased on all; i prop- r occasions to rc'oeil that sentiment, I land as far as my efforts could go I have ( I endeavored to carry it ou‘. [Great ap 1 plause.] I have just remara'd that there ‘ were two parties—rone of which was for | destroying the Government a;i 1 separating the same in ordei to preserve slavery, and the other for breaking up the I Government in order to destroy slavery.I True, the objects which they sought to' ■ accomplish were different so far as sla-i ! very was concerned, but liny agreed in I the desire to break up the Government, j the precise thing to which I have alwa.si been opposed, that whether disunionists! came from the South or from the Nortli.l j 1 stand as I did then vindicating thej ' cause of the Union of these States and J the Constitution of my country. [Tre-. ' mondous applause.] Rebellion and trea-1 t b?u manifested themselves in the South. 1

“Our Country’s Good shall ever be our Aim—Willing to Prais* and not afraid to Blame.”

DECATUR, ADAMS COUNTY, INDIANA, MARCH 9. 1866. — - *

I stood by the Government. I said than' 1 that 1 was fur the Union with slavery; I was for the Union without slavery. In i either alternative I was for my Govern'l ment and its Constitution. The Govern- ' ment has stretched forth its strong arm, : and with its physical power it has put ; down treason in the field. The section ■ of the country which then arrayed itself , against the Government has been put 1 j down by the strong arm. What did we say when this treason originated? We i said no compromise; you yourselves in the South can settle this question in eight 1 and foity hours. I said again and again, and I repeat it now, disband your armies in the South, acknowledge the supremacy ’ of the Constitution of the United Stat-s, acknowledge the duty' and obedience of the laws, and the whole question is setled. [Applause.] That has been done, since their armies . have b'-en disbanded and they come forward now in a proper spirit and say we were mistaken. We made an effort to carry out the doctrine of secession, and to di-solye the Union. In that we have failed. We have tried this doctrine to its logical and physical results, and we find that wo were mistaken; we acknowledge the fl ig of our country, and are willing to obey the Constitution and to yield to the supremacy of the laws. [Great applause ] | Coming in that spirit 1 say to them: | When you have complied with the r - q lirements ol the Constitution; when you 1 hive yielded to the laws; when you have acknowledge I your allegiance to the Con- ! stiiution, 1 will, so far as I can, open the door of tin Union to those who have erred and stiayed from the field of their fathers lor a time. [Great applause.] Who h .8 suff.-red more by the rebellion than I have? I shall not repeat the story of the wrongs and sufferings inflicted . upon me. But the spirit of revenge is j not the spirit in wipcl; to deal with a ! whole people I know that there has been 1 a great deal said about the exercise ol the pardoning power. S>fir as youi Ex 1 ecu ive is concerned, there is not one who .as labored with more earnestness than .nyseli lo have the principal, intelligent and conscious traitors bound to justice, I the law vindicated and the gieat lad juI dici lly established, th it treason is a crime. r App!au=e.] But while the conscious, jleading and internu m traitors are to be I punished, should whole com ' unities, and I Slates, and people be made to submit to the p nalty of death? [No, no] I have, p.-rhnps, as much asperity and as much resentment as men ought to have, ' but we inns' reason in great m ilters o i government about man as he is. VVe j must conform our actions and our con-1 du t o the ex t pie of Him who 'oun led our holy religion, not that 1 would m ike such a comparison in any personal aspecL 1 came into this place under the Constitution of my country, and by the appro bation of the people; and what did 1 find? I found millions of people who were, in fact, condemned under the law, and the penalty was death. Was I to yield to the spirit of revenge and resent ment, and declare that they should all be annihilated and destroyed. How differ ent would this hive been from the exunple set by the Holy Founder of our religion, the extremities of whose divine ircli rests upon the horizon, and whose spun embraces the universe. He who founded this great scheme camo into the world and found man condemned under the law, f.n i his sentence was death; what was his example? Instead of put ting the world, or even a nation to death, ue died upon the cross, attesting by his wounds and his blood, that he died that mankind might live. [Great applause.] Let those who have erred repent. Let them acknowledge theii allegiance. Let them become loyal, willing supporters and defenders of our glorious stripes and stars, and of the Constitution of our | country. Let the leaders -—the conscious, intelligent traitors—be punished and be i subjected to the penalties of the law. (Applause.) But to the great mass who have been forced into this rebellion in many instances, and in others have been misled, 1 say leniency, kindness, trust and confidence. (Applause.) j My countrym-n, when I look back ' over the history of the rebellion, 1 am I not vain when 1 ask you it 1 have not given as much evidence of my devotion i to the Union as some who croak a great ' do i about it. When 1 look back over the batt'e fields of the rebellion, 1 think of the brave men in whose company 1 was. 1 can not best recollect, though 1 was I sometimes in places whore the contest ; was most difficult and the result most doubtful, but almost before the smoke has passed away, before the blood has done j reeking, before the bodies of the slain ' have passed through the stages of decom ! position, what do we now find? The re- | bellion has been put down by the steady arm of the Government in the field. But lis that the only way in which you can I have rebellion? Our struggle was against ' an attempt to diyide the Union; but al-

