The President's Platform

Tbe follovving in ;i rwvised opyof the j BDuecb madö by President Jolnison at j the recent interview aceoidod to the llepresentatives of uine Soulüern Staten: (i en ti, km k.n : I cuu only !-ay, in repljr ' to the remniks of ynur chairmau, Unit I nin highly gratifiea to nxoivo the assurnnces he luis ghren me. They are moro tliau I could havo expeetod undur tho eircumstanees. [ must say I was unprepareci to receivo so numeroii3 a delogatiou on this octiaaion ; it was unexpected ; I liad no idea it was to be so arge, or represent so inany States. - Whou I oxpressod as I did my willingness to sco at any time eo many of you ati clioso to ilo me the honor to oall upon Dl;', and stalèt] that I should bo gratiliod at receiving any msnifostatious oí regard you might think proper to make, I wus toially unprepared foranything cqual to the present denionsfration. I am ireo to pay it excites in my mind fceliugs and oinotions th'tt langu:ige is totally iuadoqunte to expresa, Wlien I look back upon my pnst actiona and fuctill a puriod scarcely more tlian four short years ago, wheu I stood liattling for prinejplcs whioh many ol you opposed and thougbt were wrong, I was biittling for the saino principies that actuato me to dáy, and which principies I tbuuk my God you havo como forwnrd on this occasion to manifest a diposition to support. I say uow, as I havo said on many former occasions, that I ontortain no personal resoutrnonts, eumities, or aniroositios to any liviug soulsouth of Mason and Disou'a line, however tuuch he may havo ditfercd from mo in principio. Tho stand I thon took I claim to have been tho only truc one. I remeraber how I stood pleadiug with my Southern brcthren, when tboy stood with thuir bats in tbcir hauds ready to turu their backs upon tbo Uuited States; how I implored them to stand with me there and maintain our lüght.s and Qght our battlcs undtr the laws and CousLitution of tho United States. I think now, as I thougbt then, and endeavored to induce them to believe, that our true position was undor tbe lavv and under the Constitución of the Union, with the institution ol slavery in it; but ïf that principie made an issue that rendered a diíiiutegration possible - if that made au issue which should prevont us from transmitting to our ohildrcn a country as boqueathtid to us by our fathers - I had notbing clse to do but stand by the Governmeut, bo the consoquouoea what tbey might. I suid then, what you all know, that I was for tbo institutions of the country as guaranteed by the Oonstitutiou, but above all things 1 was for the Union of the States. I roinember tho taunts, the joorfl, the scowls with which I was treated. I remember the circlö that stood around mo, and remember the tbreats and intimidations tbat wore freely uttored by tho meu who opposed me, and whom I wantod to befrieud and guido by the light that led mo ; but, feoliug oonecious in my own iutegrity, and that I was right, I heedod not what tboy might gay or do to me, and was inspired and pneouraged to do my duty ragardlos3 of ougbt else, and have lived to seo the realization of my predictions and the fatal error of thoso whom I vftiuly essayed to save from tbe rpgults I could not but foresee. Gentlemen, we have paseed through this rebellion. I say we, for it is we who are responsiblo for it. Yes, the South made the issue, and I know the nature of the Southern peoplo well enough to know that when they have been eonvhiced oí an error they frankly acknowledge it, in a manly, open, direct manner; aud now, in the performance of that duty, or, indeed, in any act they undertake to perforrn, thoy do it heartily and frankiy ; and now that they oomo to me I underatand them as sayiug that: "We made the issuo. Wo set up tho union of the States agaiust the institution of slavery ; wo seleotod as arbitrator the God of battles ; the arbitrament was tha sword. Tho issue was iairly and honorably met. Jioth the quostious preseuted have beon settled agaiust us, and wo are prepared to aoeept tho BUO." I find on all sidos this spirit of candor and honor prevailing. It is said by all tbe iasue was ours, and the judgment bas been given against us, and the deoision baving been made against us, we feel bound in honor to abide by the arbitraraent. In doing this we are doing ourselves no diahonor, and should not foei humiliated or degraded, but rather that we are enoobling ourselvos by our aotion ; and wo ehould fecl tbat the Gov ernmont bas troatod us mngnanimously, and meet the Government upon the terms it has so raagnanimously proflored us. So far aa I ara oonoerned, peraon ally, I am uninfiuonoed by any question, whether it afleots the North or the South, tho East or the Wost. I stand whero I did of old, battling for the Congtitution and tho Union of these United States. In doing bo, I know I opposod Borae of you gentlemen of the South whon this doctrino of secession was being urged upon tho country, and the doclaration of your right to break up the Govorninent and disiutegrato thu Union was made. I stand to-day, as I havo over stood, firmly íq tho opinión that if a monopojy contends against this country tho monopoly muat go down, and tho country must go up. Yes, tho issue was mado by the South against the Government, and thu Government has triumphod ; and tho South, true ta ber anüiont instincts of fraukness and manly hunor, comes forth and