And further, this respondent has also expressed the opinion, both in
his communications to Congress and in his addresses to the people, that
the policy adopted by Congress in reference to the States lately in
insurrection did not tend to peace, harmony, and union, but, on the
contrary, did tend to disunion and the permanent disruption of the
States, and that in following its said policy laws had been passed by
Congress in violation of the fundamental principles of the Government,
and which tended to consolidation and despotism; and such being his
deliberate opinions, he would have felt himself unmindful of the
high duties of his office if he had failed to express them in his
communications to Congress or in his addresses to the people when called
upon by them to express his opinions on matters of public and political
consideration.
And this respondent, further answering the tenth article, says that he
has always claimed and insisted, and now claims and insists, that both
in the personal and private capacity of a citizen of the United States
and in the political relations of the President of the United States to
the people of the United States, whose servant, under the duties and
responsibilities of the Constitution of the United States, the President
of the United States is and should always remain, this respondent had
and has the full right, and in his office of President of the United
States is held to the high duty, of forming, and on fit occasions
expressing, opinions of and concerning the legislation of Congress,
proposed or completed, in respect of its wisdom, expediency, justice,
worthiness, objects, purposes, and public and political motives and
tendencies, and within and as a part of such right and duty to form,
and on fit occasions to express, opinions of and concerning the public
character and conduct, views, purposes, objects, motives, and tendencies
of all men engaged in the public service, as well in Congress as
otherwise, and under no other rules or limits upon this right of
freedom of opinion and of freedom of speech, or of responsibility and
amenability for the actual exercise of such freedom of opinion and
freedom of speech, than attend upon such rights and their exercise on
the part of all other citizens of the United States and on the part of
all their public servants.
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