I most, before the smoke of the battle field | hits passed away—before otlr brave men i have all returned to their homes and re--1 newed the ties of affection and love to their wives and children—we find alI . ost another rebellion inaugurate 1. We i put down the former rebellion in order ’ to prevent the separation of the States to prevent them from -.flying off, and I thereby citanging the character of our i Government and weakening its powers; but now that that struggle, on our part, ‘ has been successful, and that attempt has ‘been put do vn, we find now an effort to concentrate all power in ihe hands of a Ifiw at the federal head, and thereby I bring about a consolidation of the G vernment, which is equilly obj -cti inable with a separation. (Vociferous appliuse.) We find that powers are assumed, and atlempie 1 to be exercised, of a most extraordinary character. It seems that Gov ernments may be revolutionized. G ivernments at least may be changed with- , out going through the strife of bailie. 1 believe it is a fact attested in history , that sometimimes revolutions most dis i astrons to a people are effected without! the shedding of blood. The substance i of your Governm nt may be taken away , j while the foam and the shadow remain, ' i We find that in point of fact nearly all 1 the powers of the Government are asstim j i ed by an irresponsible c -ntral directory,

■ wlrch does not even counsel the legi>. i ! islative or the executive department ol ■ the Government. It seems that, prac ■ tically, the legislative power of th Gov 1 ■ e n-nent is now vested. That great; ■ principle of the Constitution which em I - p-w.-rs the Legislative Department—the 1 I Senate and the House of Representa ives | 11 —to judge for itself of the election re-1 ■ ■ turns and qualifications of its own mem- j 11 bers, has been virtually’ taken away from 11 the lower branches of theLei'islative ide- I i partment of the Goveanrnent and con | i t'erred ujian a committee who mustie I port hi f .re either House can act, un'e the Constitution, as to respecting the | i members who are to take th ir seats as | complicit parts ol the respective bo lies ,i By this rule it is assumed th it there I , I must be laws passed recognizing a State I jas in the Union, or its especial relations I . j to the Un on are restored, before the reJ spective House can judge of the election ■ i returns and qualitic .of’Jb-if own | '” e iibers, Whit opposition is that? j . - Y< u struggl -d lour years to put down a | rebellion; you d< nie I, in the biginning ■ of the struggle, that any State con'd go out of the Union: sai l that it had neither die right nor the power to doao; the iss lue was made, and it has been settled I that the States had neither the right nor 1 I the [lower to go out of too Union. With what consistency, after it lias I been settled by the military arm of the government and by the public judgement, that the States had no light to go ( I out of the Union, can any now turn j round and assume that they are out; . that they shall not come in? 1 am Ireei to say to you as your Executive, that I nm not prepared to take any such posi- j lion. [Applause.] 1 said in the Senate ■ in the very inception of this rebellion, that the Stale had no right togo out. 1 i said they had no power to go out. That : ' question has been settled, and it being ' settled, 1 can not turn around now and give the lie direct to ail that 1 Lave pro ' fessed and all 1 have done f.r the last five yeais (Applause) Even those who rebelled comply with the Constitu- ' tion when they give sufficient evidence of loyalty, when they show that they can be trusted, when they yield obedi- . ence to the law that you and .1 acknowl edge obedience to. 1 say extend to them , the right hand of fellowship, and let . peaco and union be restored. (Immense applause ) 1 fought traitors and treason in the South: 1 opposed the Davises, • the Toorabses, the Slidells, and a long list of others which you can r adily fill ' wiihout my repciting the names now. | When 1 turn around and at the other j i end of the line find men, 1 care not bv what name you c ill them, who still stand i opposed to the restoration of these States . I lam free to say to you that 1 am still jin the field. (Applause.) 1 am still for : I the preservation of the Union; 1 am still i! in favor of this great government of ours : I going on and filling out its destiny, i! (Great applause ) (Give us the names at l the other end, Mr. President.) I nm called upon to name those at the ) other end of the line. I am taluing to 3 my friends and follow citizens who are I interested with me in this Government, s and 1 presume I am am free to mention t to you the names of those to whom 1 t look upon as opposed to the fundamental s principals of th s Government, and who a are laboring to pervert and destroy it. a You ask me who they are? Isay Thad deus Stevens, of Pennsylvania, is one. ■ I say Mr. Sumner of the Sena's, is any other; and Wendell Phillips is another it [Long and continued applause.] n [A voice: Give it to them.] The Presit ident in reply said. I will simply say I 1- do not waste my ammunition on dead

