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373
formed their duty. Having received the President, the Sec-
retary of State, and his suite, I have now the honor to pre-
sent them to this Convention. Governor Swann will now
formally introduce to the Body your distinguished guests.
Whereupon, the Governor proceeded to the introduction in
the following words:
GOVERNOR SWANS'S REMARKS.
MB. PRESIDENT:
In accordance with the unanimous wish of this Conven-
tion, as expressed in your resolutions of the 20th instant, I
have the honor to present to you his Excellency, Andrew
Johnson, President of the United States. I have also the
pleasure to present to you on this occasion the Hon. Wm. H.
Seward, who accompanied him on his recent agieeable tour
to the North. He has come, Mr. President, to accept the hos-
pitality which has been so cordially extended to him by the
State of Maryland.
Standing by the side of this great advocate of the people's
rights, I am sure 1 will not be accused of falsehood whea I
claim for him the homage of a people whose ancestral rela-
tions comprise so large a portion of the history of this
Government. Unawed by persecution stripped of the pow-
ers, the essential powers conferred by the Constitution upon
his high office, powers which he has conscientiously and hon-
estly exercised for the benefit of the whole people, in the in-
terest of patriotism, and not of party, almost within reach of
accomplishing the great object of reconstruction, to which
his efforts have been directed, he stands here to-day not the
less honored because he has failed, from untoward interfer-
ences, to accomplish the great object of his mission and duty.
The effort, (and I regret to say it in the face of this Con-
vention and the face of the country,) the effort to transfer a
whole section of our blessed country from the Anglo Saxon
to the African race, to establish the negro in the Governmen-
tal control of a large section of our country, cannot be viewed
without regret and alarm by the American people. Tbe
subordination of the civil to the military power has marked
the progress to tyranny and despotism in all ages of the
world. Republics, quite as powerful as our own, have fallen
beneath the heavy weight of irresponsible military power.
Is this to be the fate of this great Republic ? I can only say,
Mr. President, if such is to be the result, the responsibility
is not with Andrew Johnson. The present condition of your
country, your prostrate commerce, the foreshadowing of
threats which have gone forth of red-handed agrarianism,
has not resulted from any power conferred upon the Presi-
dent of the United States. Standing within these ancient
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