Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-02-29
Snasnh OF Mr.. JanneY.

marks made by John Janney, esq, of Lou
doun, on taking the Chair as President OF the
Wing State Convention:
Gentlemen Of the Convention, representa-
tives of the Constitutional Union Party OF
Nirginia-soon, trust, to be expanded into
the great Constitutional Union Party Of the
nation, with platform broad enough and
strong enough to contain all the conservative
elements that may exist in all the parties
into which the country is now unhapplly di-
yded; ! tender you my cordial thanks Tor
the honor you have conferred on me, by call
ing me to preside over your deliberations.
On my part, it is wholly unmerited. /
have not the skill which experience alone
can give-no knowledge of parliamentary
law or the rules of order, and have never
presided for an hour over the deliberations of
any public assembly. So far as the mere
preservation of order is concerned, | have
no fears of exhibiting any deficiency; for, IN
an assembly like the one before me, no occa-
sion will arise for calling the power OF the
Chair into action.
Our meeting here, on the l2Sth anniyer-
sary of the birth of George Washington,
from all parts of the Commonwealth, is ow-
day because we wished to do honor to our
selves, by attempting to honor his memory.
He lived for the Union-he died III the Uni
on--he was buried in the Union, and one Of
our objects, indeed, the leading object, for
which we came, was to prevent, by the ex-
ertion of every faculty which God has given
us, the future historian from recording
the melancholy fact, that his honored re
mains lie in disjointed member of once
united and powerful empire of frecmen.-
The most precious, and the most exalted tri-
butte ever paid by grateful country, to the
memory OF great public benetactor, IS the
purchase of Mount Vernon by the wo-
men of the United States. That Is no sec
tional monument. 1t was not reared BY
contributions from the east or the west, the
north or the south, alone. They came from
the entire Union, the efforts OF female graft
tude and patriotism were bounded by no geo
graphical lines it is shrine erected by all
for the use of all, and one OF our objects here
to-day, is, to prevent the pilgrims who may
resort thither to renew their VOWS in all
coming time, from being obliged to exclaim,
I'VE are no longer In or otcn country.
We do not mean, if we can prevent it, that
Edward Everett, of Massachusetts, and his
children shall be obliged to say upon that
hallowed spot, "4ad ,ce loo are aliens"
We came here, gentlemen, because we have
seen the country in the main, divided into
two great sectional parties, inflaming the
passions and exciting the prejudices Of our
lellow-citizens, upon 4 subject, which both
Of the political parties Of 1850 agreed t.
compromise and forever Danish from the ma
tional councils--a compromise which each
of those parties, in its separate political or
ganization of 1852, resolved should be q
fnaiify, Which Of these parties broke its
plighted faith, and unlocked the Pandora's
| box. out of which issued the evils with which
we are now threatened, let the future histo-
rian tell. The whole time Of Congress
wisdom, its talent, as well rs its passion
and prejudice, have been almost exclusive
ly occupied by this exciting subject, TO tie
neglect Of all the great interests OF the cOun-
| try. We have seen an administration, IN
stalled with clear surplus OF SlIOGO,u 600
| in the treasury which, ut the end Of its third
year, having spent all its current revenue and
| its original capital, has fastened upon the
country debt Of $60,000,00O and thrown
enormous burden upon the future revenue
that of the nation, which ought to have been
| left unincumbcred for their successors And
all this has been done in a time Of profound
| peace, and in the absence Of pestilence and
| famine.
The post-ofice department-that great
agent, through whose veins and arteries flows
the lite-blood of the business, the literature,
and the politics Of the nation, is completely
paralyzed, and its agents, to whom the faith
of the government was pledged compelled g
sacrifice large portion Of their earnings.
Citizens Of tho South, and those vitality IN
terested in the doctrine Of non-intcFyention by
one people, in the domestic affairs Of another,
more than all others, committed by our dear
est interests, rs well as By principle to that
great rule Of international law, which guar
antees to every independent nation, the
right to establish any form Of government il
chooses, whether it be democracy, aristocra-
CIV, monarchy, the despotism ola mob, Or its
legitimate and necessary consequence, the
despotism of one man, we have seen the Pre-
sident OF the United States demanding that
he shall be armed with the whole naval and
military power of the republic 70 enable him
to intervene in the domestic affairs Of Mexi-
co. In defiance Of our established rule, Of re-
cognizing the governments az tacto Of every
nation, leaving them to settle the question Of
legal right As they please, we have seen him
negotiating with faction now or lately be
seiged in the city Of Vera Cruz, while all the
residue of the country, is in the actual pos
session Of their adversaries, who claim to be
the government De ,jHre, as they are certainly
de fdct0.
Living, as we do, under constitution
which vests the treaty-makng power in the
President, by and with the advice and con
sent of two-thirds Of the Senate, to be given
or withheld. according to their unbiased dis
erection. We have seen him persistently de-
handing that he shall have 3O,OOO,OOO
placed IN his hands, either 10 Soothe the IN
suited dignity, or to sap the public virtue Of
Spain, and enable him to acquire the island
Of Cuba by treaty which the Senate must
ratify when laid before them under the pen
atty of the forfeiture Of the thirty millions
If the treaty was rejected, the money would
ba lost, for no court in Christendom, 70 SOW
ereigp arbiter to whom the question might
be referred could decree in favor Of the claim
ant without violating the maxim that he who
comes into equity for relief mast have clean
hands"
1t has never been my practice, and it Is not
now my purpose, to utter harsh dcnuncla-
tons, but superadded to all these evils, ac-
4 n. It,~