1 ducks. [Great laughter and applause.] i I stand for my country and' etan i to the ■ , Constitution. There I have always pit- ■> ced mv feet from my advent into public - li'e. They may traduce, they may elan--3 der, they may vituperate me, but let me r say to you, al! this has no influence up >n , me. [Great anplnise.l Let me sav ! further that Ido not intend to be overr awed by real or pretended friends, nor ;, do I mean to be bullied by my enemies. , I [Tremendous applause.] 3 j Ah honest con-.cience is my courage—- > j the Constitution is my guide. I know t my countrymen, that it has been insin ’: u ited, nay, indeed, it lias been sail dir - i ectlv in high circles, that if such a usur ■ pa im of power as I am charged with | j had been ex-rcised some hundrr 1 years I ' ago. in a particulir reign, it would have (cost an individual his head. [Great laughter.] Os what usurpation has An |erew Johnson been guilly? None, none |lsit a usurpation to stand between the ; people and the encroachments of power? ' Because, in conversation with a fellow icitiz n who happened to be a Senator, I ! s lid th it I thought amendments to the | Consti'uiion ought not to be go freq" n , that it it was continually tinkered witn n , would loose all its prestige and dignity, j I and the old instrument, would be lost; | sight of altogether in a short lime; and ; because, in the same conversation, I hap-, pened to sly that it it were amended ai dl such and sucli an amendment ought o be adopted, it was charged that I was guilty ot assuming power that would j have cost a king his head in a certain I period of English history [Great laugh

' d L O ter ] From the same source the exclamation I Ins gone forth that they were in the i midst of earthquakes, that they were I tumbling and could not yell. [Laughter ] I Ye«, fellow citizens, there isanearthI quake coining, there is a ground swell- | ing of popular judgement and indignation ; ifGreai ap iause ] The Am-rican'people j will speak, and by their instinct, if not | otherwise, they will know who arc their! I friends, and who are their enemies. I have endeavor’d tube true to the , ! people in al! the positions which I have , I occupied, and there is hardly a position I in this Government which I have not al some time tilled. I suppose it will be • said that this is vanity, [laughter,] but 1 j ! may say that I have been in all of them. ) I have been in both branches of the i S. t Legislature. j A Voice—'You commences a tailor. The President —A gentleman behind | me says that I beg in a tailor Yes, I lid b-’gin a tailor. [Applause ] And the suggestion does not discomfit me in in the least for when I was a tailor 1 had the reputati ,n of being a good one —and of making close fits. [Laughter ] And I was always punctual lo my cus turners and did goo 1 work. Voice—We will patch up the Union yet. The President—l do not want any natch work of it, I want the original ar-' tides restored. [Great applause.] But enough ol this facetiousness. I know it may be said you are the PresI ident, and you must not talk about these things; but, my fellow citizen', 1 intend io talk the truth, and, when the principle is involved, when the existence cf my country is in peril, I hold it to be my duty to-speak what- I think and what I feel, as I have always done on former occasions. [Great applause.] It has been declared elsewhere that I was guil ty of usurpation, which would have cost Andy his head, and in another place I have been d“nounced for whitewashing. When and where did I ever whitewash anv tiling or Ray body? I liav- been an Aiderman, I have been in both Houses of the National Congress , have been at the head of the executive d-piirtment of my States, and have been ' ! President of the United States, and I am. i now in the position which I occupy be- ! tore you, and during all this career, where is the man, and what portion oi the people is there who can say that Andrew Johnson ever made a pledge which he did not redeem, or that he ever made a promise which he lias violated? No man can point to the man who says that Andrew Johnson ever acted with infi lelity to the great mass ot the people. [Great applause.] Men may talk about beheading, and and about usurpation but when I am beheaded I want the American people to be the witness. Ido not want it by inuendoes and indirect words in high places to be suggested. To men who have issassiuation brooding in t'leir bosoms, ibis a fit subject. Others have exclaim ( ed that the President must be gotten out of the way. What is that? But I made use of a strong word—inciting lo assassination. No doubt that intention was to incite to assassination, bc that the obstacle which the people had placed here could be got out of the way Aro the opponents ot this Governmenl j. not yet satisfied? Are they cot satisfied j 1 with the quantity that has been shed?

