Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-02-26
Remarks of Mr.. Hackley,

CoWpty far the Legis/0tuT".
Il feel under many OBJ
LEGATIONS 10 you for this, another testimonial
of your confidence and regard! This renew
nj of your confidence and esteem does me
the highest honor, and would have been IN
ample reward for services much greater than
any, which have had the ability Ia PERFORM
either as YOUR candidate or your representa-
tive Denomination which you have again
conferred upon me, when there are so many
gallant knights in the field, more able and
efficient than myself to break lance or
parry blow" and lead on our friends to
battle and TO victory, quickens my sense OF
the high and uumeritcd honor, you have
conferred upon me. and fills my heart with
more gratitude than my tongue can express,
but which | trust my whole life will ever
manifest.
Such honors. such tributes of respect,
should be most cautiously and guardedly be-
stowed-like rewards and punishments-to
have their desired effect and should be con-
fcrrcd only upon the most meritorous.
Ii | know myself during the whole OF
nv life, which has been spent among you,
nv highest aim, my lottiest aspirations, Tex
cent the duties | owed to God and my coun-
trvl have been to render myself worthy OF
the confidence and appreciation OF my friends
and tcllow-citizens, and if | have succeeded
to any extent, it has been from faithful adj
herencc to the noble sentiment:
ha trna
And it will follow, ~ the night the day,
Thou c;.rst not then be false to any man.
And if have been true to myself and
my principles, and it has followed, that l
have been false to no man, and for that have
won yoar regurd, then, indeed, are my lottlest
aspirations more than fulfilled. and with
these to comfort and sustain me. feel that
in the future my yoke will be easy and my
burden will be light" without these, l
should deserve no longer to remain among
YOU: therefore, trust i'll God, | shall never
render myself unworthy the one, or forfeit
my title to the other, by any voluntary act
of my own.
These tributes of respect these distin-
guished marks of your confidence and re-
gard, are the more highly appreciated from
the fact that they are voluntary and unsoll-
cited, because they are the offspring of
generous friendship and Il patriotic love for
that devotion of mine to the principles of our
! party, which can only cease 10 exist with
life itself, and which trust, will now burn
mare warmly. as our brethren, throughout
the State are already in the field. and by no
diSgracetul supineness Of mine, nor OF
YOURS | trust, shall the most Jealous have
the right to say, why stand You here idle :"
The confidence you have expressed to-day
in my poor ability, and your appreciation
likewise, with which have been honored,
will be remembered and cherished with the
fondest recollection. Embalmed in my
heart of hearts, they shall be appealed to, As
| a high and holy motive to more chiyalrous
and praiseworthy deeds, and rs laudable
incentive to render myself more worthy OF
Your regard, and To covenant afresh with
YOU and myself to merit, if ] can, the wei
come plaudit 50 magnanimously conferred
upon me to-day 'of well done thou good
and faithful servant" And if you shall but
require the same unfaltering, unhinching
support to those men and measures Of our
party which in the sincerity of my heart, |
believe carry along with them the develop
ment and prosperity of our country, and
/ w uS ti'N ouiN't IVA viz On
curity, the prosperity, and the 1erpetuity of
our institutions, then, indeed. | most joyful
| " swear eternal fidelity, and pledge my
humble efforts as long rs have an arm to
WELD a weapon, or voice to cry aloud in
their defence As to the manner in which |
have discharged the duties pertaining TO the
trust of representative or as to the value OF
my services during the short period that |
have had the honor 10 represent you, it does
not become me to speak but so far rs the
motives which influenced my actions are con-
ccrned | can. conscientiously say, that |
have ever been guided by the supposed will
of Il ma orltS Of my constituents, AZ well as
an honest desire to promote the best interests
of those whom it was my duty to represent.
And now that you have again selected me
as your standard bearer, pledge myself To
each and all Of my friends, here and else
where, to labor faithfully and earnestly and
zealously to bear aloft, that sacred flag,
whose re,y hueS ,re,c born IN hedceR; but
while shall struggle bravely for the ascen-
,lancy Of our noble principles, | shall en-
dcavor TO conduct the canvass courtcOusy,
frankly and honorably, not only towards my
opponent bu; towards all who may choose to
entertain an honest difference of opinion
with me. And, now, tc!low-citizens, you
will bear in mind that two years ago, when
our party in the county had been beaten
down and dishcartened by succession Of
defeats, our opponents, with trumpet Of
defiance, that rang forth loud and clear, and
weapons flashing, stood ready and eager for
the Fray flushed, too, with recent over
whclming majority Of $50 in our county
Their clarnors rent tho hills around,
! Till earth rc-bclowcd with the sound"
Then IL vas, that | consented to assume
the leadership of my party; relying firmly
on the sentiment, "Ile that is valiant, and
dareS fight. though drubbed, can lose no
honor by it," To my mind, resolved, there
was an impotcncy in despair, which made
me smile, though all its shafts were in me,
for confess | accepted the nomination in
the spirit Of martyr-Time and again had
we been beaten, crushed down; our fag that
now floats 50 proudly in the breeze, had been
torn and tattcred III our severe conflicts with
the enemy till at last it had been inglorious-
lv turled; its bright stars and stripes, no
longer bringing courage to our own hearts,
nor casting defiance at the serried ranks,
and bristliug bayAnats Of the opposition
/ Vet in the midst Of ell this gloom, this hope
less, impenctrablc darkness, when the rain.
bow Of hope was nowhere to be seen in the