Andrew Johnson's Appeal To The People Of Tennessee

Pcllow Ciüzci: Tcunessoe nssuuiod 'lic form of a body politie ns otie ut' the T'nited States o! Araerica, in the year Bov.eiiteep llundred and uiuety-six, at once entitled to all the privileges of the Fideral Constitution, and bound by ail its obligiitiohs Por ncarly sixty-Svo years slic eontihued in the eujoyxnent of all lier rights, and iu the performance of all hérdaties, one of the moit loyal and devoted of the sisterhood of Stftea. Sha had been hooored by the i leyatiou of two uf hor citizens io the bieb est place in tlic gift of the American peqple, and a thira had been nomiuated for the sanie office, who receíved a liberal thougli iucffeetive support. Her population had rapidly and lurgcly increased, and thcir moral aud material interests correspondïngly advanced. Ncver was a ; moro prosperous, coutentod and happy than the p opio of Ten.iessec under the Government of the United States, r.ono so li t tic burdened for the support of the uuthority by which they wcre proteeted. Thcy feit their Goveroment only in the conseious enjoymeiit of the benelits it conferYcd and tlie blessirgs it, bestowed. Sueh was our enviable position until wilhin the year just post, when under what bancful inüuence it is not niy purpose now to nrjuire, the authority of the government wasset ut defiance, and the Constitution and the Laws coiiduoined, .by a rebellioús armed forcé. Mea who, in addition to ord.inary privileges and duties of the citizen, had enjoyed largely the bcuuty and official jatrotügo oi' the Government, and had by roj eatcd oaths, obligated theinselve." to its support, with sudden ingratitude for tho bounty aud disregard for their soleain obligation, engaged, dehberately and osteutatiously, iu the accompüshir.cnt of its overthi'OW. - Many, aceustoiued to defer to their opinions and to accept their guidanco, and others, car ried atvay by excitemeat or ovcrawed by seditious clamor, arrayed themselves under their banCors, thus organizing a trcasotiable power, which, for the time being, stifled and sappressed the authority of the Federal govcrniuent. .In thia condition of uffaira it devolved upon the President, bound by his official onth, to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, and charged by the law with the duty of suppressing insurrectioi: and domestic violencc, to resist and repel this rebelliousforee by the military arm of the Government, aud thus to rcestabli h the Federal authority. Congres, aseembling at an carly day, found hiin engaged in the active discharge of this niomcntons and responsable trust. That body came promptly to his aid,nnd, whilo supplying him with treasure and anus to an extent that would previonsly have bceu cousidered fabulous, tiiey, at the same timo with alinost absolute uuanirnity, declared that this war " is not wagcd ou their rftrt in any spirit of oppression, nor forany purpose of conquest or subjagation, or purpose of ovcrihro'.Yii'g or interfering with the rights or established institutions of these State?, but to defend and maintain tho supreinacy of the Coustitution and to preserve the Union with all the dignity, equality and rights of the several States unimpaired ; and that as these objects are aocomplished, the war ought to cease." - In this spirit, and by such co-opeiation, lias the President condueted this miglity contest, until, as the Commander-in-Chief of the army, he has caused the national flag to float undisputed over the capítol of our State. Meauwhile tkc State Governraeut has disappeared. ï!ie Executive has abdicated; tho Logislature has dissolyed ; the [Judioiary is in abeyacee. The great ship of State, freighted with its precióos cargo of human interests aud human hopes, its sails all set, aud its glo rious flag unfurled, has beeñ suddeu'y abandoned by her officers and mutinous crew, and left to float at the meroy of the winds, and to be plundered by every rover upon the decp. Indeed, the work of plunder has already commencod. The archives have been desecrated ; tho public property stolen and destroycd ; the vaults of the State Bank violated, and its treasures robbed, including tho funds carefullv gathered and cousecrated for all time to t'ao instruction of our chil dren. In such a lamentable crisis, the Governinent of the United States eould not be uumiudful of its high constitution.il obligation to guarantec to every State in this Union a republican furm of goverument, an obligation which every State has a direct aud immediato interest in having observed towards every other State, and from which, by no aotioa on ! the part of the people iu acy State, can the Federal Govercment bc absolved. - A republican form of government, iu consonanee with the Constitution of tho United States, is oue of the fundamental eonditions of our politieal existence, by ■whkh eviirv part of the country is aliko bound,. and fooro which no part can es cape. This obligMion the National Government is now attem.pi'üig to discharge. I have been appointed, in absence of the regular and established State authorities, as Military Governor for the time being, to preserve the public property of the State, to give the protectiou of law actively enforeed to her citizens, and, as specdily as may bc, to restore her Gov arnment to the saïue conditiou as bcfore irite cxisling rebellioa. In gruteful but arduous undertaking, I shall avail myself oí the a'ul that may be affordíd by my fellow citizens. And for thispurpose, I respeetfully but earnestly invite all the people of Tennessee, desirous or willing to seo a restoration of her ancient govermnent, without distiuction of party afiUiatioos, or past politieal opiniODB, or actiën, to unite with me, by counsel and co-operativo agency, to accomplish this gieit end. 1 find most, if not all of the offices, both State and Federal, vacated, either by actual abandonmeut, or by the action of the iu cumbents in attempting to subordinato their functions to a power in hostility to & fundiuneutal law of the State, and subversivo of her Natioual allegianco. These offices must be filled tomporarih, uutil the State shdl be restored so far to its acoustomed nuiet, that the people can peacoably MMmble at the ballot-box and select agenta of thcir own choice. Otherwise anarehy would prevail, and no maii's life or propertv would be safo from the desperate and unpriueipled. I shall, thercforc, as carly as practicable, desígnate for various positions under the State and county govenments from niy fellow-citizens, persons of probity and intelligence, and bearing true allegiaucc to the Constitution and Governiacnt of the United States, who will executo the functions of thcir respective offices, uutil their place can be filled by the action of the people. Their authority, when their nppointments shull havo been made, will bo accordingly respectcd and observed. To the people theinselvee, the protection of the Government is extended. All their rights will bo duly respected, and their wroii"s redresscd when made known. Those who through the dark and weary night of tlie rebellion have maintaincd their aHegianoe to the Federal Governïncnt, wilL be honored. The erring and misguided yii'l be welcomed on their return. And while it may become neeessarv. iu riudicating tbe riuluted niajostj of ihe I luw, and in reasserting it.x imperial sway, : to punish intelligent nnd conseious trea sou in high places, 110 in er el y retaliatory ) or vindictive pclioy vrill bc udèpted. - To tiloso, especial ly, vho in a private, anofficial oapacity havo assumed au atti! tude of hostility to the Governinent, a ! full and coinplete amnesty for nll past ■ acts and deolarntiocs isoffered, upon the ; one eoudition of tlieir again yielding , themsolves peaceful eitizens to the just supreimc-y of iho laws. This I ndviso thêm to do for tbeir ówo good, and for the poace and welfare of our boloved ! irtitc, cudearod to me hy tljo aesooiations of long and active years, and by the ! joyraeiit of her liigbest honor.?. And appealing to my fellow citizena of Tcnnessce, I point thera to my long ! public life as a pledgo tor the sincerity of i my motives and an earncst fr the 1 formance of my present and futuro duty.