Are they pot saii.fi. d with one martyr in Uns place? Does not the bliodof Lmaoui appease their vengeance ami wi i i. Is their thirst still unslaekemd? IJJ they bill! want, more blood? Have , they not honor end courage enough to neck to obtam that en ,j oth-raise than l.ir jugh and by the hand of an assassin? I am not afraid of an assassin attack, ing me. Where one brave and coura I geous man will attack another-I only dread him when in disguise, and when , his footstep is r.oisless. If they want I blood, let them have ;ihe courage to j strife like men. I know thev arewilImg to but afraid to strike if any blood is to be shed; because I vindicated the Uni >n and insist on the preservation of the Government in its original purity. I tit be shed, but set an altar lt> the Union be first erected and then if necessary, take mo, tie me „ pO n it, and let the blood that n>w warms and animates my existence be poured out as ti e last libation and attribute to the Union of the States. [Great applause.] i But let the opponents of this •nent remember when it is poured out that the blood of the martyrs is die seed of tl.e church. This Union will grow, and it will continue to increase in strength and power, though it may b e cem . ented and cleansed in blood. I have spoken to you longer than intended so when I came out. 1 mer.ly intended to make mv acknowledgement / r the honor you have done me; but before I close ailow me to say a word in regard to the question of amendment to the Constitution oftheUnred Slates. Shortly after I reached Washington for the purpose of

, being inaugurated ns Vice President ot the United Suites, I hid a conversation with President Lincoln in regard to tile condition of the affairs of the country. We talked particularly in reference io my own Stare. I iof<i him that we had i call d a convention; that we bad amen- : ded the Constitution; that we had abolished slavery in the Slate which was not included in fiis Emancipation Proclamai don; all these things meet his approba- [ lion, and he gave me words of encourI agement. We talked then about affairs I generally an i upon the sulje it of tho i im«nuin-.-nt to the Constitution ofthe | United States. He said when the arojendmentof the Constitution now proI posed is adopted by three fourths of the 'States. 7 ask him what’s th it, Mr. President 7s lid 7 have labored to pres ne this Union; 7 have tried during lour years; have) been subjected to calatony and misrepresentation, and my desire lias beew to preserve these States under the Constitution as they were before. 1 asked him ngain Mr. President what tmendmen-t _is that which you wool I propose? V, liy, said hs it is that thero should be an amendment added to the Constitution which would compel the j 8 ales to send their Senators and Representatives to the Congress of Hie United States. [Great applause.] The idea was in his nrir.d thus: A part of the ioctrine of the section, are one of their means to break up this Government was, that if they saw proper,, they mfoht withdraw their Senators and Representatives, or refuse to elect them. He wanted to remove that’ difficulty by a constitutional amendment compelling the States to send Senators and Representatives to Congress. But what do wo now find? The Constitution cf the country. even the portion of which allows amendments to the organic law, expressly provides that no State, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal sutirage in the Senate, and also provides j that each State shall be represented by a' least one member on the floor cf th a ■ House of Representatives; but yet the e posiiion as taken is that certain States iiave not been represented. We impose taxes upon them; we send our lax gatherers into every region and portion of the States; their people are fit subjects of government fur the collection ot taxes, but when they ask to participate in the 1 legislation of the country, they are metal the door and told no; you must pay , taxes, you must bear the burden of gov- . ernment, but you can’t participate in itslegislation, th,at legislation which is tor | affect you through all time to come; is. this justice? [No, nerq > 7n fact 7am for the Union. 7am for . ; preserving the States. 7 amforndmit- . j ting to the councils ol the nation all their e | Representatives, who are unmistnhnblay , and unquestionably loyal nen ;to support the C« nsti ution; must » css f. plaiily be a loyal man; can’t take tdint [„ ? 1 good faith unless he is loval; A r nere i- amplification of the oath, but nial , es nn i-1 difference to the principle, whatar , er 10 jis thought proper as evidence, an j ;is J , proof ot loyalty is a mere mat ter of def. j tail, about which I care nothhjg; b llt jt a man be unmistakably and unque s ./ oa j ably loyal; let him acknowledge nlleg' I? I [COSTISI’ZB o.v THI FOISTD riejr

NO. 50.