Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-02-08
The Peaor Conferenee-sPeeoh OF E1-
PRECEDENT Tyler.

GESTLRNES 81 fear you have committed
a great error In appointing me to tue hon.
orable position you have assigned me. A
long separation from all deliberate bodies
has rendered the rules of their proceedings
unfamiliar to me, while / should find in
my own state of health. variable and tickle
as it is, sufficient reason to decline the
honor of being your presiding officer; but,
+, in times like these, one has but little OPP
tion left him-personal consideration
should weigh but lightly in tho balance.
The country is In dauger-it is enough
one must take the place assigned him in
the great work of reconciliation and nd
jnstment. The voice of Virginia has in
vited her co-States to meet her in council.
In the Invitation of this Government that
/ sane voice was heard and complied with,
/ and tho results Of seventy odd years have
fully attested the wisdom of the decision
Z then adopted. Is the urgency of her call
now less then it was then? Our god.
! like fathers created-we have to preserve.
They built up, through their wisdom and
/ patriotism, monuments which have eteFHdE-
ICED their names. You have before you,
gentlemen, task equally grand, equally
sublime, quite as full of glory and immor-
tality. You have to snatch from ruin
great and glorious Confederation, to pre-
serve the Government. and to renew aud
invigorate the Constitution. If you reach
| the height OF this great occasion, your
! children's children will rise up aud call
You blessed. l confess myself ambitious
of sharing in the glory of accomplishing
this grand and magnificent result. To
have our names enrolled i'll the Capitol, to
be repeated by future generations with
grateful applause, this is an honor higher
than the mountains-more enduring than
monumental alabaster. Yes, Yirginia's
voice, as in the olden time, has been heard
Her sister States meet her this day Mt the
council board. Vermont is here, bringing
with her the memories of the past, reviv-
ing in the memories of all her Etlien Allen
and his demand for the surrender of III
conderOga in the name of the Great Jcho-
yah and the American Congress. New
| Hampshire is here-her fame illustrated
by memorable annals, and still more lately
as the birthplace of him who won for him
self the name of Defender of the Consti-
tuition, and who wrote that letter to John
Taylor which has been enshrined in the
hearts of his countrymen. Massachusetts is
not here-(somc member snid she is COM
ing)-I hope SO, said Mr.. Tyler, and that
she will bring with her her daughter Maine.
did not believe it could well be that the
voice which, in other times, was so IA
miliar to her cars, has been addressed to
her in vain. Connecticut is here, and she
NOlhGSs uOuDL uUIg III tue 5DlEIL VI hOIeE
Sherman, whose name with our very chill
dren has become n household word, and
who was in life the embodiment of that
practical sense which belts the great law
givers and constructors of Governments.
Rhode Island. the land of Roger Williams,
is here, one of the two last States in her
jealousy of the public liberty to give in
her adhesion to the Constitution, and
among the earliest to hasten to its rescue
Tue great Empire State of New York
| represented thus fac but by one-delegates
to-day II fuller force to join in the
great work of healing the discontents
of the times, and restoring the reign of
fraternal feeling. New Jersey is also
here, with the memories Of the past cover
ing her all over. Trenton and Prince
ton live immortal in story-the plains of
the last cncrimsoned with the hearts
blood of Nirginiu's sons. Among her del
/ cgaticn rejoice to recognize n gallant son
Or signer of the immortal declaration
which announced to the world that thiF-
teen provinces had become thirteen indie
pendent States. And here, too, is Dele
ware, the land of the Bayards and the
ROdneys, whose soil Mt Brandywiue was
moistenedSS with the blood of Virgiuia's
! youthful Monroe. Here IS Maryland,
whose massive columns wheeled into line
with those of Virginia in the contest for
| glory, and whose State House at Annnpo-
| lis was the tho theatre of spectacle of a
successful commander, who, after liberia
ting his country, gladly ungirthed hi sword
and laid it down upon the altar of that
country. Then come Pcnnsylvanin-rich
in revolutionary lore, bringing with her
the deathless name of Franklin and Norris,
and trust ready TO renew from the belfry
of Independence Hall the chimes of the
old bell which announced freedom and in
dependence in former days. All hail
to North Carolina! with her Mecklen-
burg declaration in her hand, standing
erect on the ground of her own probity and
hrmness in the cause of public liberty,
and represented in her attributes bv her
Macon, and in this assembly by her distin-
guished son, at no great distance from me.
Four daughters of Virginia also cluster
around the council board, on the iavita-
ton of their ancient mother, the eldest
Kentucky, whose sons, under that intrepid
warrior, Anthony Wayne, gave freedom of
settlement to tue territory of her sister.
Ohio, and extending his hand daily aud
hourly across La Belle RiYicrc to grHsp the
hand of kindred blood of the noble States
OF Indiana and Illinois, and Ohio, who
have grown up into powerful States, al
ready grand, potent and almost imperial.
Tennessee is not here, but is coming-pre-
vented from being here only by tue floods
which have swollen her rivers. When shs
arrives she will wear the badges on her
warrior crest of victories won, in compa-
ny with the great West, on many an en-
sangutned plain, and standards torn from
the hands of the conquerors of Water
loo. Missouri and Iowa and Michi-
gan, Wisconsin and Minnesota will lin
ger behind, but 1t may be hoped that
their hearts are with US in the great work
we have to do. The eyes OF the whole
country are turned to this hall and to this
assembly in expectation and hope. thrust,
gentlemen, that you ;may prove yourselves
worthy Of the great occasion. Our ances-
tors probably committed blunder in not
having fixed upon every fifth decade for