exprosses her willingnosa to abide the result of the decisión in good faith. While I thiuk that the rouollion has beon arresten! and subduod, and am happy in tho oonsciousness oí a duty woll performed, I want not only yoa, but tho people of tho world to kuow that whilo I dreadcd and fearod disintegration of tho States, I am equally opposed to consolidation or eoucuntrulion of power hero, under whatever guise or name; and if the issue is forera upon us, I shall still endcavor to pursuo the samo elforta to dissuade f rom this doctrine of running to extremes; but I eay lot tho same rulos be applied. Let the Constitution be o.ur guide. Lot tho presorvation of tlmtaud tho Union of tho States bu our principal aim. Let it be our hjópo that the Govonjineut may bo perpotu:il, and that the pïiucioles of the Govoniiiiün1', toniidud an thuy are om j right umi j.istici', may be hamled down withoul spot or hlemiüli to our poste.'ity. , Aa I havo bef'ore rpmarkeo to you, I am grutified to seo o miuiy of yon horo 10 dny. lt inanife9t3 a spirit I am plcns'üd to observo. I knovv it luis I oen said ot me tliat my aspnrjtic are sharp, tlut I hud vindiutivo foelingS to gmtify, and that l hould not fail to vuil myself of tho opportunitios that vvould present ihemselves to gratify such despioablo feelingn. G-enlloincn, if my acts vvitl not spoak for mo aad for thctuselves, tben auy professions [ niight noiv raako would bo oqually uselesa. liut, gentleman, if I know mysélf, as I tliink I do 1 kuovv tbal I am of the Southern poople ; and lovo thein iind will do all m my power to restore thora to (h at state of liappiuesa and proypoiity whieh they enjoyed boforc tho mudness oí aWsgiltdüd men in whom thoy luid reposed tlieir confidencc lod thein astray to tlieir oipn uiHoing. If thero is anyiliiug that c u be dono on my part, on correct principies, on the pnnpk'8 cf the (Joustittitioit, to proinote theso onds, be assurod it shall be done. Jet me assura you, also, that there na dÍRpoHÍIiou on the part ot the Uoverninont to denl harahly ith the Öonthorn people. Tlioreinay bo speeches publishod from varioua quarters that may breathe a different spirit. Do not let thora trouble or excito you, but bülievo that it is, as it is, the great objuot of tho Govornmont to makc tho union of these Uuited States moro complote and perfeot than over, and to rnaintaiu it on constitutional principies, if possiblo, more íirra than it has over beforo been. Theo why oaunot wo all como up to tho work in a proper epirit? In othaf words, let us look to tho Constitution. The issue has been made and dacidod; then, as wise men - as men who soe right and are determined to follovv it as fathers and brothora, and as rne.11 who lovo their country in this hour of trial and suil'oring - why canuot we come up and uelp to settle the question oí tho hooi' and adjust them according to tho principies of honor aud justiceï The institution of slavery is gone. - The lormer status of tho negro had to bo changcd, and we, as wiso men, must recoguizo bo patent a fact aud adapt ourselvus to circutiistances as they surround us. [Voices - We are wüling to do so. Yes, sir, we aro williug to do so.] I believe you are. I believe vvhen your faith is pledged, wbon your consent han been given, as I have already said, I believo it will be maiutainel in good faith, and evcry pledge or promise fully carried out. [Cries - It will.] All I ask or desiro of tho South or the Noith, the East or tho West, is to be sustained in carrying out tho principies of the Oonstitution. It is not to be denied that we havo boen groat suf ferers on both túdes, Good men have fallen on both sidos, and much misery is being endured as the nocossary resultof so gigantic a contest. Why, thon, cannot we come together, and around tho cornmon altar of our country heal tho v.'oundg that havo been madü ? Deep vvounds have beeu inflicted. üur country has been scarred all over. Then why eannot we approach each othcr upon principies whioh ars right in thomselves, and which will be productive of good to all ? The day is not distant whon we shall feel liko tsomo family that has had a doop and desperate feud, the yarious membera of which have come togother and cotnpared the evils and sufferiugs they had inflicted upon each other. They had seen the influence of thcir error and its reault, and, goveroed by a generous spirit of conciliation, they had bocomo mutually forbearing and forgiving, and roturned to tboir old habits of fraternal kiudnoB, and bocomo better frienda than ever. Theo let us consider that the feud which alionated us has been settled and adjusted lo our mutual satisfaction, and tlint we corno together to be bound by firmer bonds of lovo, respect, and confidonce than over. The North oannot got along without tho South, nor tho South without tho North, the East without the West, nor the West without the Eaet ; and I eay it ia our duty to do all that in our power lies to perpetúate and make strouger the bonds of our Union, soemg that it is for the commoD good of all tliat wo should be united. I foei that thia Union, though but the croation of a oentury, ia to bo perputuated for all time, and that it cannot be dostroyed excopt by the allwiso God who oreated it. Geutlemen, I repeat I sinoerely thank you for tho rospect manifested on tliis occasion ; and for the expresaions of approbation and confldonoe ploaso aooopt my sincere thanks,